Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design

1. UbD is a way of thinking purposefully about curricular planning, not a rigid program or prescriptive recipe.

2. developing and deepening student understanding—the ability to make meaning of learning via “big ideas” and to transfer learning.

3. UbD refl ects a continuous-improvement approach to achievement. The results of our designs—student performance—inform needed adjustments in curriculum as well as instruction; we must stop, analyze, and adjust as needed, on a regular basis.

   • long-term achievement gains are more likely when teachers teach for understanding of transferable concepts and processes while giving learners multiple opportunities to apply their learning in meaningful contexts

4. Key concepts about UbD

   • learning must be guided by generalized principles. Knowledge learned at the level of rote memory rarely transfers; transfer most likely occurs when the learner understands underlying concepts and principles that can be applied to problems in new contexts.
   • Curricula that emphasize breadth of knowledge may prevent effective organization of knowledge because not enough time is provided to learn anything in depth. Curricula that are “a mile wide and an inch deep” risk developing disconnected rather than connected knowledge.

5. Understanding

   • Ideas and inferences, effective use of knowledge and skill. Understanding is something different from mere “knowing,”

6. Backward design stages in UbD

   • Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
     • What long-term transfer goals are targeted? What meanings should students make to arrive at important understandings? What essential questions will students keep considering? What knowledge and skill will students acquire? What established goals/standards are targeted?
   • Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
     • What performances and products will reveal evidence of meaning-making and transfer? By what criteria will performance be assessed, in light of Stage 1 desired results? What additional evidence will be collected for all Stage 1 desired results? Are the assessments aligned to all Stage 1 elements?
   • Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction Accordingly
     • What activities, experiences, and lessons will lead to achievement of the desired results and success at the assessments? How will the learning plan help students achieve transfer, and meaning and acquisition, with increasing independence? How will progress be monitored? How will the unit be sequenced and differentiated to optimize achievement for all learners? Are the learning events in Stage 3 aligned with Stage 1 goals and Stage 2 assessments?

7. Twin Sins

   • First sin: Activity - Oriented Teaching. Occurs in elementary and middle school levels. teachers plan and conduct various activities, worrying only about whether they are engaging and kid-friendly. in other words, a collection of activities does not add up to coherent, focused, and generative learning.
   • Second sin: Content Coverage. More prevalent at the secondary and collegiate levels. In this sin, teaching consists of marching through a resource, be it a textbook or literature. The textbook should serve as a resource, not the syllabus, in a focused and effective learning plan. a teacher’s job is not to simply mention everything in a book or on a topic; our job is to prioritize, make interesting and useful, and “uncover” the content, not merely “cover” it.