If Not ADDIE, Then What? Part 1: Thiagi’s 4-Door Model

Posted on by Judy Unrein

In this short series, I’m highlighting instructional design models that have had profound impact on my work… specifically those that speak to the creative process, and specifically those that have originated in the practice of creating corporate learning.

A "mural" image of many colorful doorsThiagi’s 4-Door Model describes a structure in which there are four entry points into the course: the library, the playground, the cafe, and the assessment center. These areas represent different ways in which the learner can interact with the content of the course and even other learners. Learners can enter through any door they choose.

More on Thiagi’s 4-Door Model:

A case study and explanation by Russ Powell and Brandon Carson for the eLearning Guild’s January 2010 Online Conference.

The Thiagi Group Training Intelligence podcast, Episode 7

This is newest-to-me of the models in this series, though I realized when I started learning about it that I’ve been incorporating elements of it for years! And though it provides a good framework for the structure of the course, it doesn’t say much about which information to include or how to design the interactions behind the four doors.

Stay tuned.

Photo credit: robynejay on Flickr.

Other posts in this series:

  • Eric Matas

    Like you, I am new to this model but not to the practice of it. I love the doors though! Such a simple, wonderful metaphor. And I love allowing learners to choose their doors in their order. Thanks for sharing.

    • http://onehundredfortywords.com Judy Unrein

      Thanks for stopping by, Eric! I’d love to hear about how you and others have applied elements of this model. For me, the first time was when I was creating a course for a company that had extensive job documentation already in place. Why would I recreate the wheel? I created a course with interactions that required learners to use the documentation… and not only did they learn the content, they learned their documentation system better.  #winning

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