ASSURE is an instructional design model that has the goal of producing more effective teaching and learning. “ASSURE” is an acronym that stands for the various steps in the model. The following is a breakdown of each step.

A – Analyze Learners

The first step in the process is that the teacher should analyze the attributes of her learners. There should be a focus on those learner characteristics which are associated with the learning outcomes desired. The information gathered will help you in the decisions that you make with respect to the other steps in the process. When you determine the character of the learners, it will guide you in choosing specific strategies and resources to aid the learning process.

The analysis of your learners should include:

• The general attributes of your learners, such as age, academic abilities, gender, interests, etc.
• Prior competencies
• Learning styles, such as auditory, visual, and tactile

S – State Standards and Objectives

After the analysis of the learner attributes, the teacher must state standards and objectives for the learning module. This statement consists of a specification of what the learners will be able to do as a result of the instruction.

To be more concrete about things, this statement will focus on what the learner will know or be able to do as a result of the instruction. An example of this is with medical students. The learners will be able to name at least two databases and two search techniques that they can use to locate medical evidence for particular cases.

The objectives can be used in assessing the success of the students, perhaps for the grading process. Also, you can use them to let the learners know what they will accomplish through the class.

The mark of a good set of learning objectives is conformity to the ABCDs of well-stated learning objectives. They are as follows:

• Audience – For whom is the objective intended?
• Behavior – What is the behavior or performance to be demonstrated?
• Conditions – What are the conditions under which the behavior or performance will be observed?
• Degree – To what degree will the knowledge or skill be mastered?

The objectives statement should be formulated with verbs that pinpoint the learning objective. A useful guide to the appropriate verbs to use is contained in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Remember that assessment can only be based on your learners’ behavior. A learner may know some material backwards and forwards but may not be able to perform well on a test.

S – Select Strategies, Technology, Media, and Materials

The second “s” in the acronym stands for