Backward Design

Backward Design

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.

How is it different?TraditionalGoals & objectivesActivitiesAssessments

Backward DesignGoals & objectivesAssessmentsActivities

In traditional lesson planning, goals are supposed to be developed before activities, but often, activities come first and we work instructional objectives around them. For example: We have an apple theme. How can we use apples in math?

3Identify desired results.Set the vision. Focus on the big ideas.Create a shared vision.Departmental activities to focus onEnduring UnderstandingsStandards (national, state, district)Essential Questions

Identify desired results.Determine acceptable evidence.Determine how students demonstrate their knowledge.Focus on assessment before designing the learning activities.Expand the assessment continuum.

Identify desired results.Determine acceptable evidence.Plan learning experiences and instruction.Plan instructional activities:Share best practice.Build in collaboration.Ensure success for all learners.

Determine how students demonstrate their knowledge.Focus on assessment before designing the learning activities.Expand the assessment continuum.

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.Set the vision. Focus on the big ideas.Create a shared vision.Departmental activities to focus on:Enduring UnderstandingsStandards (national, state, district)Essential QuestionsPlan instructional activities:Share best practice.Build in collaboration.Ensure success for all learners.

Stage 1: Identify desired results

What should students know, understand, and be able to do? What content is worthy of understanding? What enduring understandings are desired? In Stage 1 we consider our goals, examine established content standards (WNCP), and review curriculum expectations. Because typically we have more content than we can reasonably address within the available time, we must make choices. This first stage in the design process calls for clarity about priorities.

Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence

How will we know if students have achieved the desired results? What will we accept as evidence of student understanding and proficiency? The backward design orientation suggests that we think about a unit or course in terms of the collected assessment evidence needed to document and validate that the desired learning has been achieved, not simply as content to be covered or as a series of learning activities. This approach encourages teachers and curriculum planners to first think like an assessor before designing specific units and lessons, and thus to consider up front how they will determine if students have attained the desired understandings.

Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction

With clearly identified results and appropriate evidence of understanding in mind, it is now the time to fully think through the most appropriate instructional activities. Several key questions must be considered at this stage of backward design: What enabling knowledge (facts, concepts, principles) and skills (processes, procedures, strategies) will students need in order to perform effectively and achieve desired results? What activities will equip students with the needed knowledge and skills? What will need to be taught and coached, and how should it best be taught, in light of performance goals? What materials and resources are best suited to accomplish these goals?Note that the specifics of instructional planningchoices about teaching methods, sequence of lessons, and resource materialscan be successfully completed only after we identify desired results and assessments and consider what they imply. Teaching is a means to an end. Having a clear goal helps to focus our planning and guide purposeful action toward the intended results.

7What is important for students to be able to do, know, or perform?What enduring understandings are needed?What provincial standards need to be met?What are the essential questions?

Identify Desired Results

Enduring UnderstandingsWorth beingfamiliar with.

Important to knowand do.

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

Assessments:Worth being familiar with and Important to know and do:Traditional quizzes and testsPaper/pencilSelected responseConstructed response

Important to know and do and Enduring understandingPerformance tasks and projectsOpen endedComplexauthentic

9Essential QuestionsGo to the heart of the discipline.Recur naturally throughout ones learning and in the history of a field.Raise other important questions.Provide subject- and topic- specific doorways to essential questions.Have no one obvious right answer.Are deliberately framed to provoke and sustain student interest.Examples

Assessment ContinuumInformal Checks for understandingObservation/DialogueQuiz/TestAcademic promptPerformance task/project

W.H.E.R.E.T.O.Where is it going?Hook the students.Explore and equip.Rethink and revise.Exhibit and evaluate.Tailor to the student.Organize