Instructional Design Models - Case Study Example

 Introduction The “design” stage of instructional generally refers to everything that is done leading up to the actual creation of the instructional materials. Once you start creating materials you are in the “development” stage. Over the years the Instructional Design has been viewed as a discipline of study, as well as a series of well-defined skills. As a field of study, Instructional Design can be defined as the science of creating detailed specifications for the development, evaluation and maintenance of situations which facilitate the learning of both large and small units of subject matter. (Richey, 1986). When viewed as skills, Instructional Design can be defined as the systematic process of translating general principles of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials and learning. Alternatively, Instructional Design is the process of creating learning experiences and learning environments that promote instructional activities. Among these activities are directing students to appropriate learning activities; guiding students to appropriate knowledge; helping students rehearse, encode and process information; monitoring student performance; providing feedback as to appropriateness of the student’s learning activities and practice performance (ID2 Research Group,1996 ) Overview of Instructional models Throughout the history in this field, different authors have come up with different ways of approaching the instructional design process. Instructional design models are designed to provide a framework to follow when going through the process of creating instruction. While many of them are similar, they each take a slightly different approach to the design of instruction. Some are a step-by-step process, while others are more open-ended and allow one to take a looser path through the model. Most of them have a graphical representation of the model in order to make following easy. Most importantly, each of them incorporates certain theories and principles that have been culled from the research that has been done in the field over the years. The basic instructional design model is known as the ADDIE model. This model provides a step-by-step process that helps specialists plan and create training programs. The model revolves around the following five components: Analysis (A) Design (D) Development (D) Implementation (I) Evaluation (E) These five stages of ADDIE model encompass the entire training process from the time someone asks” what do people need to learn?” all the way to the point where someone actually measures “Did people learn what they needed?” Consequently, the ADDIE model forms a roadmap for the entire training project. The ARCS model is a problem solving approach to design the motivational aspects of learning environments to stimulate and sustain students motivation to learn (Keller, 1987). There are two major parts of the model. The first part is a set of categories representing the components of motivation. These categories are the result of a synthesis of the research on human motivation. The second part of the model is a systematic design process that assists you in creating motivational enhancements that are appropriate for a given set of learners. The synthesis allows you to identify the various elements of students motivation and the design process helps you profile the motivational characteristics of students in a given learning environment and then design motivational tactics that are appropriate for them. The model has been used and validated by teachers and trainers in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities as well as in adult learning settings in corporations, government agencies, non profit organizations and military organizations. Both models leave out some important issues in the design process, which are covered by a more comprehensive and systematic process that was originally created by Walter Dick and Lou Carey The Dick and Carey model The Dick and Carey model is one of the better-known ID models and is used by educators, trainers and instructional designers. It is a widely used model that is based on research that has been conducted over many years and principles that have been accepted by specialists operating in this field. The graph below shows the steps in this model: The Dick and Carey model emphasizes the role of analysis, implementation and summative evaluation and is more complex if referred to the other ID models. Let juxtapose key features of ADDIE and ARCS instructional design models. The first phase in ADDIE model is Analysis. The designer identifies the learning problem, goals and objectives as well as audience needs. Similarly, the first step in ARCS model is Attention. In this step attention strategies are used for arousing and sustaining curiosity and interest The second phase in the ADDIE model is Design. This phase is concerned with specifying learning objectives, lesson planning and media selection. In the ARCS model the second step is Relevance. This step uses strategies within the instruction to increase motivation by employing concrete language and examples with which the learners are familiar. These strategies are: experience, present worth, future usefulness, needs matching, modeling and choice. The third phase in the ADDIE model is Development. In this phase, the actual creation of the content and learning materials are produced based on the design phase. On the other hand, the third step in the ARCS model is Confidence. This step allows the learner to succeed. However, it presents a degree of challenge that provides significant success .The model uses the following strategies to accomplish this step: provides objectives and prerequisites, grows the learner, feedback and learner control. The fourth phase in the ADDIE model is Implementation. This motivational design includes a systematic process that contains these steps and results in the preparation of learning environments that contain tactics or activities, which may have a predictable influence on the amount and direction of the person’s behavior. Motivation consists in the amount of effort a person is willing to exert in the pursuit of a goal; hence, motivation has magnitude and direction. Consequently, motivational design is concerned with connecting instruction to the goals of learners, providing stimulation and appropriate levels of challenge, influencing the way the learners will feel following successful goal accomplishment or even following failure. While the ADDIE model was predominantly used in the development of multimedia content for learning for many years, the model presents some significant weaknesses. It tends to be inefficient because it is not interactive. Also, the linear approach tends to work well for static content but may be restrictive when dealer with user generated content or learning outcomes that do not have a predetermined end state. Perhaps, the biggest weakness of the ADDIE model is that it assumes that you can know all of the requirements before you develop the content. The following is a list of specific weaknesses of the ADDIE model: Typical processes require unrealistically comprehensive up-front analysis. Most teams fail to access critical elements. Ignores some political realities. Opportunities are missing, vital resources aren’t made available, support is lacking and targets shifted Storyboards are ineffective tools for creating, communicating and evaluating design alternatives. Detailed processes becomes a set that creativity becomes a nuisance No accommodation for dealing with faults or good ideas throughput the process Learning programs are designed to meet criteria that are measured ( schedule, cost, throughput ) and fail to focus on identifying behavioral changes Posttests provide little useful information to assist in improving instruction The ARCS model is very useful for motivating students, presents directions for the selection and application of motivation strategy, providing also a basis for tactic and scheme selection. The weaknesses of ARCS model are that it is a time consuming model, the feeling and passion are highly related to approach and avoidance behaviors, motivation is embedded in other concepts and ideas. Last, it is hard to understand the affective components of motivation. The advantages/strength of Dick and Carey model consist essentially that it offers more details and guidance than other models, while following the 5 basic stages of the ADDIE model – analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. As a result of its comprehensiveness, the Dick and Carey model has gained widespread acceptance and often is the sole to represent ID. But, on the other hand being also so comprehensive and symbolic of established instructional design practices, it has come under attack. First of all, it is unrealistic to describe how instruction could be developed if we had unlimited time, knowledge and resources. In reality we have constraints on time, expertise and resources. This is a disadvantage of the present ID. Also the components emphasized by the model (needs analysis, implementation and summative evaluation) are often well out of the designer’s hand. This fact may be evaluated as another weakness of the model. References Overview of instructional models from www.itma.vt.edu/modules Keller, J (2006), Motivational Design from www.arcsmodel.com/home.html Learning Theories (2007) from www.learning-theories.com ADDIE weaknesses from www.instructionaldesign.org/models Read More