If you’re an aspiring instructional designer, you’ve probably bumped into the term “ADDIE” in job descriptions, articles, and videos about learning.
When I started as an instructional designer, ADDIE was one of the first things I learned.
I remember thinking “ADDIE” sounded like one of those corporate industry acronyms that people use to make themselves seem important lol.
The term can certainly feel intimidating when you’re new to the field, and it can seem overly complex—like something you won’t fully grasp for years.
But here’s the thing: ADDIE is just a framework. A simple one at that.
If you’ve ever worked on a project, organized a complex event, or taught anything, you’ve probably followed a process like this without even realizing it.
So, don’t be intimidated. By the end of this article, you’ll see that ADDIE is not something abstract and unattainable.
It’s simply a guide that instructional designers and learning professionals use to structure their work—and in practice, you may not even follow each step perfectly.
This article is your friendly guide to familiarize you with the ins and outs of the ADDIE model. Let’s explore it together!
What is ADDIE?
The ADDIE model is a process used by instructional designers and learning experience designers to plan and create effective learning experiences.
It’s flexible, adaptable, and easy to understand and apply.
The ADDIE model is versatile enough to design any type of learning experience for a corporate audience, from crafting leadership development training to building product training for customers.
At Water Bear Learning, our primary focus is on designing training videos and eLearning courses. Throughout the rest of this article, we’ll use an ‘eLearning course’ as our example for the final output of the ADDIE model. Feel free to adapt this example to suit your specific learning objectives.
ADDIE is an Acronym
That’s right! ADDIE is an acronym, meaning each letter stands for a different phase for creating an effective eLearning course. ADDIE stands for:
- Analysis
- Design
- Development
- Implementation
- Evaluation
The model is meant to be completed in sequential order, but real-world applications are rarely that linear. ADDIE is best applied as an interative process, meaning you will likely find yourself going back and forth between phases depending on the project.
In the context of eLearning, let’s take a closer look at each phase.
1. Analysis
Before you start developing your eLearning course, the ADDIE model states you should first analyze the current situation. Basically, get a clear picture of where everything is currently to understand the gaps you need to fill.
In theory, a thorough analysis phase helps identify learning goals and objectives. But in practice, you often don’t have the luxury of conducting an in-depth analysis.
In my experience, you’ll often be handed a problem and expected to jump straight into the design phase, without having all the details.
Businesses move fast, and the pace at which modern organizations work rarely allows for a deep dive analysis to understand all the problems. This means you’ll need to make the best use of whatever analysis you’re given.
Your best source is to work closely with your audience (or a subject matter expert), by asking good strategic questions. Make sure they specify real pain points:
- Who is the audience and what are they like?
- What is the problem we are trying to solve?
- Why are we doing training at all?
- What is the desired outcome of this learning experience?
- What does the audience already know?
- What tools are best to deliver this type of information?
- When does this need to be delivered?
Often you’ll find you don’t have access to the audience or a reliable expert. If this is the case, try gathering additional information via shared documents on the company knowledge based, like Confluence or SharePoint.
It won’t always be as neat and tidy as ADDIE textbook definitions suggest, but that’s okay. Flexibility is key.
OUTPUT: At the end of the Analysis phase, you should have a plan for your eLearning course and know your training needs.
2. Design
In the Design phase, we take all the information gathered from the Analysis phase and use it to make informed decisions about how the learning program will be structured.
If I’ve learned anything as an instructional designer, it’s that you will often be asked to jump straight into designing—even when the analysis isn’t perfect. That’s okay, being a strong designer is being able to adapt in imperfect situations.
The Design phase is often time-intensive and requires attention to detail. This is where you decide on all the details:
- learning objectives
- content structure
- content outline
- ideal participant mindsets
- knowledge or skills participants need to retain
- tools you may want to use
- videos or graphics to create
- the length of time for each lesson
What about a storyboard? While any visual representation of your work is valuable, here’s the reality…90% of the time, you won’t have time to build a storyboard.
Sure, it’s great to have one, but in my experience, many projects push you to dive straight into development. The key is to be flexible while still following the broad guidelines of ADDIE.
OUTPUT: At the end of the Design phase, you should have your course outline, overall design, and storyboard completed (if time permits).
3. Development
The Development phase is where the magic happens—this is where you actually build the course.
In my experience, development is where you’ll spend the majority of your time—probably around 80% of the project.
It’s also the most human-intensive part, requiring creativity, focus, and careful attention to detail. This phase is about bringing the content to life.
You’ll be completing tasks such as writing scripts and text content, creating graphics, recording videos, carefully selecting fonts and colors, building the course in the eLearning authoring tool. Anything that has to do with creating the actual end-product for your learners.
Make sure you test your content and get iterative feedback! You don’t want to build an entire course and share it with thousands of people, without any other human taking a look first.
Share and get feedback from anyone who is willing to provide it. You’ll want to have a few different eyes on it to catch any errors that sneak through the cracks.
For this phase, it’s also good to be aware of how AI is rapidly changing content development.
The Development phase of ADDIE is where AI can be a game-changer. AI tools can speed up the development process by helping you generate first drafts, create outlines, and even produce visuals or videos.
That said, AI content is often robotic and lacks authenticity—it’s the human touch that adds the most value to quality learning experiences.
Your perspective, creativity, and experience are what elevate the content beyond mere automated monotony. AI can speed up the process, but it’s your job to add that personal, human element.
OUTPUT: At the end of the Development phase, you should have your entire eLearning course completed.
4. Implementation
Your eLearning course has been created, tested, and approved. Now it’s time for your learners to take the course.
Most often in the world of eLearning, this means exporting your file and uploading the course to an LMS (Learning Management System). During the export process, make sure you work with your client to know the exact settings they prefer for tracking.
