Five Phases

The ISD process consists of five phases. The analysis phase defines what needs to be trained. Next, an instructional design is crafted to meet this need. Only after the design is complete are the instructional materials developed. During development, individual and group tryouts of the materials are conducted. Results are iteratively fed back into design and development. Evaluation is a central feature of ISD and is performed in each phase. The phases are:

• Phase 1: Analysis - Determine if training is the appropriate solution; if so, define training requirements.
• Phase 2: Design - Define objectives, design the training program, and select training methods and media.
• Phase 3: Development - Develop all training materials in accordance with design. Conduct pilot training classes. Refine course, as necessary.
• Phase 4: Implementation - Implement training, evaluate, and refine.
• Phase 5: Evaluation - Performed during development, during implementation, immediately after training, and six months or more after training.

Instructional Systems Development (ISD) Iterative Process (Source: Air Force Handbook 36-2235, Volume 1, 2 September 2002)