ASSURE Model – History, Components & Design, Current Implementation in Education

 

 

ASSURE Model – History, Components & Design, Current Implementation in Education
What is the ASSURE Model?
The ASSURE Model is an instructional design model that guides instructors and designers through a systematic process for creating effective, technology-integrated lessons. Its name is an acronym for its six sequential steps. It is celebrated for its practicality and strong focus on selecting and using media and technology appropriately to engage learners.

History & Origins

• Developed in the 1990s by Sharon Smaldino, James Russell, Robert Heinich, and Michael Molenda.
• It was created as a more classroom-practical adaptation of general instructional systems design (like ADDIE) for teachers and trainers.
• The model was prominently featured in the influential textbook "Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning" (Heinich, Molenda, Russell, & Smaldino), which has been a staple in teacher education programs for decades.
• Its development coincided with the rapid expansion of multimedia and computers in schools, emphasizing thoughtful media selection over random use.

Components: The Six Steps in Detail
The ASSURE model is a sequential but flexible process.

1. Analyze Learners

• Purpose: Begin with the learner, not the content or technology. Understand who you are teaching.
• Key Focus Areas:
• General Characteristics: Age, grade level, job role, cultural/linguistic factors.
• Specific Entry Competencies: Prior knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to the topic.
• Learning Style: Preferences (though modern interpretations lean more towards learning preferences and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to address variability).
• Output: A clear learner profile that informs every subsequent step.

2. State Standards and Objectives

• Purpose: Define what the learner will be able to do as a result of instruction.
• Key Focus Areas:
• ABCD Format: A well-written objective includes:
• Audience (Who?)
• Behavior (What will they do? Use observable, measurable verbs.)
• Condition (Under what circumstances? With what tools?)
• Degree (To what level of proficiency? Speed, accuracy, quality.)
• Alignment: Objectives should be tied to curriculum standards (e.g., Common Core, NGSS, or professional competency frameworks).
• Output: A clear, measurable set of learning objectives.

3. Select Strategies, Technology, Media, and Materials

• Purpose: Choose the most appropriate methods and resources to meet the objectives and engage the analyzed learners.
• Key Focus Areas:
• Strategies: Decide on instructional approaches (direct instruction, discussion, case study, problem-based learning, cooperative learning).
• Technology & Media: Based on the strategy, select from available tools (interactive whiteboard, educational app, simulation, video, podcast, manipulatives).
• 5 Ps Process: A guiding framework for selection:
1. Preview the materials.
2. Prepare the technology and environment.
3. Prepare the learners (set objectives, prime them).
4. Prepare the learning activities.
5. Provide the learning experience.
• Output: A plan for the specific instructional methods and resources to be used.

4. Utilize Technology, Media, and Materials

• Purpose: Effectively implement your plan. This is the execution phase.
• Key Focus Areas:
• Follow the 5 Ps from the previous step.
• Ensure all technology works beforehand.
• Facilitate the lesson, guiding learners through the materials and activities as planned.
• Output: The actual delivery of the instructional experience.

5. Require Learner Participation

• Purpose: Ensure active, not passive, learning. This is the core of engagement and skill practice.
• Key Focus Areas:
• Design activities that require learners to interact with the content, each other, and the instructor.
• Include formative practice aligned to the objectives (e.g., discussions, quizzes, group projects, hands-on labs, peer feedback).
• Provide meaningful feedback.
• Output: Engaged learners who are practicing and applying new knowledge/skills.

6. Evaluate and Revise

• Purpose: Assess the effectiveness of the instruction and the learning, then use that data for improvement.
• Key Focus Areas:
• Evaluation of Learner Achievement: Did learners meet the objectives? (Summative assessment: tests, performances, portfolios).
• Evaluation of Instruction & Media: Was the lesson/technology effective? (Formative feedback: observations, surveys, learner reflections).
• Revision: Use the evaluation data to revise the lesson for future use—adjusting objectives, strategies, media, or participation activities.
• Output: Assessment data and a revised, improved lesson plan.

Current Implementation in Education

The ASSURE model remains highly relevant in modern education, especially as technology integration becomes ubiquitous. Its implementation has evolved with new trends:

1. Seamless Integration with EdTech: It provides a structured framework for purposeful tech integration, helping teachers move beyond using tech for tech's sake. Before choosing a flashy new app (Step 3), teachers must first Analyze Learners and State Objectives (Steps 1 & 2).
2. Foundation for Blended & Online Learning: The model is excellent for designing modules in Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Canvas or Google Classroom. It guides the selection of asynchronous (videos, readings) and synchronous (live discussions) media.
3. Alignment with UDL (Universal Design for Learning):
• Analyze Learners now strongly emphasizes identifying the variability in a classroom.
• Select Media & Materials focuses on providing multiple means of representation (various media types), action & expression (different tools for demonstrating learning), and engagement (choice in participation activities).
1. Focus on Active Learning & Engagement: The "Require Learner Participation" step aligns perfectly with modern pedagogies like project-based learning, flipped classrooms, and inquiry-based learning, where student activity is central.
2. Data-Informed Instruction: The "Evaluate and Revise" step promotes a culture of iterative improvement. Teachers use quick digital polls, analytics from educational software, and learner artifacts to continuously refine lessons.

Advantages & Modern Critiques

Conclusion
The ASSURE model is a timeless and adaptable tool for planning effective, technology-enhanced learning experiences. Its strength lies in its simple, memorable structure that forces intentionality: know your students, set clear goals, choose tools wisely, use them effectively, engage everyone, and then reflect and improve. While its implementation has evolved—especially in moving beyond learning styles to UDL—it remains a cornerstone of sound instructional design practice in both K-12 and higher education classrooms.