The world has changed immensely in just 2 decades. These changes have affected everything, from humans to business, and in today’s competitive world, we are always stuck on a common question: How can we make learning truly effective?

Here’s where instrumental design models come into play. These models have transformed modern learning experiences to be more engaging and effective.

According to a report, instructional designer roles are expected to grow 11% between 2016 and 2026. This profession is growing due to an increasing awareness of designing structured, engaging, and accessible eLearning content that meets the needs of learners.

In this blog, we’re going to talk about eight instructional design models that revolutionize how we approach education and training so you can be better prepared.

Table of Contents:

Deep Dive into the Top 8 Instructional Design Models

instructional design models provide structured approaches to designing, developing, and delivering training material for learning experiences that are engaging, efficient, and outcome-driven.

Let’s discuss the key features of each of these top 8 models in 2025:

1. Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction

Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction, developed by David Merrill, focuses on problem-based learning and real-world application through learning. The model addresses the engagement of learners’ practical skill development by weaving new knowledge into their experienced reality.

This model encourages learning by active participation and reflection as it focuses on providing relevant and applicable tasks within real-life situations.

Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI) for 2025

  1. Task-centered: Design training around the real world.
  2. Activation: Build from where the learners are and link new content to their prior experiences.
  3. Demonstration: Use examples, models, or case studies to demonstrate new skills or concepts effectively.
  4. Application: Provide learners with opportunities to practice skills in realistic situations accompanied by constructive feedback.
  5. Integration: Engage the learners in applying their new knowledge in everyday tasks, thereby enhancing retention and usability.

2. Gagne’s 9 Events

Gagne’s 9 Events model, rooted in cognitive psychology principles, outlines a structured approach to instructional design that enhances learning and retention.

This model aims to guide educators in creating engaging and effective learning experiences that promote understanding and long-term memory retention by breaking down the learning process into nine key events.

3. ADDIE

ADDIE is an instructional design model, based on five phases of a systematic process: analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. In doing so, it helps deliver well-structured learning experiences.

ADDIE’s systemic approach from initial analysis to final evaluation ensures that instructionally designed materials are produced in terms of clear objectives and outcomes.

  1. Analysis: This step includes identifying training needs, a statement of learning objectives, and information about the target audience. It ensures that the course addresses the right problems and meets the objectives.
  2. Design: It elaborates a precise action plan to accomplish learning objectives. This includes outlining the structure of content flow, instructional design approaches, and assessment techniques.
  3. Development: This step is on developing learning elements using tools and storyboards. This stage translates ideas into actual course elements like slide presentations, videos, or interactive modules.
  4. Implementation: Present the course to learners with an emphasis on successful knowledge transfer. Effective implementation guarantees that learners can use the content in real life.
  5. Evaluation: Evaluate the effectiveness of the course by determining if the learning objectives are achieved. Use this evaluation to make changes or to start the ADDIE cycle again.

4. Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model that categorizes educational objectives into cognitive domains. It provides educators with a framework for developing learning objectives aligned with different levels of cognitive complexity.

By categorizing learning goals into distinct levels, Bloom’s Taxonomy helps educators design assessments and activities that target specific cognitive skills.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Six Cognitive Phases

  1. Knowledge: The base for deeper learning is to recall essential facts, concepts, or definitions from memory.
  2. Comprehension: Summarize, explain, or paraphrase information to demonstrate an understanding of it.
  3. Application: Apply learned concepts to solve problems or address real-world issues.
  4. Analysis: Separate complex ideas into smaller parts, identifying patterns and relationships while understanding how the different parts contribute to the final goal.
  5. Evaluation: Assess and critique information or processes against pre-set criteria to make informed decisions.
  6. Creation: Combine ideas to form new concepts or solutions, promoting innovation and greater understanding.

5. Dick and Carey

Dick and Carey’s instructional design approach is a comprehensive and systematic model that places a strong emphasis on personalized learning approaches by analyzing learner characteristics and task requirements to develop customized and effective learning experiences.

This model ensures a structured and learner-centered approach to instructional design by identifying instructional goals, conducting thorough analysis, and focusing on performance objectives.

