Understanding by Design

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

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Key principle: Start from the end…• In order to begin, we must start at the end:

Clarify results and evidence of them before designing lessons.

• UbD is a way of thinking more carefully about design; it is NOT a program.

• Thinking like an assessor (not an activity planner) is key to effective design

• The work is only “coverage” or “activities” unless focused on big ideas and essential questions that are related to a unit’s standards, goals, outcomes.

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What is a course (or learning module)?

• Is a “Course” the same as a…– The textbook? No, that’s a

resource– The activities? No, these are

steps– The content? No, this is to be

mastered

• What is the BIG difference between just knowing and really understanding?

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The Three Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify Desired Results

What is it that I want the learners to understand and know and be able to do?

2. Determine Acceptable Evidence

How will the learners demonstrate to their understanding and skills?

3. Plan Learning Experiences

How can I sequence instruction to engage the learners in authentic, active learning?

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Stage 2- Determine Acceptable Evidence

• Before we plan the activities and lessons, we must plan the assessment.

• Planning the assessment makes possible a logical, orderly progression of activities, specifically designed to meet their target.

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Stage 2- Determine Acceptable Evidence

• Assessments are too often created without carefully considering the evidence needed or only as a means for generating grades.

• Instead, we need to ask: How do we know that the learner…

– met the goal through performance?

– grasped the understandings?

– deeply considered the essential questions?

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Think like an Assessor, not an “Activity” Planner

Assessors ask:What would be sufficient evidence of

understanding?

Given the goals, what performance

tasks must anchor the unit and focus

the instructional work?

What are the different types of

evidence required by Stage 1?

By what appropriate criteria will we

evaluate students’ work and assess

levels of quality?

Activity planners ask: What would be fun and interesting

activities on this topic?

What projects might students wish to

do on this topic?

What tests should I give, based on

the content taught?

How will I give students a grade and

(justify it to them or their parents)?

How well did the activities work?

How did the students do on the test?

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• Understanding develops as a result of ongoing inquiry.

• Think of effective assessment like a collection of mementos and pictures, rather than a single snapshot.

• Gather lots of informal evidence along the way in a variety of formats!

• Use the continuum on the next slide as a guide.

Stage 2- Determine Acceptable Evidence

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Continuum of AssessmentThink of anchoring your unit with a performance task.

But use Other Evidence along the way(i.e. yes, you can use quizzes and tests)

Other evidence

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What should a Performance Task ask learners to do?

• Contextualize it to a real-world situation.

• Require learners to use judgment and innovation.

• Call for exploration of the subject as anyone in a professional field would.

• Replicate challenging situations in which people are truly “tested” in life and work.

• Compel learners to use a repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a task

• Allow opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, get feedback, and refine performance.

• Use the Six Facets of Understanding (or Bloom’s Taxonomy)

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The Six Facets of UnderstandingUse these when generating ideas for Performance Tasks!

When we truly understand, we can…1. Explain (generalize, connect, provide examples)

2. Interpret (tell accessible stories, provide dimension)

3. Apply (use what we know in real contexts)

4. Exercise Perspective (have points of view through critical eyes)

5. Empathize (walk in another person’s shoes, get inside another’s feelings or worldview)

6. Seek Self-knowledge (metacognitive awareness, reflect on meaning of learning and experience )

These are excellent starting points for performance tasks!

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Creating Assessment Ideas from Six Facets of Understanding

If the desired result for learners is to (+ “understand that…”) …and seriously consider (the questions…), …then you need evidence of the learner’s ability to(+ performance verb)

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How can I create an authentic Performance Task that fosters understanding?

Use GRASPS to assist in the creation!

• G - Goal (What task do I want the learners to achieve?)

• R - Role (What’s the learner’s role in the task?)

• A - Audience (Who is the learner’s target audience?)

• S - Situation (What’s the context? The challenge?)

• P - Performance (What will the learners create/develop?)

• S - Standards (On what criteria will they be judged?)

Remember: Make the tasks real world problems to solve!

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Examples of Authentic Tasks

• http://questgarden.com/author/members.php• http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/exa

mples/draftingkoeppen00/creatingfloorplan.htm

Understanding by Design

Stage 3The Learning Plan

W MjW Mjhere are we Mjgoing? MjW Mjhy? Mj

W Mjhat is Mjexpected? Mj

H MjHow will we Mj

h Mjook and hold Mjstudent Mjinterest? Mj

E Mjhow will we Mj

e Mjquip students Mjfor expected Mj

performances? MjR Mj

How will Mjwe help Mjstudents Mj

r Mjethink and Mjr Mjevise? Mj

E MjHow will Mj

students self- Mje Mjvaluate and Mjreflect on their Mj

learning? Mj

T MjHow will Mjwe Mj t Mjailor Mj

learning to Mjvaried Mjneeds, Mj

interests, Mjstyles? Mj

O MjHow will we Mj

o Mjrganize Mjand Mj

sequence Mjthe Mj

learning? Mj

WHERETO Mj

Note on WHERETO

• This is NOT a recipe, formula, or prescribed sequence

• It is, like the Six Facets, a way of judging, assessing, and testing lessons and units.

• It’s up to you to decide how the WHERETO elements should be combined and ordered. You are the designer!