Ever wondered what processes instructional designers go through when developing learning experiences? Well, here’s one – ‘ADDIE’; tried and tested for ultimate learning outcomes.
What ADDIE is
ADDIE methodology is an instructional design framework with five steps:
- Analyse
- Design
- Develop
- Implement
- Evaluate
Born in the 1970s, ADDIE has been the companion of instructional designers ever since.
Originally, ADDIE was meant to be followed linearly, from analysis to evaluation, one step after another. Today, ADDIE has evolved into a more flexible and iterative process where you can revisit and refine each stage.
1. Analyse
With ADDIE, instructional designers start any content development process by analysing the current situation. Typical questions in the analysis stage include:
- Why is a learning solution needed at this point? For example, in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) space, a unit of competency might have been superseded, which triggers the need to transition to a new one. In the corporate space, you may need a learning solution to train staff on new compliance or quality requirements.
- What is the learning gap? It could be a knowledge, skills or attitude gap, but it could also be a lack of motivation or the need to build team members’ habits around a new process or procedure.
- Who are your learners? Consider demographics and psychographics. To ensure your learning design is inclusive and accessible, assess the learners’ needs and potential barriers to learning so you can respond to them effectively in your design.
- What are the learning outcomes? Set clear and measurable goals to guide the design and development phases.
2. Design
This phase involves planning the instructional approach and crafting a blueprint for the learning solution. In the design phase, ask yourself:
- What content structure do you propose? You may choose to organise content logically, moving from simple to complex or following the sequence of tasks on the job.
- What strategies are best suited? Select inclusive and accessible strategies relevant to the learners’ profiles and organisational requirements.
3. Develop
In the development stage, you create the learning materials, including visuals, multimedia and assessments. In this step, ask yourself:
- How can you create inclusive and accessible content? Use accessible authoring tools and features and incorporate multimedia, interactive activities and assessment types that align with learner preferences and needs.
- How can you ensure the learning design is engaging and effective? Design materials to be engaging and directly linked to the learning outcomes identified in the design phase.
4. Implement
In the implementation stage, you roll out the solution to the learner in a classroom, online or blended learning environment.
- How are you delivering the learning solution? Consider platforms and methods for delivery, such as a learning management system (LMS) for online modules, face-to-face or a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning.
5. Evaluate
The final phase involves assessing the effectiveness of the learning solution by measuring learning outcomes and gathering feedback.
- How successful was the learning? Collect quantitative and qualitative data, including learner performance and feedback, to assess impact and areas for improvement.
ADDIE at eWorks
At eWorks, we use ADDIE as a foundation for a solid and structured instructional design to develop educational content and corporate training content. When we work with you to set up and customise a learning management system to your needs, the eWorks team also follows ADDIE’s steps, starting with need analysis and completing the set-up with an evaluation.
At the same time, we take a step forward from ADDIE to bring agile project management methodologies to allow for prototyping, continuous development and frequent iterations, which can be beneficial when your learning design needs and LMS requirements evolve quickly.
