ADDIE Model

The ADDIE design model is a widely popular, linear, but flexible process. The name is an acronym that stands for analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation with each word representing a different phase of production. When following the ADDIE model, each step has a specific outcome that leads directly to the next step. The ADDIE model also relies on instructional theories such as behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism. Many current design models are spin-offs or variations of the ADDIE model.

AGILE Model
Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is one of the oldest and longest-lasting models of training design that is still used today. Within Blooms Taxonomy there are three domains of learning: cognitive (mental), affective (emotional), and psychomotor (physical), but the cognitive domain is the most well-known.


The cognitive domain is divided into six categories with each category representing a cognitive skill level.  The names and order of these categories have changed over the years, but the base idea is unchanged. Each category has associated verbs and terms that describe what learners should be capable of at each skill level. 


  • Remembering: recognizing, recalling
  • Understanding: interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining
  • Applying: executing, implementing
  • Analyzing: differentiating, organizing, attributing
  • Evaluating: checking, critiquing
  • Creating: generating, planning, producing
Bloom’s Taxonomy

The affective domain focuses on skills dealing with how people react emotionally and the ability to exercise empathy. There are five levels within the affective domain with each level indicating a different ability to digest information.


  • Receiving: student is passively paying attention
  • Responding: student is actively participating in learning and reacts to new information
  • Valuing: student associates a value to learned information
  • Organizing: student can compile different values, information, and ideas therefore comparing, relating, and expanding on what they have learned
  • Characterizing: student attempts to build abstract knowledge

The psychomotor domain is based around physical action. This domain describes a student’s ability to physically use a tool like an instrument. The creators of Bloom’s Taxonomy never established subcategories for the psychomotor domain, but seven currently accepted categories were added in 1972.


  • Perception: the ability to use bodily senses, such as estimating where a ball will land, to guide motor activity
  • Set: readiness to act while understanding current abilities and desiring to improve
  • Guided Response: early stage of learning a complex skill where the student understands mastery will only come through practice
  • Mechanism: physical responses have become habitual and movements can be performed with confidence though mastery has not been achieved
  • Complex Overt Response: skillful and confident performance of complex movement without hesitation
  • Adaptation: movements can be modified to fit special situations, pushing past what was taught and adapting lessons to solve a new type of problem
  • Origination: creating new movement to fit a new situation. Student is so well-versed with the base movement they can expand upon it to create something new

In Conclusion

There are many different learning design models each with different strengths and specialties. ADDIE, AGILE, and Bloom’s Taxonomy are the most popular design models that can be used to great success. SkillSource Learning’s instructional design consulting services can help you discover a design model that will suit your project and ensure your design is brought to its fullest potential.

Let's Connect