Lyndsey Bernard - Unit 6: Successive Approximation Model (SAM)

Lyndsey Bernard

AI-generated with assistance from ChatGPT (OpenAI), 2025.

A infographic titled “Successive Approximation Model (SAM)” framed in navy and white. At the top is an Overview panel with text explaining that SAM is a rapid instructional-design approach that cycles through planning, prototyping, and refinement with early learner alignment and frequent stakeholder feedback to prevent late surprises and keep development on schedule. Beside the text is a small triangle graphic labeled “Rapid Instructional Design,” with three segments and icons denoting “Good” (thumbs-up), “Fast” (speedometer), and “Cheap” (dollar sign). Below, a Stages section shows four color-coded, rounded rectangles numbered 1 through 4: Define (light blue): Research • Assess • Define Design (sky blue): Align • Plan • Prototype • Review Develop (teal): Alpha → Beta → Gold → Revise Deploy (dark blue): Launch • Monitor • Revise Arrows beneath connect Define → Design → Develop → Deploy, with “REVISE” loops shown from Deploy back to Define and from Design back to Develop. Underneath, Key Actions are presented as four icon-plus-text panels: Define: lightbulb icon; “Collaborate with stakeholders, gather learner data, define measurable objectives.” Design: puzzle-piece icon; “Draft and prototype design, test with learners, analyze feedback and refine.” Develop: people-speaking icon; “Share the plan visually, build & test each version with learners & SMEs, analyze feedback and refine.” Deploy: computer-monitor icon; “Launch the course, monitor learner progress, gather post-launch insights.” At the bottom are three side-by-side columns labeled Strengths, Implications, and Limitations, each with a small muscle or puzzle icon: Strengths include “Collaboration Friendly,” “Built-in Feedback,” and “Quality Assurance,” each with brief explanations. Implications list “Clear Priorities,” “Task-Focused Design,” and “Diverse Testing Pool,” each describing how objectives must be locked in, the model suits certain training types, and the need to recruit varied learners. Limitations note “Less ‘Instant’ Turnaround,” “Limited Scope Flexibility,” and “Challenging for Complex Tasks,” with concise descriptions of each. At the very bottom is a small citation line: “Adapted from Herrholtz (2020); Thomas (2015); University of Maryland Global Campus (2024).”

References

Herrholtz, K. (2020). Rapid instructional design with SAM. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/sam-successive-approximation-model-for-rapid-instructional-design

Thomas, J. (2015, September 27). SAM – Successive Approximation Model [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/zJwDCrl0bq4?si=pH3QXYckl-TAaYox

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2024). Preparation phase. Brightspace.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2024). Iterative design phase. Brightspace.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2024). Iterative development phase. Brightspace

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