Designing Effective Learning: A Deep Dive into the Dick and Carey Model

Have you ever struggled to create courses that truly engage your learners? The Dick and Carey model might be the game-changer you've been seeking. Unlike traditional linear approaches, this powerful framework views instructional design as a recipe where each ingredient affects the final outcome.

For beginners, the model offers essential guidance through potentially overwhelming design processes. The systematic approach helps you resist the temptation to skip crucial planning stages. By spending quality time on front-end analysis, creating specific objectives, ensuring alignment between components, and conducting smart evaluations, you'll create learning experiences that truly resonate with your audience.

Ready to transform your approach to instructional design? Listen now, and don't forget to check out the interactive resources in the show notes to deepen your understanding of this invaluable framework.

🔗 Episode Links:

Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy!

An In-Depth Analysis of the Dick and Carey Model

Dick and Carey Model Diagram

📑 References:

Pappas, C. (2024, February 28). An In-Depth analysis of the Dick and Carey model. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/an-in-depth-analysis-of-the-dick-and-carey-model

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello and welcome to the Designing with Love podcast.
I am your host, jackiePellegrin, where my goal is to
bring you information, tips andtricks as an instructional
designer.
Hello, gcu students, alumni andfellow educators, welcome to
episode 55 of the Designing withLove podcast.

(00:22):
Today we're diving into afoundational instructional
design model that's stood thetest of time the Dick and Carrie
Systems Approach Model.
If you're a new instructionaldesigner or just starting to
explore the field, this episodeis especially for you.
We're going to unpack what theDick and Carrie model is, why it

(00:43):
matters and how you can beginto apply it in your own projects
.
First things first.
What is the Dick and Careymodel?
Developed in 1978 by WalterDick and Lou Carey, this model
views instructional design as asystem of interrelated
components rather than a linearprocess.
Think of it like a recipecomponents rather than a linear

(01:08):
process.
Think of it like a recipe Everyingredient impacts the final
dish and adjusting one partaffects the rest.
Unlike other models that mayfocus solely on instructional
delivery, dick and Kerryemphasize the importance of
analyzing, designing, developingand evaluating instruction as a
systematic, data-informed way.
All right, so let's walkthrough the eight core

(01:29):
principles of the model that youcan apply to your projects.
Principle number one systematicdesign.
When you start creatingengaging lessons, design is the
first thing that should come tomind.
The Dick and Kerry model urgesyou to think systematically at
this step, which means you mustensure each element has a

(01:49):
purpose and contributes to theoverall learning experience.
Principle number two analyzelearner characteristics.
Thoroughly research and analyzeyour learners' characteristics
to focus every element on them.
Some ways to do this is toconsider learner profiles by
conducting surveys, where youcan ask learners about their

(02:09):
preferences and currentknowledge.
Principle number three defineinstructional objectives.
Effective and measurableobjectives are what guide your
instructional design process,showing instructors your
instructional design process,showing instructors, designers
and learners what they shouldaim to achieve.
Principle number four organizeinstructional content.

(02:31):
Here you need to create aseamless flow with lessons that
are logically connected.
This ensures you're notconfusing your learners, but
guiding them to build a strongfoundation of knowledge and
skills.
Guiding them to build a strongfoundation of knowledge and
skills.
Principle number five selectinstructional strategies.
Choose the strategy that willhelp you execute your plan.
This can take account ofdifferent factors, such as

(02:54):
instructional theories andlearning models, which will help
you design and deliver thecontent in a way that resonates
with your learners.
Principle number sixdevelopment and implementation.
This is where you create themain learning content by taking
the instructional strategy anddeveloping the materials that

(03:15):
will help learners achieve theperformance objectives.
Principle number seven conductformative evaluation After
creating the learning materials.
It's important to make sure ithits the mark before
implementing it.
This is where evaluation testscome in.
Make sure to test yourinstruction with a small group
of learners and gather feedbackto make improvements.

(03:36):
And finally, principle numbereight summative evaluation.
Here you conductpost-implementation evaluation
of the effectiveness of thelearning experience.
This stage is all aboutcollecting and analyzing data to
figure out how well yourprogram works.
It's important to note thateach principle is intentional

(03:58):
and feeds into the next,ensuring the final product is
effective, learner-centered andgrounded in data.
So why should beginnerinstructional designers learn
the Dick and Kerry model?
Because it offers structure.
When you're new to this field,having a clear process can be
incredibly helpful.
This model encouragesthoughtful planning, continual

(04:22):
feedback and strong alignmentbetween goals, instruction and
assessment.
It also reflects real-worldproject workflows, especially in
academic or corporateenvironments where data and
outcomes matter.
Now let's talk about how toactually use this model in
practice, especially if this isyour first time.

