Backward Design

A Snapshot

What Is It?

Backward Design is a process of lesson planning created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe and introduced in Understanding by Design (1998).

This lesson design process concentrates on developing the lesson in a different order than in traditional lesson planning.

What is Traditional Lesson Planning?

1.

2.

3.

Begin with the END in mind!

Why?

“A ship with no port of destination, knows no favorable

wind.”Anonymous

A Concept’s Whose Time Has Come

Ralph Tyler in1949 wrote:

“ Educational objectives become the criteria by which materials are selected, content outlined, instructional procedures are developed, and tests and examinations are prepared…”

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”

Stephen R. Covey

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

Traditional Common Planning Mistakes Cute activities that don’t really go anywhere

or are too loosely connected to the objective. Fun activities, just because they are fun. Marching through the textbooks.

Both are symptomatic of a lack of intellectual focus on targeted goals

Traditionally teacher’s have used:

Table of Contents Activities Assessments

Backward Design begins with:

Goals & Objectives Assessments Activities

Backward Design:Shift Your Focus from:

“Teaching” for mere content mastery

Teaching discrete skills, out of context, on neat-and-clean exercises, with simple answers

Linear coverage of all content, as if everything is equal and learnable by one exposure

Backward Design asks you:To Focus on Students’

Learning: “Learning” how to USE content effectively. Draw upon many skills, in realistic contexts

via complex tasks and problems. Recursive curriculum with clear priorities

goals. …and many chances to understand Textbook as a resource, in support of

explicit learning.

Shift Your Perspective!

It’s NOT what I teach but how do I get it learned

It’s NOT the input but the yield It’s NOT the syllabus but the

results

Backward Design

Is A Three Step Process…

Identify desired results.

Determine acceptable evidence.

Plan learning experiences and

instruction.

Wiggins, G & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

What is important for students to be able to do, know, or perform?

What enduring understandings are needed?

What state, national, and district standards need to be met?

What are the essential questions?

Stage 1:Identify Desired Results

Enduring Understanding

Wiggins, G & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Worth beingfamiliar with.

Important to knowand do.

“EnduringUnderstanding”

“Nice to know”

Foundational skill

Core task

HistorySignificance of the

Magna Carta

Limits on Power

Rule of Law

The Constitution

Limits on Power

Three Branches ofGovernment

Checks and

Balances

European History

Congress of Vienna

Competing Groups form

Alliances

BalanceOf

Power

The Big Question?

How do I determine what is an…..

“Enduring Understanding?”

What are the four filters?

Filter 1

Does the “enduring value” have value beyond the classroom?

Jerome Bruner, The Process of Education (1960) wrote…..

“is this worth knowing as an adult?” The Big Idea is also known as the Linchpin idea.

Filter 2

To what extent does the idea, topic, or process allow the student to use the information, or ‘doing' the subject?

For example… Interpreting historical events, Researching and critiquing books, Debating social and economic policies

Filter 3

Will the idea, topic or process require Uncoverage? Are there ideas or concepts that are not

obvious or counterintuitive? Will these ideas or concepts need

significant teachers’ guidance?

Filter 4

Will the idea, topic, or process:

…offer the potential for engaging students?

For example…what does it mean to be independent?

Historical Enduring Understandings… History involves interpretation;

historians can and do disagree. The study of history involves

understanding the various schools of thought.

Historical interpretations are influenced by one’s perspective (e.g. freedom fighters vs. terrorists).

What Enduring Understanding’s Do You Teach?

1.

2.

3.

What are Essential Questions?

Have no simple “right“ answer; they are meant to be argued.Are designed to provoke student inquiry.Often address the conceptual or philosophical foundations of a discipline.Raise other important questionsOccur frequently throughout the learning processStimulate continue rethinking of big ideas, and prior lessons.

Examples

Examples

Is the judicial branch too powerful? What do we mean by “all men are

created equal?” What role did/does religion play in the

development of US history? How and why do we provide checks

and balances on government? Who are our global friends and why?

What essential questions can you ask? 1.

2.

3.

Stage 2:Determine Acceptable Evidence

How will enduring understanding be measured?

Think like an assessor!

A Common Mistake….