  1. Identify instructional goals
  2. Conduct instructional analysis
  3. Analyze learner and context
  4. Write performance objectives
  5. Develop assessment instruments
  6. Develop instructional strategy
  7. Develop and select instructional materials
  8. Design and conduct formative evaluation

6. Kemp Design Model

The Kemp Design Model is a dynamic and flexible instructional design approach that emphasizes adaptability throughout the design process.

This model, by incorporating analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation in a cyclical manner, allows for iterative improvements and adjustments based on feedback and evaluation results.

  1. Analysis
  2. Design
  3. Development
  4. Implementation
  5. Evaluation

7. SAM (Successive Approximation Model)

SAM (Successive Approximation Model) is an agile instructional design model that prioritizes rapid prototyping and iterative development to create efficient and effective learning solutions.

This model focuses on preparation, iterative design, development, and evaluation, enabling quick turnaround projects and continuous improvement through feedback loops.

  1. Preparation
  2. Iterative Design
  3. Iterative Development
  4. Iterative Evaluation

8. Action Mapping

Action Mapping is a visual instructional design approach that aligns learning objectives with business goals to create impactful and goal-oriented learning experiences.

This model ensures that training programs are directly linked to desired outcomes by identifying business goals, defining performance objectives, and designing learning experiences aligned with organizational objectives.

Action Mapping: A four-step approach that proves the results

  1. Define Measurable Business Objectives: Align training to measurable and tangible outcomes
  2. Specify Learner Actions: Identify actions that learners should undertake for business objectives
  3. Develop Practice Exercises: Design authentic tasks to help learners practice their skills effectively.
  4. Use Relevant Content: Remove irrelevant information to make training concise and meaningful.

Also Read: Best Practices for Translating and Localizing Workforce Learning Content

The Role of AI in Instructional Design in 2025

Instructional designers can integrate more engaging, tailored, and effective learning experiences by integrating AI for better outcomes for the learners. AI transforms instructional design in the following ways:

  1. Automation: AI grades, tracks progress, and reports, leaving designers to concentrate on creativity.
  2. Personalization: Analyzes learner data to customize content to individual needs and styles.
  3. Adaptive Assessments: Adjusts difficulty based on learner performance for real-time feedback.
  4. Interactive Tools: Facilitates the creation of simulations, games, and virtual reality experiences.

How to Construct Effective eLearning Content Using Instructional Design

Impactful eLearning content construction involves a structured approach. Here is a step-by-step process:

1. Analyzing Learners and Objectives

Understanding your audience is the most critical issue; know their background, needs, and preferences. Set clear goals for what the learners should have achieved toward the end of the course, ensuring that the instruction will be focused and purposeful.

2. Creating Course Design

Arrange your material in an orderly fashion according to the logical course structure that proceeds from basic and more complicated topics so that comprehension is more effective.

3. Incorporating Engaging Content

Use clear, concise language and break content into easily manageable bits so that the reader can comprehend it and retain it more readily. Multimedia elements, including images, audio, and interactive ones, make the learning process much more interesting.

4. Implementing the Course

Select an LMS that supports your organizational needs so that it can efficiently host the content. Facilitate access by providing adequate instructions and making materials easily available to all learners.

5. Incorporating Learning Assessment and Evaluation

Provide assessments such as quizzes and projects to examine learners’ progress and understanding of the material. Collect learners’ feedback to understand what insights can help refine courses for the future and find the issues or gaps in the current content.

6. Improving Retention

Provide extra resources beyond the coursework material that could help continue learning. Reinforces information using spaced repetition and modules or other techniques of enhancing retention over time.

Also Read: Upskill Your Workforce with Mobile Learning Solutions

Conclusion

The instructional design model landscape is full of diverse approaches to cater to the changing needs of 2025 learners. This is how modern learning models can be used in creating engaging and effective learning experiences that can drive success in the digital age.

These learning models are highly effective, but following them can be a hassle. Hurix Digital can assist you in creating effective instructional design models by offering customized digital learning and publishing solutions across various sectors, such as education, workforce learning, and publishing.

Get our team’s help for customized learning and publishing solutions that elevate your content needs!