D291 Western Governors University Learning Experience Design Foundations I questions and answers 2026-2027

What does the ADDIE model stand for?

Analysis

Design

Development

Implementation

Evaluation

What does SAM stand for?

Successive Approximation Model

What does UbD stand for?

Understanding by Design

What is the difference between ADDIE, SAM, and UbD?

ADDIE offers a stepwise process for design development. SAM was developed as a more rapid process. Both ADDIE and SAM are primarily focused on the learning objectives (LO), content, or instructor activities. UbD is a different approach focused on learner outcomes. The UbD process begins with the definition of expected outcomes, then develops the strategy for assessing student acquisition of those understandings, followed by the development of learning activities or experiences.

What is ADDIE?

A process used by training developers and instructional designers to plan and create effective learning experiences​

During this phase, the instructional designer gathers information about the target audience's existing knowledge and skills to clarify the instructional problem.

Analyze

During this phase, instructional designers write the learning objectives and plan the assessments and outline the instructional content for the learning experience.

Design

During this phase, the developers create and assemble the content assets and assessments.

Development

During this phase, learners get to engage with the learning experience to achieve their learning goals.

Implementation

During this phase, designers gather feedback and use it to revise and improve the learning experience.

Evaluation

What are the stages/phases in SAM?

Preparation, Iterative design, Iterative development, Alpha release, Beta release, Gold release

In what way is SAM an iterative process?

By gaining user feedback earlier in the design process to more quickly and efficiently modify user experience and content​

Determine if the following statements apply to SAM, ADDIE, or both.

This model can sometimes be a time-consuming, linear process.

ADDIE

This model is adaptable and offers flexibility in the design process.

ADDIE

This model has the develop, evaluate, and design phases.

Both

This model allows for collaboration earlier in the process.

SAM

What is Understanding by Design?

A planning process and structure to guide curriculum, assessment, and instruction that focuses on teaching and assessing for understanding and learning transfer

Match the Understanding by Design stage with the process that occurs during that stage.

Determine goals, content standards, and curriculum expectations.

Identify desired results

Match the Understanding by Design stage with the process that occurs during that stage.

Consider what is needed to document and validate that targeted learning has been achieved.

Determine assessment evidence

Match the Understanding by Design stage with the process that occurs during that stage.

Outline lessons and learning activities.

Plan learning experiences

A learning designer is planning for a prototype of their e-learning course.

Which phase of ADDIE is the learning designer planning for?

Development

A learning designer is developing a corporate-level course on workplace communication. After articulating the enduring understandings and goals for the course, learning designers determine that learners will demonstrate their understanding by successful completion of a communication improvement plan. Now they are working on developing the learning activities that will scaffold up to that final product.

Which design model is the learning designer using?

Understanding by Design (backward design)

A learning designer is creating a course for college-level instructors who will be using a new online learning platform. Time is limited, so after evaluating the instructional problem and creating goals and objectives, they have developed a working model to gain user feedback earlier in the process. This user feedback, acquired quickly and early, will inform the learning designer of needed modifications.

Which design model is the learning designer using?

SAM

How does Understanding by Design (UbD) benefit learners?

By putting the focus on the goal and learner success in demonstrating understanding

Design thinking is a highly iterative process that involves five stages:

Empathize

Define

Ideate

Prototype

Test

What is design thinking?

A design methodology that provides a solution-based, human-centric approach to solving problems.

How does design thinking produce a more human-centered experience?

By making users' needs the central focus of the design process ​

What is a reason for empathizing with a target audience?

To better understand learner needs ​

How can empathizing with a target audience affect the development of instruction?

Empathizing helps the learning experience designer understand learner needs, thus creating more effective, targeted instruction.​

What is one primary focus of the Define phase in the Design Thinking Process?

To produce a meaningful and actionable problem statement ​

Why is the Define phase important?

Because information gained during the empathize stage is synthesized and clarified into a problem statement

Which of the following characterizes a meaningful problem statement?

Clearly defines the challenge to be solved with instruction

What is the purpose of the Ideate phase in the Design Thinking Process?

To generate innovative solutions to a problem

What is required for the Ideate phase to begin?

A defined problem statement

What is the purpose of the Prototype phase in the Design Thinking Process?

To determine how users will interact with a product

What are three advantages of prototyping? Choose three answers.

1) To encourage designers to think about their solution in a tangible way

2) To gain feedback from users and team members to improve the solution

3) To evaluate the effectiveness of the solution in a cost-effective, low stakes setting

What is the purpose of the Test phase in the Design Thinking Process?

To have real users check the e-learning solution and gain feedback on its effectiveness and usability

What are three guidelines for planning a test during the Test phase? Choose three answers.

1) Let users compare alternatives

2) Observing

3) Ask follow-up questions

Why do learning experience designers integrate design thinking into instructional design models?

