Instructional Design and the ADDIE Model

Ensuring student success through good design...

 

D is for DESIGN

During the Design phase, you will write learning objectives, determine learning activities, choose instructional strategies, methods and media, and create corresponding assessments. 

It might seem backward to create assessments before creating instruction, but it is actually better to create assessments first so that you ensure your content and practice cover the same things that you test your students on.  As mentioned previously, this is to ensure instructional alignment. 

During the Design phase, no instructional content is created – you are merely creating a blueprint to guide you during the Development and Implementation phases.  Just as an architect creates a blueprint for a new home, you will create a blueprint for your instruction.  Though we know what the house will look like when it is done and the requirements to build the house, the house hasn't been built yet!

Write Learning Objectives

During the Design phase, you will construct learning objectives.  The objectives for courses often constitute the bare minimum that must be covered in the course…these are the course competencies outlined by the curriculum office in Maricopa and they are rigorously reviewed.  As the instructor, you can always add content or elevate the objectives – just as long as you are sure to cover the stated objectives for the course.

An objective is a statement of what you want the learner to be able to do when the lesson is complete.  Objectives state what the LEARNER will do, not what the instructor will do.  Objectives must be measurable, observable and clear, and should state any conditions under which the students must perform.  Since your assessments directly measure students' mastery of the objectives, it is critical to use observable verbs in your objectives.  You must write objectives that have learners DO something.  We can only tell for sure that learners have mastered course objectives by watching them demonstrate their proficiency.  The problem with using vague verbs is that there is no way to observe students' mastery of the objective.  How do you measure a learner's understanding of, appreciation for, or belief about something?

A good way to develop objectives that are measurable is to complete the statement: At the end of the course/unit/lesson learners will be able to…

(Source: Amy MacPherson)

Specific Vs Vague Verbs

 (Source: Paula Connors)

Objectives Vs Activities

It is easy to get objectives confused with activities!  An objective describes a skill that learners are expected to know after the instruction. In contrast, an activity is a learning experience in which learners participate for the purpose of acquiring the objective. The examples below illustrate the distinction between activities and objectives.

A: The learner will practice entering information into the College Financial System.

A: The learner will complete an online PowerPoint tutorial.

A: The learner will discuss the advantages of a database and suggest project ideas.

A: The learner will practice parallel parking.

A: The learner will shoot 25 free throws after practice.

A: The learner will perform a dry run for training.

 

From the following, select the items that are LEARNING OBJECTIVES. a. The learner will run 3 miles everyday. b. The learner will type 65 words per minute. c. The learner will create a registration database for an upcoming conference. d. The learner will exercise food portion control for 2 weeks. [mark all correct answers]

(Source: Paula Connors)

Design the Instructional Strategy

How will you design the instruction?  All design considerations are addressed when creating the instructional strategy.  To determine the instructional strategy, answer the following questions:

• How should ideas be presented to learners?
  
• How should content be organized?
• How will the material be grouped and sequenced?
• What is the timing of the instructional components?
• What delivery format should be used (lecture, handouts, manuals, video, audio)?
• What instructional methods and learning activities should be used to present the content?  There are many ways to deliver content; what is the best method based upon the content, the learners and the assessment measures?  Here is a sampling of instructional strategies:

• What types of learning activities and exercises will best help learners acquire the objectives?
• How should the learners' accomplishments be measured? (Assessment)

(Source: Intulogy.com)

The chosen instructional strategy must fit what learners are going to be asked to do in the assessment and learners must be given practice exercises that match the objectives, the content and the assessment.  Remember, as mentioned before this is instructional alignment.

Determine Your Assessment

So, you have your objectives and you have determined your instructional strategy.  What's next?  Assessment!  What assessment measures will be used?  Bloom's Taxonomy is a useful tool that can be used to create objectives.  It also can be used to help you develop your assessment measures.  You can use the levels of Bloom to ensure that you are eliciting higher-level thinking from your students.  Use the sidebar materials on this page for more information about Bloom's Taxonomy. After reviewing those materials, do the Self Check - correctly order the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy from lower level to higher level of thinking.

 

Put the items in the correct order. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Understand 1 2 3 4 5 6 Apply 1 2 3 4 5 6 Evaluate 1 2 3 4 5 6 Analyze 1 2 3 4 5 6 Remember 1 2 3 4 5 6 Create

Remember the course objectives, assessment and instruction need to be aligned.  If you are going to have students write essays to test their mastery of course objectives, you need to provide them opportunities to write during instruction.  If you are going to have students role-play to assess the objectives, then they should be provided an opportunity to role-play or to see role-plays during instruction. If you are going to give multiple choice tests, then you need to be providing the learners with multiple choice quizzes to prepare them to make the same kinds of decisions one learns to make while taking multiple choice tests. 

(Source: Amy MacPherson)

Multiple Choice

Essay Tests

Authentic Assessment (Portfolios, Role-Plays, Projects, Presentations)

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