(04:44):
Tip number one don't skip thefront-end analysis.
It might be tempting to jumpstraight into designing
materials, but resist this urge.
Spend quality time on stepsnumber one through three.
Understanding the learninggoals, the skills involved and
the learners themselves lays thegroundwork for everything that
follows.
Tip number two keep yourobjectives specific and

(05:08):
measurable.
When you get to step numberfour writing performance
objectives make sure they'reclear and actionable.
Use verbs like describe,analyze, demonstrate or apply.
Think about what success lookslike in real life.
Tip number three aligneverything.
Make sure your objectives,assessments and learning

(05:31):
strategies all align.
This consistently ensures thatyou're teaching and testing the
right things.
Tip number four start smallwith formative evaluation.
When you get to step numbereight formative evaluation.
Okay, try again.
Now let's talk about how toactually use this model in

(05:51):
practice, especially if it isyour first time.
Tip number one don't skip thefront-end analysis.
It might be tempting to jumpstraight into designing
materials, but resist that urge.
Spend quality time on stepsnumber one through three.
Understanding the learninggoals, the skills involved and

(06:11):
the learners themselves lays thegroundwork for everything that
follows.
Tip number two keep yourobjectives specific and
measurable.
When you get to step numberfour writing performance
objectives make sure they'reclear and actionable.
Use verbs like describe,analyze, demonstrate or apply.

(06:32):
Think about what success lookslike in real life.
Tip number three aligneverything.
Make sure your objectives,assessments and learning
strategies all align.
This consistency ensures thatyou're teaching and testing the
right things.
Tip number four start small withformative evaluation.

(06:53):
When you get to step numbereight formative evaluation test
your course or materials with asmall group of users.
Ask for honest feedback and beready to make changes.
It's much better to iterateearly than to wait for a full
rollout and realize somethingisn't working.
Believe me, this will save youa lot of time and headaches.

(07:14):
Tip number five use templatesand tools.
If you're feeling overwhelmed,use templates for objectives,
assessments and strategies.
Tools like Google Docs, miro orTrello can help you organize
each stage of the model.
Remember, you don't need fancysoftware to design great
learning.

(07:34):
Tip number six be flexible, notrigid.
Although this is a systemsmodel, real projects are rarely
neat and tidy.
Make sure to use Dick andCarrie as your guide, not your
cage.
You can adapt as needed basedon time, resources or project
constraints.
All right, so now I will sharean example in action.

(07:57):
Let's say you've been asked todesign a training for new
customer service representativesat a tech company.
Using Dick and Carrie, youcould do the following.
Number one start by identifyingthe end goal.
Maybe it's handle customersupport calls with 90% accuracy.
Number two break down theskills, like using the CRM,

(08:19):
responding to FAQs andde-escalating angry customers.
Number three analyze who yourlearners are.
Perhaps they are recentgraduates with little tech
experience.
Number four write performanceobjectives like given a customer
inquiry, the learner willrespond using company-approved
language with no more than oneerror.

(08:41):
Number five develop assessmentsusing a blended strategy.
Create the materials and thentest it with a pilot group
before rolling it out to thewhole team.
As you can probably gather,each step is like a checkpoint
that ensures your design isthoughtful and effective.
I hope you have found thisinformation about how to use the

(09:01):
Dick and Kerry model in yourdesigns helpful, especially if
you're new to the field.
As a recap, we covered what theDick and Kerry model is, the
nine components of the model,why it's great for novice
instructional designers, tipsfor first-time users and an
example in action.
If this episode helped you tounderstand the Dick and Carrie

(09:24):
model better, I would love foryou to share it with a fellow
designer or leave a review whereyou're listening.
Oh, and don't forget tosubscribe so you never miss an
episode.
I would also encourage you tocheck out the interactive
resource that contains the keydetails covered in this episode
by visiting the show notes.
I have also encourage you tocheck out the interactive
resource that contains the keydetails covered in this episode
by visiting the show notes.
I have also included a link toan article from the e-learning

(09:45):
industry that provides anin-depth analysis of the model.
As I conclude this episode, Iwould like to share an inspiring
quote from Orison Swett Marden,an American author who wrote
about topics like motivation andcharacter.
A good system shortens the roadto the goal.
The Dick and Carrie model helpsyou shorten that road, not by

(10:08):
skipping steps, but by givingthe roadmap to get there with
intention and success.
Thank you for taking some timeto listen to this podcast
episode today.
Your support means the world tome.
If you'd like to help keep thepodcast going, you can share it
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(10:29):
Every act of support, big orsmall, makes a difference and
I'm truly thankful for you.