Let’s get straight to the point here. As professors, we are always running out of time, isn’t it? Often we want to make sure we choose the right activity or the right type of assessment for a learning goal. And how many times do we go through the uncertainty whether an activity or an assessment item did or did not meet the learning outcome? Are more practice activities needed? Are the current assessments leading students to mastery?
Is it just the grades the students should be worried about?
Or is it the entire learning process that should be meaningful to them?
I could continue forever with similar questions. But I think we all get the point! Let’s begin with this one cardinal question: What impact should classroom learning experiences have on students? Think about this answer: It should ideally make students lifelong learners, in a quest to acquire more knowledge and skills within your subject area (and possibly lead to and connect with multiple disciplines).
Stage 1: Identify Desired Results: Begin with the End
If you want to get yourself out of any ambiguity in terms of the effectiveness of your teaching materials and classroom experiences, begin by thinking of the end first. Many times, faculty find themselves guilty of thinking about classroom activities and teaching materials first. We need to precisely reverse this thinking approach. Here is a suggestion: Rewrite your course learning outcomes on a piece of paper. For each outcome, write a statement that describes what knowledge your students will acquire, how they will use it and their attitude changes towards the end of the course. Feel free to write more than one statement.
Congratulations, you have begun thinking with the end in mind!
The Stage 1 of Backward Planning encourages us to create learning outcomes before we do anything else. Click here to see how to create learning outcomes on Schoology.
The Backward Design Philosophy
Backward Design is all about the above exercise. The term “Backward Design” was coined by the authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in 2002. Backward Design planning for courses will create effective learning experiences for your students. The process helps faculty identify informal and formal learning activities and materials that lead to mastery.
Bye, bye, uncertainties.
“Hello” to control over course experiences!
Backward Design is a three-stage process:
Desired Results
Evidence (read the Six Facets of Understanding)
Learning Plan (read the WHERETO of learning experiences).
Here are the questions that will help you achieve the Backward Design Process. Think of one learning outcome and its related lesson/module/unit when answering these questions: Use this template (download the template: UbD_template_blank.doc) to create your own Backward Design for a lesson.
Tackling the 3 Stages
Brace yourselves! Coming up is an impressive list of questions. I used it to design an Instructional Design course I will be teaching this Fall. Let’s see how these questions frame my teaching effectiveness.
Stage 1: Desired Results
What long-term transfer goals are targeted?
After completing the course, students should be able to create lessons that utilize the Backward Design Model.
What meanings should students make in order to arrive at important understandings?
Students need to understand how each stage in the Backward Design process enables them to align learning outcomes with authentic learning experiences. They should be able to identify informal (low-stake) and formal (high-stake) assessments and assignments activities that will lead to mastery.
What essential questions will students explore?
What are the benefits of using Backward Planning? How has my lesson planning process changed after utilizing this process?
What knowledge and skill will students acquire?
Understand and apply the Backward Planning Process to their lesson planning efforts.
What established goals/standards are targeted?
The lesson aligns with the Department of Education program learning outcomes and some Carthage College institute learning outcomes.
Stage 2: Evidence
What performances and products will reveal evidence of meaning-making and transfer?
Completing the various UbD Templates. Scoring well in the Evaluation Checklist.
By what criteria will performance be assessed, in light of Stage 1 desired results?
Best practices in lesson and course design on Schoology using the UDL Principles (hyperlinked). Examples used to complete UbD Templates.
What additional evidence will be collected for all Stage 1 desired results?
A learning e-portfolio of completed lesson planning. Authentic learning experiences in lessons. Inclusion of both formal and informal tests. Successfully implementing and administering the lesson on Schoology (based on Schoology Template provided).
Are the assessments aligned to all Stage 1 elements?
Yes.
Stage 3: Learning Plan
What activities, experiences, and lessons will lead to achievement of the desired results and success at the assessments?
Examples of authentic learning experiences. Designing assessments for each of the six facets of understanding (hyperlinked). Using the WHERETO model for creating learning experiences. Completing the Schoology Template.
How will the learning plan help students with acquisition, meaning-making, and transfer?
Transfer of learning will be measured with the aid of evidences collected from the Evaluation Checklist. Peer evaluation of lessons.
How will the unit be sequenced and differentiated to optimize achievement for all learners?
Students will have control over the choice of their lesson topics, use of educational technology tools to create multi-media learning experiences.
How will progress be monitored?
Each learning outcome will be mapped with the assessment items and assignments. Achievement in each will be reported on Schoology. Students will practice in rough drafts with feedback towards a polished final draft.
Are the learning events in Stage 3 aligned with Stage 1 goals and Stage 2 assessments?
Yes.
To continue reading about the Backward Design Stages, visit the following blogs:
Are you ready?
Contact me if you need assistance for your lessons!
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