Which Instructional Design Models Should You Consider For Your L&D Program?
We live in the era of digital transformation, and eLearning has become standard practice. This is why it's important to do your research when deciding on the Instructional Design model that suits your remote Learning and Development program, as the ultimate goal is to create the ideal learning experience. Whether it's an online training course or a presentation, your remote L&D program's components must be carefully manufactured to succeed, and Instructional Design models are the foundation on which you create your content. These models support your learning materials, which wouldn't exist without them. Below, we'll cover 5 popular approaches to help you determine which fits your remote L&D program the best.
5 Instructional Design Models To Choose For Your Remote L&D Program
1. ADDIE
The ADDIE model is one of the oldest. However, it's still used by many designers to create eLearning courses. Each letter in the name ADDIE stands for a step in the design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. In the Analysis step, you disclose a problem, establish goals and objectives, and identify the learning environment. During the Design phase, you must work with learning objectives, exercises, and other content to plan your lesson. The Development step helps you create and put together the content you created in the Design step. Implementation will assist in training learners on the tools used, the curriculum, and other procedures. Finally, the Evaluation part lets your users provide feedback. Each step offers the ability to make any changes before proceeding to the next one. Remember that the process is linear, so it's best to execute each step carefully, as it can have a domino effect on the proceeding stages.
2. Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's Taxonomy is a model that dates back to the '50s and was created by Benjamin Bloom and his collaborators, Max Englehart, Edward Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl. Anderson and Krathwohl reevaluated the model in the '00s. This Instructional Design model has several steps: Creating, Evaluating, Analyzing, Applying, Understanding, and Remembering. During those steps, the designer has to create and concurrently evaluate each component for its meaningfulness and effectiveness. The model encourages deeper learning through problem-solving. It's a great choice if your remote L&D program focuses on learning new concepts and your goal is to fully engage the learners in the process.
3. Merrill's Principles of Instruction
Merrill's model also has five steps, like the ADDIE model, but it's not linear. This model is circular, with the primary task in the center. Those five steps are the task-centered principle, activation principle, demonstration principle, application principle, and integration principle. All of them focus on examples, so this model is one of the most instructive. The ideal application is if you want your learning content to be relatable and focus on real-world challenges and practical problems. It improves learning by encouraging learners to practice what they have learned on their own outside the training environment.
4. Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction
Robert Gagne introduced this Instructional Design model, which consists of a series of steps based on the behaviorist approach to learning. You can adapt this to different learning situations, as it gives you the flexibility to customize the process however you like. Gagne created a systematic way to approach the design of lesson instruction. The nine events of the design model are: gaining the attention of the students, informing them of the objectives, stimulating recall of prior learning, presenting the content, providing learner guidance, eliciting performance, providing feedback, assessing performance, and enhancing retention and transfer to the job.
5. Understanding By Design (UbD)
The Understand by Design model is based on the approach of cognitive psychology. Its primary goal is to increase learners' engagement to help them understand the material more deeply. It consists of three stages. Stage one is "Identify desired results," it requires you to consider goals, examine established content standards, and review the learning material expectations. The second stage is "Determine assessment evidence," where learners apply what they have learned in real-world scenarios. Lastly, the third stage is called "Plan learning experiences and instruction," where you have to plan the learning activities according to the goals of the first stage. This model is similar to Merrill's Principles of Instruction, as they rely on realistic scenarios to optimize the learning process.
Conclusion
Instructional Design models are the framework that supports your eLearning content. Choosing a model that fits your needs can be tricky, but don't fret; the above can get you off to a great start. Whether you want a linear process, like the ADDIE model offers, or a circular one, like Merill's Principles of Instruction, there's an Instructional Design model that is ideal for your remote L&D program. You can also check out our Instructional Design Models And Theories timeline to explore more strategies.
