Dick & Carey Systems Approach Model

The Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model was developed by Walter Dick, Lou Carey, and James Carey in 1978,  and it became the most popular method among instructional systems design for schools and educational environments. The model uses a systems approach in which each part of the instructional design process is viewed as interconnected instead of individual components. Dick and Carey wrote that "Components such as the instructor, learners, materials, instructional activities, delivery system, and learning and performance environments interact with each other and work together to bring about the desired student learning outcomes." (Dick & Carey, 2004).

The model comprises ten components.

1. Identify instructional goals - Determine what learners should be able to perform upon course completion. Make sure to tie it to real-world applications. (Need analysis)

2. Conduct instructional analysis - Determine learners' current abilities and what knowledge/skills/abilities/attitudes/competencies (KSA)  will be involved/necessary to achieve the goals. (Topic or Task analysis) Articulate the learning gap.

3. Analyze learners to identify entry behaviors - Identify their current knowledge, skills, and abilities when they enter the learning task. (Learner analysis) This helps narrow down the specific content vital for the course rather than covering information they have already acquired. 

4. Write performance objectives - Transform the needs and goals of the task into clear-cut terminal objectives and enabling objectives that can be observed and measured by criteria of mastery performance. 

5. Develop criterion-referenced assessments - Identify ways to assess progress during the learning process. Assessments should reflect the enabling objectives. This involves finding the ideal assessment type, such as the multiple-choice questions or interactive scenarios, as well as the grading rubric and criteria.

6. Develop instructional strategies - Develop activities to help achieve the objectives. These activities include how the information will be presented, how the learners will practice what is being learned, and how learners’ growth will be assessed. Take into consideration the learning theories that are best suited for your subject matter and learner needs.

7. Develop and select instructional materials and activities - Select the learning materials, tools, and online exercises that serve the learning goals and objectives. This also involves eLearning content creation, such as online tutorials, branching scenarios, and text and multimedia-based instructional aids. Consider the preferences of learners when choosing online materials.

8. Carry out formative evaluation - Collect data that will be used to improve instructional materials and expand the instruction's effectiveness for a larger number of learners by implementing a prototyping approach and requesting formative feedback from prospective learners, clients, and other involved parties. 

9. Revise instruction - Use the data from the formative evaluation to make improvements and revisions to the parts of the model before fully implementing the course. 

10. Carry out summative evaluation - Assess whether your eLearning course actually achieves the desired outcome through learner post-assessments, such as tests at the end of the lesson, and performance-based online exams, like observing a learner on the job or examining statistics. Analyze the system's overall quality to make improvements for the following implementations. 

Strengths: Flexibility, goal-oriented system, considering learners' prior knowledge

Weaknesses: Time-consuming, no account for variables