The Flexibly Adaptive Instructional Design (FAID) Theory was developed by Daniel Schwartz and colleagues in the 1990s (Schwartz, Lin, Brophy, & Bransford, 1999) . It gives a cyclic procedure for design learning environments that are student-centered and flexible enough to adapt to the needs of the student, while providing realistic, authentic problems and projects for the student to develop and solve. This theory also realizes the need to make learning as open as possible through stakeholder participation and giving students the opportunity to help guide future students learning.
The goal of FAID is to help learners develop a deep understanding of cognitive knowledge, through posing problems, encouraging collaboration to solve the problem and communicating the results as a guide for future learners.
FAID outlines ten steps to help achieve the goals stated above. They are:
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Look ahead & reflect back - provides a holistic look at what is to be learned
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Initial challenge a motivating challenge to help learners develop a group mental model
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Generate ideas an opportunity to help learners' make their thoughts explicit through documentation and sharing so the teacher and learners can assess current knowledge level
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Multiple perspectives provides learners with the opportunity to learn more about solving the problem from experts
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Research & revise exposing learners to other resources and information (lessons, lectures, legacies)
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Test your mettle formative assessment used to provide a barometer for knowledge level and motivation for further research & revision of problem solution
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Go public allowing learners to present their solutions and leave a legacy
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Progressive deepening provides cycles of challenges that build on previous knowledge, problem-based to project based
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General reflection & decisions about legacies provides an opportunity for learners to look at where they started and how much they have learned
Through the ten "steps" learners are presented with an open-ended problem/project-based learning environment characterized by authentic tasks that are meaningful to the students and customized, student-directed inquiry.
Importance to Instructional Design
This theory, while similar to other constructivist type learning environments has one characteristic that sets it firmly in the what Reigeluth calls the new paradigm (Reigeluth, 1999). That is stakeholder involvement and motivation. Though it is not a complete change from the industrial age to the information age, it is more student centered, customized and holistic than other cognitive theories. As such, it is a quality tool for any instructional designer to have.
This theory would be perfect for the K-12 environment if there were more hours in the school day and less mandated content to be covered. It would provide students with the chance to become life long learners by developing the skills necessary such as self-inquiry, seeking multiple perspectives, working collaboratively, creating a mental models and goal setting.
Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (Vol. 2). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schwartz, D. L., Lin, X., Brophy, S., & Bransford, J. D. (1999). Toward the development of flexibly adaptive instructional designs. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (Vol. 2). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.