To ensure that their solutions align with the perspective, needs, learning styles, cultures, and interests of the learners

Match the design thinking phase to the step in the ADDIE instructional design model.

Design

Ideate

Match the design thinking phase to the step in the ADDIE instructional design model.

Analysis

Empathize and Define

Match the design thinking phase to the step in the ADDIE instructional design model.

Development and Implementation

Prototype

Match the design thinking phase to the step in the ADDIE instructional design model.

Evaluation

Test

Which strategy would help a learning experience designer gain empathy with the potential audience for their learning solution?

Conduct interviews with members of the target audience

A team of learning experience designers are brainstorming a list of scenarios that might help learners apply concepts from the course related to engaging in difficult conversations.

Which stage of design thinking are the learning experience designers engaged in?

Ideate

True or False:

The following problem statement clearly defines a problem that can be solved with instruction.

"College students need to learn how to correctly cite, attribute, and reference sources in academic writing in order to avoid plagiarism."

True

What are the phases of the Design Thinking Process?

Empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test ​

What is a goal of instructional design?

To design instruction that helps learners gain the knowledge and skills needed to reach their goals

What is a characteristic of learning experience design?

To design instruction that helps learners gain the knowledge and skills needed to reach their goals

What is a process of human-centered learning design?

In order to solve problems, it is essential to understand who is affected by the problem and how it affects them.

A designer is identifying competency gaps caused by lack of knowledge and skills and beginning to determine how those learning gaps might be addressed with instruction. Which step of ADDIE is the designer on?

Analyze

Which scenario demonstrates the identify desired results stage of Understanding by Design?

The instructional designer creates a list of information that should be considered enduring understandings. ​

What is a key difference between the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) approach to instructional design and the ADDIE approach?

SAM is more agile than ADDIE and emphasizes iterative feedback during design and development. ​

A designer brainstorms solutions and highlights opportunities for innovation. Which phase of the Design Thinking Process is the designer on?

Ideate

Which step in the ADDIE process aligns with the Define phase of the Design Thinking Process?

Analyze

How do behaviorists view learning?

Behaviorists view learning as a change in behavior that can be supported by external stimuli, such as question-and-response activities, repetitive drills, reinforcement, and/or consequences.

What is the focus of behaviorism?

Learning occurs by reinforcing desired behaviors through rewards and discouraging certain behavior with consequences

Which two scenarios would be considered a behaviorist instructional approach? Choose two answers.

1) A training instructor named Mario uses positive reinforcement by providing immediate feedback to learners in the discussion forum. He uses phrases such as, "great job" or "that is valuable insight."

2) Alex is a learning experience designer who is creating a series of required workforce training modules. As learners complete modules, they earn points and when all modules are completed, the learner can redeem the points for their choice of gift cards.

What is the awareness of your thoughts and thought processes called?

Metacognition

Which two scenarios demonstrate a cognitivist approach to learning? Choose two answers.

1) Omar designs an online precalculus class. One of the activities requires learners to complete a series of equations that build on prior math skills learned in the prerequisite classes.

2) Dr. Singh's online module requires students to complete an activity where they create a mind map, which is a way to graphically represent how concepts are related.

Which activity represents a constructivist approach to learning?

A middle school science class has been studying habitats and their components. The teacher has divided the students into small groups and assigned each group a region of the school butterfly garden to explore. Each group is tasked with describing a habitat they find in their region and identifying at least six organisms that rely on that habitat. The group will work together to prepare a presentation for the class about their habitat.

What is the primary premise of constructivism?

Learners construct new knowledge by integrating information from previous experiences

Learners construct new knowledge by integrating information from previous experiences

Learners are encouraged to gain knowledge through discovery.

Which activity represents a connectivist approach to learning?

Online student groups conducting research and solving a difficult problem collaboratively

What is connectivism?

Connectivism suggests that learners combine thoughts, information, and theories in a useful way. The idea of connectivism accepts technology as a part of the student's learning process.

correct

What are two of Siemen's eight core principles of connectivism? Choose two answers.

1) Learning is a process of connecting 2) Having accurate, up-to-date knowledge is the aim of all connectivist learning

Which instructional approach matches the described scenario?

Ms. Ivanova's third-grade class currently averages less than 70% on spelling tests. She suspects that they are not studying as she has taught them. Ms. Ivanova decides to implement a new policy in which any student achieving greater than 90% will get to choose a sticker from her sticker collection. She hopes this will motivate the students to study for the spelling tests.

Behaviorist

Which instructional approach matches the described scenario?

Mrs. Perera assigns her class to read a document and write an open-ended question about the reading. During the next class, students work in small groups to answer each other's questions about the reading.

Constructivist

Which instructional approach matches the described scenario?

