Successive Approximation Model (SAM)

In higher education courses tend to be long and complex. Havin a complete outline early, as is the case with SAM, may help keep a focus on the overall learning goals and how things fit together. With other models, you may be more likely to get lost in the details.

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For some courses in higher education, the responsiveness of the SAM model could be a huge benefit. Some courses are based on concepts about which not much, if any, new knowledge is being created. As such revisions to the course may not need to be as frequent. I think this mindset probably permeates instructional design in academia to some extent whether it is warranted or not. SAM could promote frequent course revisions when they are called for.

 

 

One limitation is that there may be a lack of cohesion in the learning experience. This can come from including many stakeholders with potentially disparate ideas or from taking smaller chunks of a larger course to refine and incorporating them back into the old course. Because higher education courses are long and complex, this could be more likely to be problematic.

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In higher education it can be a long and slow process to secure funds and new perceived infringements on others’ time may prove even more difficult. As such, the iterative process may be too resource intensive for higher education.

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 One other limitation in higher education is that a course start date may cause the iterative process to be shortened, losing iterations. If the process is not properly planned for or a hiccup happens, the course still has to start when it is scheduled -- and having “something” might seem enough such that urgency may not be put behind the iterations.