Rapid Prototyping: 4 Step Instructional Design Model

The rapid prototyping instructional design model offers a systematic approach to aid you in the creation of learning materials for the web. It allows you to develop a prototype, which gives you and others the opportunity to visualise and evaluate your lesson design early in the process, ultimately saving you time and costly revisions.

The design model itself is a four step process. The overlapping boxes represent the fact that the various processes do not occur in a linear fashion. In other words, the analysis of students and their needs, content requirements and resources depends in part upon the knowledge that is gained by actually building and using your prototype.

Step 1 Analyse
In essence, the first step of the process is to conduct a focused and structured analysis of the students, their needs and requirements.

Learning Needs
Assessing student needs and any potential problems allows you to make general goal statements. Analysis is needed of the task and conditions as well as the current and desired performance outcome requirements.

Student Audience
Students will not buy in to you tutorial unless it suits their needs, interests and motivations. Without this information it would be possible to end up with a learning episode that is either too easy or difficult.

Resources
When choosing the right delivery system – or combination, you must consider your students resources, constraints, facilities, materials, equipment, institutional characteristics and time availability.

Content
What the learning episode should contain in order to achieve the instructional goal/s. Content analysis should consider what learners need to do to perform and what learners need to know to perform.

Learning Outcomes
These will describe what students will be able to do upon completion of the instruction and should be stated in terms of precise, measurable, and observable actions.

Establishing Learning Objectives
Clearly defined learning objectives lead the learner into the learning episode. They drive the lesson and inform learners of what they will be able to do upon completion of the lesson.

Click here for more information on Step 1 – Analysis.

Step 2 – Construct Prototype
The rapid prototyping process continues with the parallel processes of design and review, or construction and utilization. It involves:

Incorporating your chosen pedagogical approach such as problem-based, collaboration, self instruction
Deciding what content should be contained and how it should be structured and sequenced
Preparing review and/or assessment questions, learner assignments
Deciding what multimedia you require
Deciding what is the proper ratio of text to audio, graphics, and interactivity

Click here for more information on Constructing your prototype.

Step 3 – Utilise Prototype
A crucial part of the prototyping process is the utilization of the design with peers and potential learners. During utilization, the strengths and weaknesses of the prototype can be discovered. However, this needs to be done in a structured and timely way. Ideally you should gain feedback on the following elements:

• Content
• Sequence, layout and navigation
• Media chosen
• Graphics/animations
• Assessments
• Objectives and Outcomes
• Overall comments

Click here for more information of utilizing your prototype.

Step 4 – Install, Maintain and Develop
Once you have implemented your amendments, the learning episode should be installed and appropriately maintained.

Your evaluation should continue as part of an iterative process, in particular feedback from students. This will allow you to improve the effectiveness of your tutorial.

Click here for more information on installing, maintaining and developing your prototype.