Instructional D3 Models
Instructional designers today often refer to the ADDIE model when describing the phases of instructional design and development. My experience analyzing, designing, developing, and delivering courses, workshops, and training events tells me that the simplisty of this model gives an impression that the Instructional D3 discipline is routine.
The following topics help illustrate the complexity of Instructional D3.
Project vs Product
The first step in understanding Instructional D3 is distinguishing between the tasks performed for the project and the tasks you perform when developing instructional products.
Without going into too much detail, project management involves all aspects of a project, including the tasks required to create the product. This includes the budget, communication management, resource management, quality assurance, risk management, and scope management. The project management tasks focus on who, when, where, and how something gets done.
Product development focuses on what needs to be done. What tasks are performed to yield the instructional product. It is the "what" that drives many of the project management tasks and therefore is a critical part of an instructional product development project.
Product Development Tasks
We need to understand what the product development tasks are in order to execute the product development project. Looking at a model can't tell you everything but it can illustrate the relationship between tasks and the order in which they are performed.
This model illustrates that scheduling phases of development can be challenging, if not impossible at times. The model makes two assumptions: that the instructional products open to improvement and quality reviews are the catalyst for the analyze, design, and develop tasks being repeated. The number of cycles that are performed is dependent upon the project requirements, budget, etc.
What gets done first?
The model presented on the previous page begs the question, where do you start? What do you do first? The project could start as a result of feedback after the learning experience was executed.
However, if a version of the product doesn't exist, you start with an idea of what you want or need. With research and analysis, more detail is added. The details reveal issues, challenges, and options that might not be known when the project starts. These new findings can be discovered and addressed in all phases of development. However, unless the product is not operable, the implementation phase is typically not the time to make changes.
Delivery Method Matters
The model on the previous page is more complicated than the one we saw on the first page of this book. However, it doesn't really illustrate the complexities introduced when creating instructional products with tools and techniques that have their own development models.
For example, web design and development follows similar phases or tasks. Web D2 analyzes the requirements, designs the structures, develops the code and systems, implements the technology, tests, and improves what has been created. How do you integrate instructional development with technology development? Sequentially or simultaniously? Will one impact the other? The answers to these questions are project dependent.
Another example considers an instructional product that includes multiple delivery products that work in conjunction with each other. The development of each delivery method having its own development phases or model. Now you might be integrating three or more models into the project management plan.
Instructional delivery options might include:
Web-based Materials
Some instructional materials can be put on the web with more ease today than in the past. However, to create all the materials often found in a learning experience, one needs more skills, technology resources, time, and budget.
For example, web-based learning experiences often include one or more of the following:
- secure environment so that materials are not open to the public
- interactive discussions
- exams and quizzes
- presentations
Classroom Materials
Producing classroom materials might include the student guide or reading materials, handouts, activities, exams, reports, and presentations. Of course, you might say that each of these can be done on the web and you would be correct. However, the skill levels and resouces required to create these materials are more easily obtained than those required to put the same materials on the web.
For example, now-a-days, knowledge and skills used to operate office applications such a Word and PowerPoint are very common. It is almost understood that anyone with basic computer skills can type a document. This is not always the case with delivery options on the web or via video.
Audio/Video Materials
Audio/visual materials in a learning environment is another way to describe videos and animations, each having their own models of development.
The end result for each varies. They can end up on the web or they can be presented via a monitor or projection device. The skills and resources required to create such materials exceeds basic office application tools skills.