ADDIE: The Classic Backbone
ADDIE stands for five phases: Analysis → Design → Development → Implementation → Evaluation. It is a sequential (Waterfall) model — each phase is completed before moving to the next.
Advantages: Structured, well-documented, suitable for academic accreditation, with clearly defined roles.
Disadvantages: Slow, difficult to revise once started, produces nothing testable until the third phase.
SAM: The Agile Alternative
SAM (Successive Approximation Model) was developed by Michael Allen as an agile alternative to ADDIE. The core idea: build a quick prototype, test it, refine it — repeat.
Advantages: Fast, produces a testable prototype from week one, flexible for revision.
Disadvantages: Less documentation, may require rework, harder to satisfy formal academic accreditation requirements.
Practical Comparison
| Criterion | ADDIE | SAM |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Slow (weeks–months) | Fast (days–weeks) |
| Flexibility | Low once started | High (iterative) |
| Documentation | Excellent | Moderate |
| Accreditation | Ideal | Requires extra effort |
| Early Prototyping | Late | Very early |
When to Choose ADDIE?
- The institution requires full documentation for academic accreditation.
- The team is large and geographically distributed (needs clear coordination).
- The project is long-term (6+ months) with stable requirements.
When to Choose SAM?
- Requirements may change (or aren't fully clear from the start).
- You want to test the solution with real learners early.
- The team is small and capable of fast iterative work.
The Third Option: Hybrid
In practice, the best approach is hybrid: use ADDIE for the overall framework (analysis and final evaluation), and SAM within each phase (quick prototypes for each unit). This combines documentation with flexibility.
"The best methodology is the one that fits your team and context — not the one published in textbooks."
Conclusion
There is no single correct methodology. Start with ADDIE if you need accreditation, SAM if you want rapid prototyping. Best of all: hybrid. Need help choosing and applying the right methodology for your institution? Contact me.