Learning delivery is just as important as subject matter.
Think about it. You want learners to fully digest and understand the subject matter. Yet, people are different. They learn in diverse ways. Resonate with different learning styles. Choosing the right L&D model is paramount.
This is no more apparent than in the landscape of corporate L&D. Business leaders and L&D professionals understand that having a structured, yet adaptable learning framework is paramount to successful learning and, not just growth but, sustainability in today’s ultra-competitive commercial world.
Imagine that you want to upskill your workforce to use better AI-driven, Cloud-centric operations platform. But you first need to train them to use it. You need to create sound, easily understandable education materials to leverage to effectively train users.
What do you do? Easy.
Employ the ADDIE Model to understand needs and how best to seamlessly integrate organisation-wide L&D materials and learning strategies that pack a punch. 💪
So, let’s review the ADDIE MODEL, examining what the L&D course design model is, its advantages and disadvantages, and how organisations can effectively apply it to L&D.
What is the ADDIE MODEL Framework?
The ADDIE MODEL is the most widely used framework to help guide course designers to create, organise and streamline effective educational and training programs.
First developed at Florida State University in the 1970s, the model is today, used by organisations worldwide to optimise their L&D.
In a nutshell, ADDIE describes a systematic process to guide L&D professionals, educators, and trainers, helping them to create effective learning experiences and can be used to create a wide range of training materials, such as e-learning courses, manuals, videos, and more.
ADDIE relies on each stage of the model to be completed in the given order of the acronym: A-D-D-I-E, and places emphasis on reflection and feedback for continuous improvement. 🙌
Interested in learning how ADDIE can help you meet your L&D challenges and more? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered below.
What Does ADDIE Stand For?
As you can probably deduce (you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes!) there are five stages to the ADDIE Model.
Each stage is paramount to making sure learners absorb and retain vital information to fuel their knowledge and aptitude, becoming more productive, capable, and competent, increasing their value to the organisation.
What Are the Five Phases of the ADDIE Model?
There are five separate phases of the ADDIE Model. These have been used by course developers, including all forms of learning, HR and even the military for more than fifty years.
Interested in learning what the five phases are? Keep reading below.👇
Phase One: Analysis
No organisation can create effective L&D without first identifying knowledge gaps. Where can improvements be made? Are skillsets leveraged effectively? This is where analysis comes into play.
Start by asking a series of questions. Gain an understanding of the current circumstances. Identify pain points. Set L&D goals and objectives. This influences future decisions. ✨
Not sure what questions you should be asking? Start by asking what’s the point of the training? What are you hoping to achieve? What are the short- and long-term benefits?
Be thorough. Complete a full audit of the audience, business goals, current training methods employed, etc.
Only once you’ve gained significant insight, can you begin to generate L&D that addresses the most important questions: who? What? Where? When? How?
Answer these questions and you’ll have an analysis of your L&D needs. And a plan.
Phase Two: Design
Once you’ve completed your training plan, the next stage is to get down to designing the L&D content, applying everything that you’ve uncovered to make practical decisions to meet your objectives and goals.
This should include the strategy, delivery methods, structure, duration, assessment, and feedback. 🤔
This will allow you to create a roadmap of L&D course content that addresses all the areas where improvement is needed. This can be helpful in communicating the value of the training to stakeholders. Get their buy-in and you’ll get everyone’s buy-in. You’ll be on your way to a productive, optimised workforce, one capable of meeting current and future needs.
Phase Three: Development
Now comes the time to develop L&D programs.
This will be heavily guided by your analysis – which areas of the business require additional knowledge to optimise performance.
Remember it’s less about the L&D content and more about the delivery. So, this means understanding learning styles and deducing which works best for departments – even people.
A top tip is to consider active training, such as games and role-playing exercises. Get people involved, and engaged. This will maximise their knowledge retention. And be sure to tailor learning experiences to how they learn best.
Phase Four: Implementation
Now comes the time to implement everything you’ve learned and create a stellar L&D experience for everyone in the organisation and, you know, start learning and developing!
Start by introducing learners to your brand-spanking new L&D program. If you’ve chosen to leverage LMS like Thirst, congratulations! You’ve made a great decision! Support and encourage learners to begin their journey, start levelling up their skills, and begin adding real to your organisation!
Phase Five: Evaluation
Like any new process, evaluating its effectiveness and success is key to understanding how to optimise your L&D and improve future performance.
What does this mean? Well, it’s feedback time! Ask learners how they felt about the learning experience. Did it meet their expectations? Is there room for improvement? Are there any future training opportunities? 🗣️
Ask learners to complete anonymous feedback forms. Don’t make them too long though! No one wants to spend half an hour completing a feedback form! Review sales metrics. If performance has improved, hey presto! L&D has done its job.
The Advantages of the ADDIE MODEL
As we’ve already alluded to, the ADDIE MODEL has significant advantages to organisations looking to design L&D courses that make a real impact.
So, in simple terms, here’s a look at why implementing the ADDIE MODEL could be the best decision that you’ve ever made.
Structured Framework
The ADDIE MODEL offers a clear, systematic approach to designing L&D course content that really works, guiding educators and learners clearly through each phase of their training and development.
Flexibility
ADDIE might be structured, but it also allows plenty of room for flexibility so L&D teams can adapt to meet the needs of learners – and the organisation.
Detailed Analysis
By gaining significant insights into learner needs, learning styles, and which strategies work best, short- and long-term objectives, and even environmental factors, organisations can design and deliver L&D content that’s both targeted and effective.
Iterative Process
The model encourages continuous evaluation and refinement. This enhances the quality and effectiveness of future training programs.
