ADDIE MODEL

Pros and Cons of the ADDIE Model of Instructional System Design in Training Development

Pros and Cons of the ADDIE Model of Instructional System Design in Training Development

Introduction

The field of educational technology is guided by a family of processes that form the core of most academic programs and are widely acknowledged by most practitioners. These processes are also part of introductory training to people who work in the field but do not have academic backgrounds in the field (Smith, 2005).

Pros and Cons of ADDIE Model

Although some refer to ADDIE as a model, it is neither descriptive nor predictive of actual practice. Several empirical studies suggest, instead, that although ADDIE is an ideal process, practicing professionals do not follow it. Rather, ADDIE is prescriptive of ideal practice in the field.

Guiding each phase of ADDIE are additional processes, theories, and methods. For example, guiding the development of objectives are approaches popularized by Bob Mager in the 1960s. There are a number of approaches that guide design. Some pertain to the use of—and choice of—media, best characterized by the debate between (Reiser, 2007)and (Reiser, 2006)on the role of media in instruction. Some approaches focus on appropriate strategies for designing instruction. Among the most popular (but certainly not an exhaustive list) are Robert Gagne's nine events of instruction; John Keller's attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model; and problem-based learning (Gagne, 2008). Guiding the development of learning programs are such approaches as advance organizers, theories of document and information design, and even the appropriate use of audio and visual cues. Different approaches guide evaluation, depending on the level of education. Guiding most of them is the belief that assessment should focus on the extent to which learners can accomplish the learning objectives (known as criterion-referenced testing).

The core process followed by educational technologists is known as instructional systems design, which is the recommended process used to design, develop, and implement learning programs. Although more than 40 versions of this process exist, the core of each is the same and is known as ADDIE, for analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

Discussion

The most popular rendering of the specific phases using the ISD approach is the ADDIE model. ADDIE represents the five phases of the project, being Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. The Business Performance Pty Ltd set of project templates is based on these five phases. Each phase is characterized by a set of activities and a project output in the form of a tangible deliverable. The deliverable for one phase is the input for the next. Each phase also culminates in a review, which forms a go/no-go point for deciding whether to proceed to the next phase (Reiser, 2007).

The five phases of the ADDIE model are preceded by a project initiation and planning phase. This initial phase determines the costs associated with undertaking the project and the expected organizational benefits resulting from it. This forms the overarching rationale for proceeding with the project. A project definition that outlines basic project parameters such as objectives, ...