I was looking forward to LRNT 524 because I’d previously heard “instructional design” or “instructional designers” but had no idea what they meant. After finishing the UNIT 1 readings, I discovered that I had been using the ADDIE model without realizing it. The ADDIE model, which includes five phases in instructional design (analysis, designing, development, implementation, and evaluation), serves as the foundation for all design models (Dousay, 2018). This statement provided comfort after reading about the various instructional models in the UNIT 1 readings.
Considerations for design decisions:
- Who is the audience? Students in K-12 or adult learners?
- An analysis of the course/learning objective
- Understanding the learning environment. Will learning be online asynchronously or synchronously? Will it be in face-to-face learning environments, or will it be in a blended format?
- Understanding what resources are available to complete the instructional design process.
When I consider future scenarios where I will need to choose an ID model to design learning, I realize there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to selecting an ID model. Some factors will influence our decision-making as future MALAT graduates, such as limited resources or budgetary implications. Given these potential obstacles, we might need to innovate our design process even though there may be ID models better suited to the learner’s needs. Instructional designers have emphasized: “the design gaps in ID, drawing on the broader field of design theory to guide how designers select and arrange constructs or components.” (Dousay, 2018, p.8) The Design Layer model is an example of having to innovate in the design process where instructional designers may need to assess any concerns encountered in a particular ID and may need to layer other existing ID models in the process (Dousay, 2018).I have found the ADDIE model to be a good starting point in the design process as it acts as a paradigm for other ID models (Dousay, 2018). However, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) would be an additional ID model to reference in the design process. UDL is a framework that prioritizes inclusive learning in utilizing empathy to understand learner needs and goals, identifying learning gaps, and using feedback to improve responses (Takacs et al., 2022).
I look forward to learning more about ID models.
REFERENCES
Dousay, T. A. (2018). Instructional design models. In R. West (Ed.), Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology (1st ed.). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/instructional_design_models
Takacs, D. S., Zhang, J., Lee, H., Truong, L., & Smulders, D. (2022). A Comprehensive Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning. Justice Institute of British Columbia. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/jibcudl/
That is interesting that you see models in what you were doing without previous knowledge of them. Another way to consider where models might fit is to consider challenging design situations, student populations or challenges in your teaching practice and seek a model to help resolve that situation. We so often teach the way we were taught, as opposed to designing with intention to perhaps be less colonial, decrease competitive mindsets of students or to foster “soft” skills as they call them.
Some great thoughts here, Jess.
You mention that limitations (budgetary, resources, or otherwise) affect learning design. Have you had much experience with designing with restrictions? You have also mentioned needing to “layer other existing ID models” to help create a model that suits your learner needs best. I am curious, do you think there is a limit to how many models to address when creating your own?
Hi Terry,
Excellent questions! In a previous role, I faced budgetary and resource constraints while developing new learning. Reflecting on that situation, what I realize now is that the issue was that there was a lack of knowledge about Learning and Development. My team did not have the foundational knowledge to understand what was required to create engaging learning. To add to that knowledge gap – I had just begun exploring the world of education and tech, so I did not have the knowledge I do now (If only I had a time machine). As far as layering ID models – I’m not sure if I know the answer – I can tell you that based on the readings and doing the jigsaw assignment, I have noticed a lot of overlap between the ID models that exist – so perhaps that’s where the layering comes in!