What is the ADDIE Model of Instructional Design / Training?

The ADDIE model is a popular circular model for designing, creating, implementing, and refining training programs and plans in an instructional setting. The ADDIE model has been used for in-person, hybrid, and online training programs and has many derived alternatives that may be more optimal based on the specific needs of the training/program.

ADDIE Stands for:

Analysis

Design

Development

Implementation

Evaluation

Let’s break it down step by step!

Analysis

Before you start creating your training plan, you need to address critical questions such as:

• Who is my audience?
• What does my audience know?
• What does my audience need to know?
• How does my audience prefer to learn?
• How quickly does my audience need to understand the information?
• Is there a more significant problem we are trying to address with this learning plan?
• Is there any timeline that I need to follow?

By understanding the true meaning behind your plan, you will be able to tailor your instruction better to meet the goals and objectives of your stakeholders.

Design

After determining the main goals, objectives, and constraints of the needed learning plan, it is time to create an outline of the entire course. This outline should contain information ranging from the broad learning objectives to the more specific learning touchpoints that need to be covered. At this stage, it is also essential to note how much time will be allocated to each learning topic and if any specific background knowledge will be needed to understand the content.

Development

Now that an analysis of what is needed has been done and an outline has been created, the actual course content needs to be created. It is highly recommended that a mixture of images, videos, and interactive course content is present; otherwise, individuals may lose their interest in the course content and could end up wasting resources, both during the time of training and also post-training when they need to put their skills to use.

If background knowledge is needed to understand any concept, a plan for providing that knowledge to individuals should be included (if such an action is considered within the project’s scope).

After the course has been created, it is good to run a carefully monitored testing group through the content to pinpoint any issues that need to be fixed before the course is more widely used amongst your entire audience.

Implementation

This stage is where the training plan is put into use, and attention is given to the progression of individuals and their understanding of the concepts taught. A system for how instructors deliver content to learners has to be created. In many cases, primarily when hybrid or online learning is used, a Learning Management System (LMS) is used to deliver content to learners.

Evaluation

Once the training period has finished, you should assess the outcome and gather feedback from your audience. After evaluating your plan, it is essential to make any changes needed to your training plan and to note down the reasons for those changes. This way you ensure that in the future, if your training plan is needed, you will be able to train individuals more effectively to meet the organization’s specific needs.

Use Cases

From companies to universities, the ADDIE model’s simple yet powerful design has allowed organizations of all types to train members effectively. A couple of key examples of the ADDIE models usage include:

• Online Food Safety Training Courses

• These courses train staff that work with food to ensure that they correctly understand how to handle different types of food.

• College Courses (Typically Online)

• Centered around teaching students a specific skill and process of thinking, the ADDIE model helps design effective coursework and content that structures students’ learning and thinking.

Conclusion

As the world transitions to a more internet-based learning environment, the ADDIE model is increasingly used as it ensures that individuals grasp concepts properly with minimal need for intervention and re-education (if the program is effective) after the original training program.

It is important to note that although there are many types of ADDIE models and spinoffs. However, the structure of all of these models revolves around the same circular path of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.