Widely Recognised and Employed
L&D course designers the world over recognise and employ the ADDIE Model. This encourages communication and collaboration amongst L&D professionals.
The Disadvantages of the ADDIE Model
Like everything else in life, the ADDIE Model isn’t without its drawbacks. Whether these are enough to dissuade you from actively engaging the model is, well, entirely your decision. What is true is that understanding these drawbacks will allow you to make an informed decision about how to design L&D course content.
We’ve outlined the drawbacks of the model below:
Time-consuming
Given that ADDIE is both detailed and follows a logical sequence, it can take a bit more time to put together and roll out. Organisations that wish to create L&D content quickly may favour a more agile methodology.
Linear
ADDIE may be flexible, but it also demands that organisations follow a linear progression when designing and installing L&D content. This can limit creativity, even making it difficult to meet evolving organisational needs with finesse and minimal disruption.
Costly and Resource Heavy
The multiple ADDIE phases (comprehensive analysis, development, and evaluation) can require significant redistribution of organisational resources, including personnel and budget. 💷
Testing Delays
Following a linear process means that issue identification or incorporating feedback without revisiting and revising elements of each stage can be challenging for organisations. This risks early issue identification.
Organisational Objectives Evolve
The ADDIE Model assumes that an organisation’s L&D needs and objectives remain static and constant throughout their lifecycle. As we all know, this isn’t always the case. And it certainly doesn’t align with the dynamic nature of many organisations and learning environments.
How to Apply the ADDIE Model to L&D
Now we’ve explained the ADDIE Model in detail and outlined its advantages and disadvantages, it’s time to look at how to apply the model to L&D.
Be sure to read this section, it may just transform your workplace!
Let’s start by imagining for a moment that you’ve identified that your business isn’t optimising its customer service. This is damaging your reputation and hindering growth and influence. 📉
It may be something as simple as not organising priorities and tasks effectively. Maybe you’re struggling with an antiquated CRM. Are drowning in red tape, or having to do three, four or five things, when one would suffice?
So, can you use ADDIE to solve a problem like this? Of course. It’s simple. All you need to do is follow the eight steps below:👇
1. Analyse Thoroughly Before Designing L&D Content
This first step is obvious. After all, you can’t improve something if you don’t know what you need to do to improve. Start by analysing the learner’s needs. Be sure to address the organisation’s current learning environment, needs, and pain points. Do this and you’ll build a solid foundation to deliver targeted and relevant training.
2. Set Clear, Measurable Objectives
Establish clear, measurable objectives that align with your organisation’s needs. This sounds simple but it’s necessary to designing effective L&D course content and evaluating the training’s effectiveness. ☺️
3. Use an ADDIE Model Template
When you implement the ADDIE model, you’ll significantly improve project management by clearly dividing tasks amongst team members and accurately track progress and success. This promotes clear communication, timely completion and identify issues early, creating a cohesive and efficient workflow.
You can find a surprising amount of ADDIE model templates online. Why not look at a couple to find one that suits you?
4. Flexible, Creative Instructions
If you can infuse a little creativity and flexibility into your instructional design, you can tailor your L&D content to different and complex learning styles and individual needs. Better still, this approach will enhance engagement and easily accommodate challenges.
5. Feedback, Insight and Evolution
Be sure to get feedback at every stage of the ADDIE creation process. Iterate to refine and improve the model’s performance, and L&D.
6. Use the Right Digital Resources
Like anything else, digital resources are only as useful as their appropriateness to meeting goals. For instance, using the Notes app on your phone to draft an essay isn’t ideal. But Word or Google Docs? They’re perfect for writing long-form copy of all descriptions. 🧑💻
Leverage Thirst’s L&D platform and you’ll discover innovative digital solutions which align with your training goals.
7. Develop a Clear Plan to Implement L&D
A smooth rollout of any new process – especially one that leverages seldom or zero used before digital platforms – makes all the difference to learners. Try not to overwhelm learners. Provide them with the support and access to resources they need to quickly and thoroughly get up to speed with their L&D.
Of course, it helps to have access to a clear plan of how to implement L&D. This involves understanding how you plan to deliver, monitor, measure and, potentially, iterate.
8. Comprehensively Evaluate Performance
Once you’ve designed – and measured – the L&D content’s success, it’s time to evaluate performance against organisational goals.
This is your chance to gain valuable insights to inform future training initiatives and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement across the whole organisation.
Final Thoughts
ADDIE is a highly effective L&D model.
Its comprehensive and methodical approach, elevates the model as more favourable than comparable iterative L&D content models, such as the SAM (Successive Approximation Model) or the RID (Rapid Instructional Design).
Now, sure, SAM excels in its agile development process, but ADDIE’s true strength – and the reason it’s favoured by organisations the world over – is the strong emphasis it places on analysis and evaluation. This makes it particularly suitable for dense or complex training needs.
Moreover, Rapid Instructional Design (RID) offers a swift and flexible approach to training material creation. But with one big caveat: it’s focused on being rapid.
RID is better suited to industries where an investment in L&D training time is limited (we’re thinking about healthcare, finance, and retail primarily), but this speedy approach doesn’t work for every sector. And of course, it isn’t for everyone. Some learners simply need more time to digest, understand and retain vital information.
When all’s said and done, if you want to make sure that your L&D is comprehensive and has a real impact, maximising your investment, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better L&D model than ADDIE!
Got 2 Minutes?
If your organisation is struggling with disengaged learners, Thirst has the solution.🔥
Thirst is an AI-powered learning platform that helps L&D teams of all sizes boost learner engagement and create experiences tailored to today’s learners.
Take a guided tour today and see Thirst in action.
For more e-learning insights, resources and information, discover the Thirst blog.
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