Speaker 1: Hey there folks, Tim Slade here from the eLearning Designers Academy and in today's video we're going to do a little comparison between Abbey and Sam and how to pick the right one for your eLearning projects. So let's get to it. So in the world of instructional design, there are two industry-recognized instructional design models that most people follow, Abbey and Sam. Now if you aren't familiar with either of these, Abbey, which has been around for the longest amount of time, is an acronym which represents the five phases for developing learning content, analysis, design, development, and implementation, and evaluation. And while the Abbey model is the most widely known and used instructional design model, it's often criticized for its linear approach and lack of flexibility. And as a result, it's often suggested that Abbey is similar to a waterfall project management model where each phase is completed sequentially. Now on the other hand, we have Sam, which is also an acronym standing for the successive approximation model, if that's not a mouthful. Unlike Abbey, Sam is known for being cyclical in design and development, where you work in a series of iterations focusing on analysis, design, and development until you reach the ideal solution. Now that's an overview of the models at a high level, and so the next obvious question is which one should you be using for your eLearning projects? Now I'll be honest, this is where I have some strong feelings and opinions. You see, while Abbey and Sam are both touted as instructional design models, you know, in my opinion, this really isn't the case. The truth is they are more akin to project management models, which are focused on process rather than design. And as a result, there's really nothing about either model which lends itself to designing and developing instructionally sound, performance-based eLearning content. You could easily apply each model to the design and development of anything, whether it be an eLearning course or even building a tree fort. It really doesn't matter. So which model should you use? Well, I think it totally depends on your organization, your stakeholders, the project, and of course your preferences. There are times when Abbey, a waterfall model, makes more sense. And there are times when Sam, an iterative approach, is the better choice. It always depends. For those people out there who don't believe Abbey can be iterative like Sam, I just don't buy it. You know, regardless of which model you follow, you can be as iterative or as linear as you need or want to be. You see what I did there? I think you get the point. And of course, regardless of which one you choose to use, it still doesn't answer the core question of how you can design instructionally sound and performance-based eLearning content. And luckily, creating eLearning content that drives measurable results has little to do with whether you choose to follow Abbey or Sam. And that's just my opinion. In either case, it's more about making sure you're designing the right solution for the performance issue you're trying to solve. You're designing content for how people actually learn. And of course, you're designing content for what people need to do. If you focus on those things, whether you use Abbey or Sam is really irrelevant. All right, so that's my take on Abbey versus Sam, which of course leads me to my question of the day. Do you prefer Abbey, Sam, or something else? Tell us why by commenting below. As always, I want to thank you for watching. Make sure to click that subscribe button below. And of course, if you want to learn more about managing your eLearning projects, designing instructionally sound eLearning, or growing your eLearning career, make sure to check out the eLearning Designers Academy at elearningacademy.io. My name is Tim Slade, and until next time, I will see you around.