Overview of the Instructional Design Models

By: Marina Evelin

Before we discuss exactly what instructional design models are, it is important to first define instructional design itself. Instructional design, also called Instructional Systems Design (ISD), is the method of creating instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient and effective. The instructional design discipline increased out of The second world war, when the U.S. military required to quickly train large numbers of personnel to execute various tasks.

While the terms Instructional Technology and Educational Technology are regularly used interchangeably, they aren’t the exact same. The Organization for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) defines Instructional technology as “the concept and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of procedures and resources for learning,” while Educational Technology is defined as “study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving efficiency by creating, using and managing suitable technological processes and resources.”

With the key explanations now out of the way, let us examine instructional design models. First, a model is a representation of a complex entity or phenomenon, whose purpose is to objective understanding of what it represents. Models assist the instructional designer to visualize the problem at hand, and also to then to break it down into smaller, more manageable units.

It then follows that an instructional design model are frameworks for developing instruction that enhance learning outcomes and also motivates learner to achieve a deeper level of understanding. Basically, instructional design model shows instructional designers how to organize pedagogical situations in order to achieve instructional goals. It is important to keep in mind that effective instructional models are based on studying and instructional theories.

Models are classified into prescriptive and descriptive. Prescriptive models provide guidelines to organize and structure instructional activities while detailed models explain the learning environment and how it impacts variables at play.

There are lots of instructional models which have been developed over the years, and most are based on the ADDIE model. ADDIE means Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.

This systematic instructional design model consists of five generic phases, that have been processed over the years in other models just like the Dick and Carey Design Model and also the Rapid Prototyping Model.

Common examples of these instructional models include:
1) Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction
2) Bloom’s Learning Taxonomy
3) Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of Training Evaluation
4) Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
5) Kemp’s Instructional Design Model
6) Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction)
7) ASSURE Model (Analyze Learners, State Objectives, Select Methods, Media, and Materials, Utilize Media and Materials, Require Learner Participation, and Evaluate and Revise)
8 ) Smith and Ragan Design Model; and
9) Rapid Prototyping Design Model.

This of course is a non-exhaustive list.

Worth focusing on to note is that in all models, the learner is (or should be) central to instruction. The learning context is also of importance to positive instructional outcomes. This includes instruction at all levels, i.e. K-12 education, adult learning, and higher education. Thus instructional design models are applicable to teachers, instructional designers, trainers, and college level instructors to mention a few.

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There are many sites about instructional design models. If you like to learn at your own pace and looking for ADDIE model definitely you browse at About-elearning.com

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