Agile Instructional Design

It is an iterative process with origins in the software development industry. Now it is also used by instructional designers in developing and implementing training. It aims to answer the same questions Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of training like [[1]] does. An acronym for AGILE would be, although there is no acronym commonly agreed, Align, Get set, Iterate and implement, Leverage, and Evaluate.^[1]

The concept itself is debateable. Some consider AGILE as a value added to ADDIE. AGILE tackles ADDIE’s rigidity by moving through ADDIE’s phases repetitively especially through the first three: Analysis, Design and Development while involving the potential beneficiary into the designing process. Others instead consider AGILE and ADDIE as being only a wordplay and nothing more.^[2]

In fact AGILE is made up of an iterative sequence of processes that are also met in ADDIE. Simply put it, after a high level planning the process consists in the iteration of the following sequence: analyse, design, develop and test and finally, after the product is considered finalized the release of the product. AGILE turns the potential learners/beneficiaries in active participants throughout the designing process by sharing with them the mock-ups, prototypes and early suggestions. The main benefit of it is the fact that the final outcome of the designing process is more likely to match the wanted outcome from the very first attempt, the solutions being adjusted along the way. The wanted outcome coincides with the needs of the beneficiary.^[3]

Agile refers to a “flexible response to a changing picture of what the situation on the ground is really like.”The development occurs gradually, in steps, concomitant with the collection of the analysis from on the ground.The progress pace is in accordance with the feedback received from the potential beneficiaries who are constantly “test driving” the training design.^[4][5]

See also: ADDIE