ADDIE vs SAM

Hi Jack,

That's a great question! My take is that there are pros and cons to both.

ADDIE is often easier for organizations used to waterfall project management and the steps are pretty straightforward, even if you're new to project management techniques. If you follow the model strictly it's linear, which can make it too ridged for some situations and can cause serious issues if something changes with the project requirements. But there's no reason you can't do a modified version with some iterations built-in that can help solve for that.

SAM works well for groups used to Agile project management techniques, and the iteration integrated into it helps you pivot quickly if the situation calls for it and potentially find ideas you wouldn't have without experimentation. But it's also possible to get trapped in those iterations if you're not careful and delays from SMEs and other stakeholders can still snag the process just like with ADDIE.

It's often a matter of which approach works best for you, the project, and the other people and teams you're working with. WHat might be helpful is digging into these articles, as they go into even more depth about what works well with each approach:

• An Introduction to the ADDIE Model for Instructional Designers
  
• What's the PADDIE Model of Instructional Design?
• An Introduction to SAM for Instructional Designers