Once the course is distributed and users begin taking the course, pay close attention to see if any issues arise.
OUTPUT: At the end of the Implementation phase, your eLearning course is available in the LMS for users to begin completing.
5. Evaluation
The final phase in the ADDIE Model is evaluation.
In theory, this is where we measure learning outcomes. What did our audience “learn” ?
In reality, evaluation metrics often focus on business goals like content views, enrollments, or satisfaction scores. Real human learning can sometimes take a back seat to what’s most important to the business at that time.
It’s important to remember that while learning effectiveness is always a goal, the business environment may demand other metrics. The evaluation phase is about understanding the business priorities while still keeping a focus on what your learners need to succeed.
For example, SaaS businesses don’t care about learning. But they do care about product adoption. And if a customer learns how to use a SaaS product, data analysis suggests that learning is strongly correlated with product usage.
You’ll need to be flexible to manage the requests of the business with the actual learning outcomes your audience is meant to achieve.
OUTPUT: At the end of the Evaluation phase, you should have data on how the course performed and what improvements can be made.
How ADDIE can be applied in a real-world scenario
To fully understand how ADDIE can be applied in a real-world scenario, let’s use the example of a company that wants to introduce a new software system to their employees.
1. Analyze the training needs for the new system
The first step would involve analyzing the training needs for the new software system. This may include conducting surveys or interviews with employees to determine their current knowledge and skills, as well as identifying any knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.
2. Design a plan for the training
Based on the information gathered in the Analysis phase, instructional designers would then create a plan for the eLearning course. This may involve determining specific learning objectives, selecting appropriate delivery methods, and deciding on the overall structure and flow of the course.
3. Develop the materials
Once the design is finalized, the eLearning course can be developed using various tools and software. This may include creating videos, graphics, and other multimedia elements to enhance the learning experience.
4. Implement the learning experience
After the course is completed, it can be uploaded to an LMS for employees to access and begin their training. The company may also provide support and resources for employees as they progress through the course.
5. Evaluate the performance of the training
Once employees have completed the training, data can be collected from their performance on quizzes or surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the course. This information can then be used to make any necessary revisions or improvements for future iterations of the training.
Advantages and Disadvantages of ADDIE
- commonly used and widely accepted model
- proven to be effective for human learning
- foundation for other learning models
- easy to measure time and cost
- rigid linear process that must be followed in order
- time-consuming and costly
- inflexible to adapt to unforeseen project changes
- does not allow for iterative design
How can ADDIE evolve with AI?
AI is shaking things up in the world of instructional design. A staple in learning design for decades, ADDIE will likely need to evolve in the age of artificial intelligence.
Traditionally, all five steps in the ADDIE model relied on human input and expertise. With AI, instructional designers can speed up the process to add efficiency and accuracy to their design process.
For example, in the Analysis phase, AI can quickly sift through large datasets to figure out what learners need, helping instructional designers make more informed decisions.
In the Design and Development phases, AI tools can help create personalized learning experiences by generating content tailored to individual learners’ needs. AI algorithms can suggest the most effective instructional strategies and formats based on learners’ past performances and preferences.
Finally, in the Implementation and Evaluation stages, AI can monitor learners’ progress in real-time, providing instant feedback and identifying areas where learners may struggle.
Immediate feedback helps improve instructional materials quickly. AI can adapt and learn from new data, making the ADDIE model more dynamic and responsive. This ensures educational content stays effective and current.
As AI expands, it will change the role of instructional designers, likely increasing productivity expectations, and allowing them to focus more on creative and strategic decisions.
ADDIE Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the ADDIE training model?
ADDIE is a learning model used by instructional designers and training developers to create effective learning experiences.
What does the acronym ADDIE stand for?
The term, ADDIE, is an acronym for a five-step process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.
How does the ADDIE model work?
An instructional designer follows the five-step ADDIE process to create a training program, eLearning course, or learning materials. The model starts with a broad analysis. Then moves through to designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the learning program.
Why is the ADDIE model important?
ADDIE is one of the most commonly used learning models. It is important because it provides a proven method for designing clear and effective training programs.
If you are looking for instructional design jobs, mastery of ADDIE is a common attribute on job descriptions.
Who invented the ADDIE model?
The ADDIE model was originally invented by Florida State University in 1975. Its purpose was to form an instructional systems development program for military training. Eventually, the model transformed and became commonly used for all types of training.
Is the ADDIE model outdated?
Many modern learning professionals claim that the ADDIE model is outdated due to its rigidity and linear process. Outdated or not, ADDIE is still one of the most popular learning models in corporate and higher education.
While the model was originally developed to be hierarchical, today it is often used with a continuous ‘iterative’ approach. That means that the five phases are first followed in order. Once complete, the model can re-start from the analysis phase to continue improving the end product.
Related Certifications and Courses
- ADDIE for Instructional Design Certificate: 100% online program for individuals to learn an in-depth understanding of the ADDIE model. This course is taught by Edmund Forest, PhD
- ATD Instructional Design Certificate: Learn all the essentials to become an instructional designer. This includes conducting needs assessments, completing task analyses, and designing your own courses.
- Instructional Design MasterTrack Certificate (Coursera): 4-5 month all-encompassing program to become an instructional designer. Fully online courses with real-world projects to help you design and develop amazing learning programs.
- edX Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters: 8-month program to teach you how to design learning platforms of the future. Graduate-level courses about learning theories, models, digital media and technology.
- AI for Course Design: Learn how to leverage AI in instructional design, including techniques for using machine learning to personalize courses and enhance assessments.
About the Author:
Andrew DeBell is a learning experience strategist and content developer on the customer education team at Atlassian. Connect with him on LinkedIn for more.
