Running head: Mapping SAM to ADDIE 1

Mapping SAM to ADDIE

Kelleth Chinn

California State University, Monterey Bay

May 29, 2018

IST626 Advanced Instructional Design

Dr. Jeanne Farrington

MAPPING SAM TO ADDIE 2

Mapping SAM to ADDIE

There are numerous models of Instructional Design, yet all of them draw elements from

the classic ID model known as ADDIE. This name of this model is an acronym that stands for

analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate. While the precise origin of the model has not

been determined definitively (Molenda), its influence has been pervasive in the field of

Instructional Design. Ensuing models have in many instances revised the sequencing or

conceptualization of the basic ADDIE components, but these important components are in most

cases still present. For this reason, it can be a useful exercise to map the original ADDIE

components to the components of newer ID models.

The Successive Approximation Model (SAM) was intended by its creators to be an

improvement on the ADDIE ID model (Allen Enterprises). If the ADDIE model can be viewed

as series of clearly defined and sequential stages, the SAM model is instead a highly iterative

process of smaller steps, repeated in a cycle until the final product is perfected. Yet a close

analysis of the SAM model reveals that all of the ADDIE components play a part in SAM’s

repeated iterations.

ADDIE

One of the reasons that ADDIE remains a popular ID model is that it is easy to visualize,

with five distinctive components (Figure 1). Following is a brief explanation of each of these

components (Reiser and Dempsey):

 Analyze – This component of ADDIE typically includes identification of a problem

or need within the organization. There may be a formal “needs assessment” to

identify the problem, and this step often involves the formulation of a learning goal.
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 Design – In this stage, the main idea is to design activities that will enable the

student to achieve the learning goal. This is an appropriate time to state objectives

that can be tangibly measured, and to specify what specific materials will be used,

both by the instructor and student.

 Develop – This component involves actual creation of the learning materials for

instructor and students, whether they are print, digital or some other media.

 Implement – The implementation stage simply involves delivering the learning

content as designed and developed in the previous two stages.

 Evaluate – In this stage, the results of the Instructional Design process are assessed

to evaluate the overall efficacy of the program.

While the steps outlined in the ADDIE process are generally referred to in a logical

sequence (as represented by the sequence of the acronym), instructional design often jumps to

different steps in real world applications. This is especially true when considering that the

purpose of formative assessment is to provide a basis for possible revision and redesign, midway

through the process (Reiser and Dempsey). The “real world” ADDIE will even see movement in
MAPPING SAM TO ADDIE 4

backwards directions or toward immediate evaluation, regardless of the current stage of the ID

process (Figure 2).

Successive Approximation Model (SAM)

The Successive Approximation Model (SAM) is designed to move as quickly as possible

to a working, testable design that can be successively improved upon through a series of reviews

and redesigns. Instead of the broad and distinctive phases of ADDIE, the Successive

Approximation Model emphasizes cycles of smaller, iterative steps, repeated until the final

product is achieved. Within SAM, there are three stages (Figure 3):

 Preparation – This brief phase is intended to collect information and background

knowledge that is essential to the project.

 Iterative Design – This stage utilizes the material gathered from the preparation

phase to start an iterating cycle of design, prototype, and review.

 Iterative Development – In this stage, the design proof that resulted from the

previous stage is developed, implemented and evaluated in repeated iterations.

The expectation is that the cycle will repeat through “alpha”, “beta”, and “gold”
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versions, until the final product is ready for rollout (Allen Interactions).

Figure 3: Successive Approximation Model. Retrieved from Allen Interactions

The purported advantage of this model is that the design process does not get bogged

down in any one of the ADDIE phases, and instead is flexible and ready to respond to conditions

and needs. The model is fast on its feet and the product is always being evaluated and

redesigned.

Mapping SAM to ADDIE

The “Background” component of SAM clearly maps to the “Analyze” component of

ADDIE. After this point, both the Iterative Design Phase and the Iterative Development Phase

roughly map to mini-cycles of Design/Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (Figure 4).

The idea is to keep these truncated ADDIE-type cycles short and quick, so that they can be

immediately repeated to enable responsive redesign. One characteristic that is notably different

about SAM is that the model goes very quickly to prototype, and the evaluation process begins.
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Conclusion

While the basic ADDIE model consists of discrete, sequential steps, the “real world”

ADDIE does not. The steps of real world ADDIE are subject to leaps in any direction, a fact that

makes the model remarkably flexible and may in part account for its endurance in the field of

instructional design. If we can view ADDIE as a fluid, malleable model that is ready to adapt to

any situation, we can conceivably make the case that SAM is really just another version of it.
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References

Allen Interactions, Iterative eLearning Development with SAM. Retrieved May 27, 2018 from

https://www.alleninteractions.com/sam-process

Molenda, M. (2003), In Search of the Elusive ADDIE Model. Performance Improvement,

Volume 42, Number 5.

Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2017). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and

Technology. Boston: Pearson Education.