Summary
Highlights
The Diamond Model is a system-oriented instructional design model, focusing on team effort and collaboration. It's often considered classroom-oriented due to its emphasis on teamwork. As a systems approach, it's designed for developing large amounts of instruction like entire courses or curricula with substantial resources and highly trained teams, involving extensive analysis, tryout, and revision.
The Diamond Model was created by Robert Diamond in 1989, detailed in his book 'Designing and Assessing Courses and Curriculum'. At that time, Diamond was a professor at Syracuse University. The model was specifically implemented for higher education purposes.
The Diamond Model involves two main phases. Phase One, the design phase, focuses on the creation of a need or want from the group. The team evaluates the project's probability, involves experts in planning, and aims to create an ideal solution, considering student knowledge, social needs, research, and group priorities. Factors like enrollment projections, existing course effectiveness, personnel priorities, and faculty enthusiasm are also key considerations.
After Phase One, Phase Two begins, encompassing production, implementation, and evaluation. This phase continuously incorporates evaluation instruments and procedures. Key steps include determining objectives, deciding on formats (remote, small group, online, blended), evaluating and selecting existing materials, producing and field-testing new materials, coordinating logistics for implementation, and finally, full implementation with ongoing revisions based on evaluation.
A university considering a new curriculum provides a practical example. Teachers and professors express interest in revising the curriculum. In Phase One, a team of professionals defines their needs and wants for the new program, conducting research, setting goals, establishing timelines, and considering student needs. Political motives are intentionally excluded. In Phase Two, objectives are finalized, formats are chosen, materials are vetted, field tests are conducted, and implementation takes place with continuous revisions.
Important aspects of the Diamond Model include its team-oriented approach, its focus on higher education, and the critical role of feedback and data-driven evaluation. The model strictly adheres to its two phases: Phase One (project selection and design) and Phase Two (production, implementation, and evaluation). The presenter also briefly compares the Diamond Model to the ADDIE model, suggesting ADDIE as a foundational instructional design model.