Teacher’s think goal/objective…. then activities.

Decide upon the Assessment

… and actually create the test/assessment BEFORE you begin

day one of instruction!

This will provide the “road map” for what

is to be taught.

Assessments should vary!

Both formal and informal Scope Time frame Setting Structure

In the assessment process students should demonstrate their understanding’s through….

… ‘the six facets of understanding.’

Six Facets of Understanding: students… can explain - accurate can interpret - meaningful can apply - effective have perspective - credible can empathize - sensitive have self-knowledge – self aware

Select Assessment Type

Ask yourself, “What is the best way for students to demonstrate what they know and can do?”

Traditionally... Paper and pencil test? (Multiple

choice, short answers, true/false, single essay)

Traditional assessments have students… Report the information… Recite..’Just the facts…’ Use the lower level of Bloom’s

Taxonomy…

Backward design challenges teachers to develop …

Summative assessments, sometimes called “performance assessments.”

Summative assessments incorporate the strengths of traditional assessment with a product or performance task.

Move towards the upper end of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Summative Assessments

… require students to apply skills, concepts, and understandings to a new problem in a different context or to a different text(s).

Possible Summative Written Assessments

Biographies Editorials Historical Fiction Position Paper Research Report

Possible Oral Performances

Debates Historical Interviews Oral Report/Presentation Speeches

Possible Visual Products

Diagram/Diorama/Power Point Graph Map Political Cartoon Poster

Assessment ContinuumIn

form

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for u

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stan

ding

Obs

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tion/

Dialo

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Qui

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Acad

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Perfo

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task

/pro

ject

Wiggins, G & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Remember….

Assessments are interwoven throughout the entire unit of study.

Assessments are a part of the learning process and should occur throughout the sequence, not just at the end.

Develop a Scoring Guide/Rubric

Purpose? To provide clear

descriptors about how performance will be judged.

Result? Your grading will be

more reliable.

Sample US History Rubric

Clear, well-developed thesis that in a sophisticated fashion with key components…

Clear, developed thesis that deals with the key issues…

General thesis responding to all components superficially…

Little or no analysis… (Education Testing Service/College Board,

1992, p. 25)

Rubric Sites to Explore

www.Rubistar.4teachers.org www.rubric.com

www.Teach-nology.com

Because there is NEVER enough time… borrow, borrow, borrow!!!

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences. Learning experiences are planned after

desired results and the method of measurement of those results are identified.

What will the students need to know in order to achieve the desired goal, learning, or understanding?

Various strategies are used to plan the learning.

Delivery of InstructionHow will you teach this

standard/objective?

Think Learning Strategies!!

Consider learning styles

Learning strategies…

Teachers need to design the sequence of learning experiences that students will undertake to develop understanding.

Beyond learning about a subject, students will need lessons that enable them to experience directly the inquiries, arguments, applications, and points of view underneath the facts and opinions they learn if they are to understand them.

(Wiggins and McTighe,Understanding by Design, p 99)

Good Teaching

“..is dependent on good design.

Good design and good teaching are dependent upon clear purposes.”

(Wiggins and McTighe,Understanding by Design, p.159)

Delivery of Assessment!

Test time!!

Don’t forget to vary the type!

Reflection Take the time to reflect upon the

success of the lesson/unit/assessment.

Was the objective achieved? Did the students learn? How did they

score? What could you have done better or in a different manner?

Make appropriate changes!

Revisions

Creating a unit using the backward design planning process is not a neat, tidy or easy process. 

It requires ongoing revisions and flexibility.

Students in the revision process… They raise questions that will cause you

to revisit your ideas. Each group will have their own learning

styles to consider and factor in. As the needs and strengths of the

students change so will the assessments.

And…

Teachers might have to let go some of their favorite, old reliable lessons, because they just don’t fit anymore.

And finally…

As you teach the unit, you will also make continual adjustments based on the formative assessment data you gather about what students know and can do. This will take time.

And besides, reflection and revision is something all good teachers do!

Now it’s your turn!

Resources

Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2001, Prentice Hall Inc

Understanding by Design, Professional Development Workbook, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2004, ASCD

http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/Planning/models/princbackdesign.htm

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/BackwardDesign/Overview.htm