I chose to analyze my school division’s gradebook software selection, eventually resulting in the selection of StudentAchive, through the ADDIE model.  My division employs approximately 350 teachers in 24 schools across an area of approximately 25000 square kilometres.  As such, we are a relatively small organization in terms of people but large in the area we must cover.

I believe that ADDIE fits our situation as a gradebook program is something that should not be changed on a regular basis, rather it should remain constant for a decade or more.  The perceived inflexibility of the ADDIE model (Bates, 2014) could actually be an advantage in this situation.

While I was not an active member of the committee that selected StudentAchieve, the committee kept all teachers informed about their progress.  The committee actively researched gradebook programs, with three receiving significant attention:  MapleWood, PowerSchool, and StudentAchieve.  The committee selected pilot teachers across the division to use one of the programs for a semester and report back.  I was on the MapleWood group.  After analysis, the committee originally found that none of the programs met our needs.  However, after contacting StudentAchieve the committee felt that they were willing to adapt their program to our needs.  StudentAchieve was, at the time, a relative unknown and my division was the first in the province to use them on a division-wide level.  Our tech team spent hours with the programmers changing design elements, interfaces, and numerous other aspects that I’m sure they felt were unnecessary to share with the rest of the teachers.

Our committee also had to develop new algorithms for calculating grades.  My division had committed to “outcomes-based reporting” and as such needed a gradebook that would not simply calculate the average.  Again, the programmers were able to design a system that gave us teachers choice over how we presented the final marks:  average (as usual), most recent mark, or most consistent mark.

Implementation occurred at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, with significant inservicing from division-level personnel and teachers on the piloting committee.  However, the evaluate phase of the ADDIE model never actually happened.  In my opinion, as the school division had spent a large sum of money on a program they intended to keep using it for the forseeable future.

Reflecting on this process really highlighted some of the weaknesses of the ADDIE model.  It is indeed a very slow model to act upon and make changes.  However, I do believe that we all use some aspects of ADDIE in our daily practice, but much less formally than in a situation such as I described.

References

Bates, T. (2014). Chapter 4: The ADDIE model; Chapter 8: Models for media selection. Teaching in a Digital Age. (onlinebook)