As an elementary school teacher, the concept of instructional design (ID) isn’t new to me. Still, I can honestly say it isn’t focused on in teacher education programs or professional development sessions. When planning, I try to pinpoint my end goal or main takeaway for my students and work backward to see what skills they need to build, especially where I need to start. Being clear and transparent with this process is also helpful, as I share my expectations, outlines, and evaluation criteria with students early. This allows students to see exactly what they need to do to earn their desired mark and empowers students to take ownership and accountability of their learning.

Although there was no explicit teaching of ID in my teacher education or professional development process, I had heard of and tried a few ID models before. The ADDIE (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) process is a model I have heard of, and it is easy to see how it could work to support learning in many fields. Since this is such a structured framework, it is easy to work with and develop in a way that supports both the teacher and students during the process. ADDIE is considered the overarching framework of ID, and other models can be aligned back to the different steps within it. (Dousay, 2018) I have also heard of the PIE (plan, implement, evaluate) model, as several older teachers have used it I have worked with.

When looking into other ID models, some would clearly work in my elementary setting, and others wouldn’t be ideal. The Kemp model, being circular and allowing for entry at any stage, would make sense in a school setting. However, it does need a great deal of thought and planning to be put in for it to be used successfully. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction sounds a lot like what I’m already doing but with a name to it. Giving clear and explicit instructions, honouring previous knowledge, doing activities to showcase their learning, teaching feedback, and providing ideas of how they can improve all help students to properly understand what they are learning and, more importantly, how they are being supported with this learning. Universal Design for Learning seems like the catch-all of ID models meant to help support all students. The three main principles of multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression allow teachers to design, giving teachers and students choices. This model would require teachers to plan and consider the strengths and abilities of their students during the planning process, ensuring that each student has an entry point and options that allow them to be successful.

With so many different ID models and processes, it can be confusing for teachers to find one that works best for them, as we all have specific or unique styles. Knowing more about the different models and processes now, I feel that there isn’t anything wrong with using a combination of them within my own teaching. Finding a way to combine them in a way that allows students to understand the expectations and learning outcomes but that they have a choice within the process to share their learning in a way that will enable them to be successful might be a bit tricky, but I’m sure it is possible. Teachers having the autonomy within their classrooms to teach using an ID model or process that allows their students to share their learning successfully, which is essential for our students to develop the necessary skills they need as they grow up.

References

Dousay, T. A. (2018). Instructional Design Models. In edtechbooks.org. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/instructional_design_models

Lina Heaster-Ekholm, K. (2020). Popular instructional design models: Their theoretical roots and cultural considerations. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 16(3), 50–65. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1275582.pdf