Understanding by Design

1. Understanding by Design the ‘big ideas’ of UbD

2. You’ve got to go below the surface...

3. to uncover the really ‘big ideas.’

4. 1. Identify desired results 2. Determine acceptable evidence 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction 3 Stages of (“Backward”) Design

5. Why “backward”? The stages are logical but they go against habits • We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity ideas - before clarifying our performance goals for students • By thinking through the assessments upfront, we ensure greater alignment of our goals and means, and that teaching is focused on desired results

6. 1. Identify desired results 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction 3 Stages of Design, elaborated 2. Determine acceptable evidence

7. Stage 1 – Identify desired results. Key: Focus on Big ideas • Enduring Understandings: What specific insights about big ideas do we want students to leave with? • What essential questions will frame the teaching and learning, pointing toward key issues and ideas, and suggest meaningful and provocative inquiry into content? • What should students know and be able to do? • What content standards are addressed explicitly by the unit? U Q K CS

8. Worth being familiar with Important to know and do “Enduring” understanding Establishing Priorities Knowledge that is worth being familiar with Knowledge and skills that are important to know and do Understandings that are enduring

9. Provocative Essential Questions • Have no one obvious right answer. • Raise other important questions. • Address the philosophical or conceptual foundations of a discipline. • Recur naturally. • Are framed to provoke and sustain student interest.

10. 1. Identify desired results 2. Determine acceptable evidence 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction 3 Stages of Design: Stage 2

11. Just because the student “knows it” … Evidence of understanding is a greater challenge than evidence that the student knows a correct or valid answer • Understanding is inferred, not seen • It can only be inferred if we see evidence that the student knows why (it works) so what? (why it matters), how (to apply it) – not just knowing that specific inference

12. Reliability: Snapshot vs. Photo Album We need patterns that overcome inherent measurement error • Sound assessment (particularly of State Standards) requires multiple evidence over time - a photo album vs. a single snapshot.

13. Worth being familiar with Important to know and do “Enduring” understanding Curricular Priorities and Assessment Methods • Assessment Types • Traditional quizzes and tests • Paper-pencil • Selected-response • Constructed-response • Performance tasks and projects • Open-ended • Complex • Authentic

14. 1. Identify desired results 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction 3 Stages of Design: Stage 3 2. Determine acceptable evidence

15. E F F E C T I V E E N GAGING and Stage 3 big idea:

16. Think of your obligations via W. H. E. R. E. T. O. L W “Where are we headed?” (the student’s Q!) How will the student be ‘hooked’? What opportunities will there be to be equipped, and to experience and explore key ideas? What will provide opportunities to rethink, rehearse, refine and revise? How will students evaluate their work? How will the work be tailored to individual needs, interests, styles? How will the work be organized for maximal engagement and effectiveness? H E R E T O