ADDIE Model

Is the ADDIE Model Truly Useful?

There’s a reason why the ADDIE model is the most popular training approach out there. With it you can easily develop a new course. Here’s our guide to the five phases of the ADDIE model and why you should use it to design your next great learning experience.

What is the ADDIE model?

The ADDIE model is a course design model used by training developers and other educators. It consists of five crucial phases: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate.

Since its development in the 1970s, experts have used the ADDIE model to plan and design training programs. Even after five decades, ADDIE is still the most commonly used ID model.

Although the model is listed sequentially, it has evolved to be more flexible and allow for continuous improvement and iteration.

The ADDIE process

While the ADDIE process was originally designed to be linear, it is now more dynamic and interactive:

Phase 1: Analysis

Before new learning content is developed, it is important to analyze the current situation. Look at how everything is organized and laid out to get a better understanding of the gaps you need to fill. In the analysis phase you also determine your goals for the instruction.

Ask good questions – who, what, why, where, when and how – such as:

• Who is the target group?

• What are the most important features?

• What problem do we want to solve?

• What outcome do we hope to achieve?

• Why should the target group want to take part in this training?

• What is the current level of knowledge of the target group? Are there any gaps?

• What tools do we need to convey the information?

• Where should this training take place (e.g. e-learning or in person)?

• When does this project need to be completed?

Milestone: At the end of the analysis phase, you should have a plan for your course or training and know what you need to achieve the desired result.

Phase 2: Design

In the design phase, we use everything we gathered in the analysis phase to begin designing the optimal learning experience. This phase of the ADDIE model often takes the longest and requires great attention to detail from the designer.

In this phase you will work on designing key attributes such as:

• learning goals

• Theme and content

• Lesson planning

• Exercises and assessments

• Media (e.g. videos, images, graphics, audio, etc.)

• Length of time

• Return message

Next, create a storyboard or, if time permits, a working prototype to communicate the value of the training to other stakeholders.

Milestone: At the end of the design phase, you should have a course outline, design elements, and a storyboard and/or prototype.

Phase 3: Development

In the development phase, it’s time to bring your ideas and plans to life by actually building the learning experience. At this point the content and strategy have already been determined. If the design phase was done correctly, you should be able to use your storyboards and/or prototypes as a guide.

Development phase activities include creating graphics, recording audio and video, and (where appropriate) collaborating with programmers to develop or integrate required technologies.

The development phase not only serves to create learning outcomes, but also to test them. This phase of the ADDIE model should be highly iterative (i.e. built through rounds of feedback).

Milestone: At the end of the development phase, your entire course or training should be completed.

Phase 4: Implementation

Your course has been created – now it’s time for learners to try it out!

When you create an online course (eLearning), you typically need to upload your course to the Learning Management System (LMS). The aspects of implementation must also be determined, such as:

• Who will be enrolled?

• How much time they will receive

• What is the threshold for passing exams?

• How feedback is collected

This phase is also iterative, and the training designers must continually revise, update or even redesign the elements of the training as necessary.

Milestone: At the end of the implementation phase, your course should be live in the LMS and available to learners.

Phase 5: Assessment

Once your course or training has been designed, developed and implemented, you now need to verify that the learning experience achieves the goals you set.

The evaluation phase consists of two parts:

• Formative – It occurs in every phase of the ADDIE model.

• Summative – Takes place at the end of the program

In other words, there is always some form of evaluation taking place throughout the entire process. When evaluating the course, the instructional designer must decide whether all problems encountered have been addressed and whether the objectives have been achieved.

Milestone: At the end of the evaluation phase, you should have a better understanding of what needs to be changed or improved about the learning experience. This information should also help you better design future courses and training programs.

Putting the ADDIE model into practice

Applying the ADDIE model requires some planning and creating templates when time permits. It can be helpful to create worksheets for each of the steps, as well as feedback forms for learners and IDs to share their insights.

An important tool for implementing the ADDIE model is your authoring tool or learning management system. While the ADDIE model should not necessarily be tied to a specific tool, it works best with tools that support slide-based learning experiences as they most closely follow the ADDIE format.

ADDIE model: advantages and disadvantages

The ADDIE model has its advantages and disadvantages. When deciding whether ADDIE is the right model for your instructional design initiatives, consider the pros and cons listed below…

Advantages

The advantages of the ADDIE model include

• Good starting point – ADDIE is a great model to get started with your instructional design and also combines well with other ID models if you wish.

• Well structured – ADDIE has a linear structure, but is typically used as a cycle (repeated and iterated). This structured guidance can help keep ID teams on track.

• Flexibility and versatility – ADDIE, while structured, is also very flexible, allowing teams to rethink and revise the entire process. It is also versatile in that it can be applied to any type of learning imaginable.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of the ADDIE model include:

• Time Consuming – In many cases, teams need to act quickly when creating a new course or training. The ADDIE model is quite comprehensive, but that also means it takes a lot of time to work through.

• Linear – As previously mentioned, the ADDIE model was originally designed to be a linear process. While repeating steps and restarting the process can turn it into a cycle, the entire model can be negatively affected if problems arise in one phase.

• Assumption – The ADDIE model assumes that the instructional designers already know the learners’ needs, which is not always the case.

Frequently asked questions about the ADDIE model

What is the ADDIE training model?

The ADDIE model is an instructional systems design (ISD) framework developed in the 1970s. It consists of five phases – Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate – and is the most commonly used instructional design model.

What are the 5 phases of the ADDIE model?

The 5 phases of the ADDIE training model are Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate.

Where is the ADDIE model used?

The ADDIE model is used by training and development teams and by instructional designers across disciplines to develop educational programs, whether online or in print. ADDIE is often used in designing eLearning and training programs in companies.

What is the most important phase in the ADDIE model?

Although each step of the ADDIE model is critical to designing effective learning experiences, many instructional designers consider the first step, analysis, to be the most important. This first analysis step, which forms a solid foundation for the rest of the model, is the crucial phase in many processes, not only in the ADDIE model.