Five instructional design models all educators should know

Today, effective teaching goes beyond subject matter expertise. As an educator, you must design learning experiences that cater to diverse learners, facilitate engagement, and promote the development of critical skills. How do you balance these objectives to create a consistent and effective course? How do you motivate students to actively participate in learning activities?

Let instructional design models be your guide. These models serve as a road map not only for aligning lessons with learning objectives but also for guiding the curriculum design and development process and providing materials and other appropriate instructional strategies and activities that meet learners’ needs and preferences.^1,2 Research has shown this is an important factor contributing to learners’ active participation and academic achievement.^1,2

There are numerous instructional models available—such as ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, SAM, and Merrill’s Principles of Instruction—each offering unique approaches to structuring effective learning experiences. In this post, we will explore five essential instructional design models that every modern educator should know. We will explore the strengths of each model, how they impact learning, and strategies for implementation.

What are instructional design models?

Instructional design is defined as “a systematic effort to plan, develop, evaluate, and manage the instructional process effectively to promote successful learning to students.”³ Each instructional design model breaks down the teaching process into manageable steps, helping educators meet diverse student needs while focusing on clear learning objectives. By providing a structure for course development, instructional design ensures that educators not only deliver content but also enhance student understanding through thoughtful, engaging instruction. Applying these models helps align teaching with cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of learning, ultimately leading to improved instructional strategy and more meaningful learning outcomes.²

How can instructional design models improve education?

Do you want to foster deeper engagement with learning at your organization? Would you like to ensure your learning objectives are closely tied to assessments and actively promote student success?

Mastering solid and developing instructional materials and design techniques is essential for future educators, as effective design directly impacts learner motivation and outcomes. Research by Stefanos Giasiranis and Loizos Sofos highlights how well-structured design can significantly improve motivation, particularly in massive open online courses (MOOCs).¹ Their study demonstrated that careful design and engaging instructional materials led to an impressive 80% completion rate in a course on school violence and bullying.¹ With tools like the Instructional Material Motivation Survey (IMMS), they found that motivated learners excelled in key areas like attention, relevance, and confidence.¹

Instructional design models offer a clear roadmap for effective teaching, guiding you in planning lessons and assessments to meet learning goals. In doing so, these frameworks help you deliver instruction that enhances learners’ comprehension as well as their application of knowledge and critical thinking. Purposefully adopting the right instructional model can enhance retention and result in higher levels of student achievement.¹

Five essential instructional design models

With various instructional design models available, advanced training can help you select the one that best aligns with your learners’ needs and teaching goals. Some models emphasize step-by-step processes, while others allow for more flexibility and adaptability.⁵

Whether you’re developing new courses as an instructional designer or you're a teacher refining your existing playbook, understanding the strengths and limitations of each model can significantly enhance both your instructional design approach and overall teaching effectiveness. Let’s explore five models of instructional design: ²

ADDIE Model

ADDIE, the most well-known instructional design model, consists of five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. With its step-by-step approach, this model is ideal for course development projects requiring precise and consistent solutions. First, you analyze the needs of your learners and the specific learning objectives you want them to achieve. The design and development phases involve creating lesson plans, learning materials, and instructional strategies tailored to these needs. Once implemented, the final stage involves evaluating the success of your instruction.

The ADDIE model has effectively trained future secondary teachers because it also incorporates self-evaluation. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on and assess their own instructional practices, which helps them improve their overall teaching effectiveness.⁴

SAM

In contrast to the linear approach of the ADDIE model, Michael Allen created the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) to be a rapid, more iterative development and training model emphasizing flexibility and ongoing feedback. It’s less about perfection and more about incorporating human elements—thoughts, feelings, and experiences—to enhance learner engagement. SAM allows for ongoing adjustments throughout design and development in fast-paced educational environments.

The SAM model consists of three main phases:⁵

1. Prepare: Gather information
2. Design: Design appropriate training based on the findings, make a prototype, and then review it (continuous process)
3. Develop: Develop, implement, and evaluate the training module (continuous process)

This instructional design model benefits schools and workforce training, fostering responsive, tailored learning. Educators can use SAM to create, test, and refine prototypes based on feedback, leading to more effective learning experiences.⁵ However, the iterative design process that defines SAM lacks the consistency and predictability of more structured, traditional instructional design models.⁵

Bloom’s Taxonomy

In 1956, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom created this framework to promote higher-order thinking in learning.² In Bloom's Taxonomy, objectives are classified into six hierarchical categories, ranging from basic knowledge recall to more complex tasks, such as evaluation and creation.² Based on this hierarchy, teachers can design curriculum that ensures students are developing critical thinking skills as they advance through a subject. Bloom’s Taxonomy encourages students to move beyond rote memorization, fostering deeper levels of learning and comprehension.²

Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction

During Robert Gagne’s career as an educational psychology professor in the 1960s through the 1980s, he made significant contributions to instructional design and learning theory.⁶ Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction is a powerful model that breaks down the teaching and learning process into phases designed to optimize learning. This instructional design model begins with gaining attention, ensuring learners are focused and ready to absorb new information.⁶ This is followed by presenting content in a clear, engaging manner, allowing learners to grasp core concepts through visuals, demonstrations, and structured lessons.⁶

One of the most critical phases is eliciting performance, where learners practice applying their knowledge in practical settings.⁶ For example, in a disaster preparedness course, learners could participate in simulations or drills to test their understanding of emergency response protocols. Gagné’s model emphasizes real-world application by promoting retention and transfer, ensuring that learners not only understand key concepts but are able to use them in real-life scenarios.⁶ This instructional approach ensures preparedness and confidence for fields requiring action-oriented learning, like disaster planning.

Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction

David Merrill developed the First Principles of Instruction in 2002 to address the need for more effective, learner-centered instructional strategies.² He identified key principles—task-centered learning, demonstration, application, and integration—that promote deeper understanding.²

With an emphasis on real-world problem-solving, the focus is on what the learner does rather than what the instructor teaches.² However, educators are encouraged to begin by showing learners how to apply their new knowledge well in practical contexts before moving on to more abstract concepts.² Educators can make learning more relevant and impactful by engaging students with real-world tasks.

Implementing these models in your teaching practice

Choosing the suitable instructional design model depends on the specific teaching context and the needs of your learners. Start by identifying your desired learning outcomes and performance objectives and select the model that aligns most closely with these instructional goals. For instance, if your objective is to promote critical thinking and problem-solving, Merrill’s First Principles might be the best fit. On the other hand, if you are teaching in a fast-paced environment, the SAM model can provide the flexibility you need. Remember to also assign some sort of assessment methods or a formative evaluation to your goals in order to learn from and improve upon them.

Consider factors such as the complexity of the content, the learning environment, and the characteristics of your students. Many educators find that combining elements from multiple models and instructional methods can be beneficial.⁵ The key is to remain adaptable and continually assess the effectiveness of your teaching methods.

Become a teaching innovator 

Interested in enhancing your understanding of instructional model design and the instructional design process? Thinking about a career as an instructional designer? By pursuing the Master of Science in the Learning Sciences (MSLS) degree at SMU, you can open doors to new opportunities like developing effective e-learning courses and course materials, performing in-depth instructional analysis, and achieving desired learning outcomes using innovative approaches.

SMU’s fully online program combines the science behind cognitive development with the art of teaching. Designed for education professionals from instructional designers and teachers to game developers and corporate trainers who seek to deepen their expertise in data science and immersive learning technologies. Through a dynamic curriculum, you’ll gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools and methodologies, empowering you to shape the future of education and training.

Don’t wait to get started. Schedule a call with one of our admissions outreach advisors today.