Instructional Design
Mediasphere provides clients with professional instructional design services to assist in the planning and development of online and blended learning courses. Our instructional designers use the foundations of the ADDIE Model to develop courses and resources.
The five ADDIE phases include Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The phases create a dynamic, flexible guideline for building effective training and e-Learning programs.
Analysis Phase
In the Analysis Phase, the instructional goals and learning objectives are established and the learner’s prior knowledge and skills are identified. Profiling questions in the analysis phase include:
- What are the learning outcomes and the pedagogy
- Are there learning constraints?
- How is the content to be delivered?
- What accessibility elements need to be considered?
- What is the timeline for project?
Design Phase
The Design Phase conceptualises the project. The phase involves learning objectives, assessment tools, exercises, content, subject matter analysis, learning sequence and media asset selection. The design phase includes:
- Documentation of the instructional design and technical framework
- Application of the pedagogical philosophy that will underpin the learning
- Creation of the storyboard for scope and sequence
- Proofing and academic review and approval of the storyboard
- Design the user interface and navigation structures
- Development of the prototype
Development Phase
The Development Phase involves the creation of the learning objects or course based on the completed storyboards. The developers create and assemble the content assets and the programmers build the functions and integrate the assets. Testers complete User Acceptance Testing and debugging occurs. Project variations are applied and the release occurs after approval.
Implementation Phase
The Implementation Phase involves the development of documentation, user guides and training manuals. The documentation covers the course curriculum, learning outcomes, navigation, assessment and learning tools.
Evaluation Phase
The Evaluation Phase consists of two parts: formative and summative. Formative evaluation is present in each stage of the ADDIE process. Summative evaluation consists of tests designed for domain specific criterion referenced items and provides opportunities for feedback from the users.
Mediasphere’s Use of Rapid Prototyping
Mediasphere’s Development Processes
| Classic Design (waterfall) Model |
Rapid Prototyping (spiral) Model |
| Concept definition |
Concept definition |
| Requirements definition |
Implementation of a basic system |
| Preliminary concept design |
User evaluation and concept refinement |
| Detailed design templates |
Implementation of refined requirements |
| Functionality Implementation |
User Evaluation and concept refinement |
| User Acceptance Testing (UAT) |
Implementation of variation requirements |
| Post-project variations |
Development in an iterative cycle |
In addition to the ADDIE Model, Mediasphere’s instructional design team also deploy rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping involves the process of receiving continual or formative feedback while instructional materials are being developed. Rapid prototyping develops learning experiences in a continual design-evaluation process, known as the spiral cycle. The iterative approach means that courses are continually improved as the cycle continues.
