Macro-Design · A project framework spanning days to months; not a session format in itself.

ADDIE Model

ADDIE is a generic instructional design process in five phases: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. It is less a learning theory than a project framework that makes sure training is based on a real need and is evaluated afterwards.

When to use ADDIE Model

Use it when developing a new course, programme or larger workshop series, or when you need a shared process language with clients and developers.

How ADDIE Model works

Your session follows the ADDIE structure with clear analysis of goals, designed activities, and evaluation moments.

Phases of ADDIE Model

  1. Analyze: Clarify the need, the audience, the context and the performance gap before designing anything. For a workshop this means a briefing with the client and some participant research.
  2. Design: Set learning objectives, choose the structure, methods and assessment approach. The result is a blueprint or session plan.
  3. Develop: Build the materials: slides, worksheets, handouts, facilitator guide and any digital assets. Test them with a pilot or review where possible.
  4. Implement: Deliver the session or programme, including logistics, facilitator preparation and participant communication.
  5. Evaluate: Check whether objectives were met and gather feedback, both during development (formative) and after delivery (summative). Feed the results back into the next iteration.

Key principles

  • Start from an analysed need
  • Align objectives, activities and assessment
  • Evaluate formatively and summatively
  • Iterate and improve

Best for

  • Course and curriculum development
  • Corporate training projects
  • Team-based instructional design
  • Client projects that need clear milestones

Considerations

  • Criticised as slow and linear when applied as a waterfall; agile variants such as SAM respond to this.
  • Gives no guidance on how people learn inside the session; combine it with a session-flow model.
  • The acronym has no single author; it grew out of 1970s military instructional systems development.

Attribution & sources

Developed by the Center for Educational Technology at Florida State University for the US Armed Forces, 1975

Primary source

Design a session with ADDIE Model

METODIC builds a complete ADDIE Model-based session — methods, timing, worksheets, and facilitator guides — in minutes.

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