Don't Forget There Are Two D's in ADDIE

I have been thinking about the design model we know as ADDIE.  ADDIE is an acronym for...

• Analysis
• Design
• Develop
• Implement
• Evaluate

These are the stages or phases that an Instructional Designer typically takes when creating learning.  Many who design and develop their own work often consider combining these two steps into one step or stage.  Typically I design my courses in Microsoft PowerPoint as a storyboard.  Since I was typically the one who also develops my courses into full blown e-learning, I take the time to convert my work from PowerPoint to one of the various authoring tools that I use for creation. 

Why would I waste the time?  Why not simply design my course directly into the author-ware I intend to use?  There are several reasons for this.  The first reason is that subject matter experts and stake holders like to receive something in email that they can easily open up and view without any effort on their part. 

The second reason is time.  Developing can take more time than design.  In other words, if I designed a course in PowerPoint, I don't need to spend time building all the functional buttons, animations and interactivity into that PowerPoint.  That can come later.  My goal is to get approval as quickly as possible so I can move on to the development stage.  I will then have the time to test my design, and ensure everything works great before I implement it to my learners out in the field.

Another issue is that subject matter experts and stake holders may force you to change directions.  I can't tell you how many times my courses have ended up going in a completely different direction.  This can mean you having to return to your storyboard and dramatically change your design.  Having to redesign an already developed course would waste a great deal of your time and may jeopardize your deadlines.  Make sure you do not skip the steps of ADDIE.  Trust me, they will work in your favour.