Mr. Nkosi directs his art class to create an online portfolio of the work they have completed for the class. Students are assigned three other students' work to review and provide feedback.

Connectivism

Which instructional approach matches the described scenario?

Mr. Müller has carefully planned the order of his lessons to ensure that learners achieve the background knowledge they need from one lesson to understand the new concepts covered in the next lesson. Mr. Müller also plans frequent opportunities for learners to make connections with previously learned material.

Cognitivist

What is a key concept for each instructional approach to learning?

Learning is achieved through rewarding desired behavior change.

Behaviorism

What is a key concept for each instructional approach to learning?

It is important to anchor learning in meaningful contexts.

Constructivism

What is a key concept for each instructional approach to learning?

There is an emphasis on structuring, organizing, and sequencing information to facilitate optimal processing.

Cognitivism

What is a key concept for each instructional approach to learning?

The learner constructs meaning by making connections to networks of knowledge and information, often through using technology.

Connectivism

A teacher instructs students in her Algebra I class to complete an algebraic equation following the specific steps she has provided. The teacher monitors students as they practice independently and offers positive feedback to those who have followed the instructions.

Which instructional approach to learning is demonstrated by this scenario?

Behaviorism

What is mastery learning?

Allowing a learner to move through a learning experience at their own pace as long as they can demonstrate proficiency of the stated learning objectives

What are two essential things a learning experience designer should do when designing mastery learning experiences? Choose two answers.

1) Incorporate opportunities for formative assessment with instructive feedback.

2) Provide learners with specific, comprehensible, and measurable learning objectives.

What is competency-based education (CBE)?

A mastery learning approach that allows learners to progress through the materials as soon as they can demonstrate the required knowledge and skills outlined in the learning objectives

Which three characteristics apply to competency-based education (CBE)? Choose three answers.

1) High quality learning resources are consistent for all students.

2) Learners can progress at their own pace.

3) Learners in any given course can vary greatly in age and experience.

What are two characteristics of mastery learning? Choose two answers.

1) Learners are required to demonstrate proficiency in a specific area of study before progressing to the next topic.

2) Learners progress through the resources provided at their own pace and do not engage in synchronous instructional experiences.

What is a characteristic of competency-based education (CBE)?

Self-pacing

Identify some unique characteristics of adult learners. Match the characteristic to the description.

Adult learners take responsibility and control over their own learning decisions.

Self-directed

Identify some unique characteristics of adult learners. Match the characteristic to the description.

Adult learners strive to understand the importance of what they are learning or will learn. There is a desire to know how the learning will benefit them.

Need learning to be relevant

Identify some unique characteristics of adult learners. Match the characteristic to the description.

Adult learners come into the classroom with a greater depth of prior knowledge.

Experienced

Identify some unique characteristics of adult learners. Match the characteristic to the description.

Adult learners have an internal drive to succeed that moves them to acquire new learning concepts for their personal lives or even their career.

Motivated

What is an andragogical approach to learning?

Learners have the opportunity to apply or build on prior experiences.

What is transformative learning?

Learning that challenges the way a learner thinks and helps them to grow from new perspectives ​

Which e-learning course design will help to meet the characteristics of adults who need to see a link between what they are learning and how it applies to their daily lives?

A problem-centered design that contains practical information with examples

Which design strategy applies an understanding of adult learning needs?

Allowing the learner to progress through the learning experience at their own pace

Which learning theory describes characteristics of adult learners who are persistent in their education and take the initiative to learn independently?

Self-directed learning

Identify whether the characteristic describes andragogy or pedagogy.

Learners are intrinsically motivated.

Andragogy

Identify whether the characteristic describes andragogy or pedagogy.

Teachers direct the learning.

Pedagogy

Identify whether the characteristic describes andragogy or pedagogy.

Content is connected to life experiences

Andragogy

Identify whether the characteristic describes andragogy or pedagogy.

Identification of need and approach to remediation is provided by the instructor.

Pedagogy

What is pedagogy?

Pedagogy is the study of how teachers design and provide instruction for children and how the children learn. In pedagogy, learning is directed by the teacher who directs the whole learning and teaching process.

What is a characteristic of andragogy?

Learners have some control over their learning content or learning environment. ​

Which six levels of cognitive learning make up the framework of Blooms' revised taxonomy?

Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create

Match the levels of Bloom's taxonomy with the correct definition.

This level involves the cognitive process that includes the generation of new ideas or new ways of doing things.

Create

Match the levels of Bloom's taxonomy with the correct definition.

This level of learning requires students to recall knowledge learned before proceeding to the next level.

Remember

Match the levels of Bloom's taxonomy with the correct definition.

This level refers to how students start comparing, contrasting, or even examining the learned knowledge they have.

Analyze