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ADDIE Workflow Interactive MicroSim

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Overview

The ADDIE model is one of the most widely used instructional design frameworks. This interactive MicroSim helps you explore the five phases of ADDIE and understand how they work together to create effective learning experiences.

Learning Objectives

After using this MicroSim, you will be able to:

  • Identify the five phases of the ADDIE model
  • Explain the purpose of each phase
  • Understand the iterative nature of instructional design
  • Recognize that designers often cycle back to earlier phases

The Five Phases

Analysis - Identify learning needs and define objectives

Design - Create the blueprint for your educational content

Development - Build the actual materials and content

Implementation - Deploy and deliver to learners

Evaluation - Assess effectiveness and gather feedback

Interactive Features

Click on Phases: Click any of the five colored circles to see detailed tasks for that phase

Show Iteration Arrows: Enable this to see how you can loop back to earlier phases based on evaluation results

Animate Flow: Watch an animated particle move through the ADDIE process

Show Task Checkboxes: View the specific tasks within each phase as a checklist

Animation Speed: Control how fast the flow animation moves

How to Use

  1. Explore Each Phase: Click on each of the five colored circles to open a details panel showing the key tasks in that phase

  2. See the Iteration: Check "Show Iteration Arrows" to visualize how ADDIE is not strictly linear—you often return to earlier phases to refine your work

  3. Watch the Process: Click "Animate Flow" to see a visual representation of moving through the ADDIE workflow

  4. Track Progress: Enable "Show Task Checkboxes" to see ADDIE as a project management tool with specific deliverables

Understanding ADDIE

Linear vs. Iterative

While ADDIE is often shown as a sequential process (Analysis → Design → Development → Implementation → Evaluation), in practice it's highly iterative. The iteration arrows show that:

  • Evaluation findings often lead back to Analysis
  • Development challenges may require revisiting Design
  • Implementation issues might need Development changes
  • Any phase can inform improvements to earlier phases

Why ADDIE Matters

ADDIE provides a structured approach to instructional design that:

  • Ensures learner needs are identified upfront (Analysis)
  • Creates clear plans before building (Design)
  • Produces quality materials systematically (Development)
  • Deploys effectively to learners (Implementation)
  • Continuously improves based on data (Evaluation)

Try This

  1. Click on each phase in order (Analysis → Design → Development → Implementation → Evaluation) to understand the complete workflow

  2. Enable "Show Iteration Arrows" and consider scenarios where you might loop back:

  3. Evaluation reveals learners lack prerequisites → Return to Analysis
  4. Test users find materials confusing → Return to Design

  5. Assessments don't align with objectives → Return to Development

  6. Use the Animation to visualize the continuous cycle of improvement in instructional design

MicroSim

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is Analysis the first phase? What happens if you skip it?

  2. How does the iterative nature of ADDIE support continuous improvement?

  3. When might you need to return from Implementation back to Design?

  4. What types of data would you collect during Evaluation to inform the next iteration?

  5. How does ADDIE compare to other instructional design models like SAM or Agile?

Reflection

Consider a time when you created educational content without following a systematic process. What challenges did you face? How might ADDIE have helped?

  • SAM Process Model - A more agile alternative to ADDIE
  • Bloom's Taxonomy - Frameworks for writing learning objectives (used in Analysis and Design phases)
  • Assessment Design - Creating effective evaluations (Design and Evaluation phases)
  • Iterative Design (SAM) - The philosophy behind cycling through phases

Additional Resources

  • Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. J., Morrison, J. R., & Kalman, H. K. (2019). Designing Effective Instruction (8th ed.). Wiley.
  • Branch, R. M. (2009). Instructional Design: The ADDIE Approach. Springer.

Credits

This MicroSim was created to support the Intelligent Textbooks project and demonstrate interactive instructional design concepts.