Resource

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resource

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

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Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

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Planning and Designing Learning

As part of the Diploma in Teaching and Learning, teachers are required to design a sequence of learning that is
coherent and meets both curriculum and learner needs. The programme plan (or scheme of work) should
incorporate lessons which are inclusive, which promote constructivist theory by use of active learning strategies,
and which include a substantial amount of relevant pair work and group work. A teacher should also plan for
effective and prompt feedback to learners, design regular formative assessment activities, and build in evaluation
so that future professional development is taking place.
This resource covers the following areas:

Differences between syllabus and curriculum

Understanding by design (UBD)
Aims, goals, objectives and outcomes
Formative assessment and feedback
Observation as an evaluation tool
Resources
Further references and links

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Resource

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Differences between syllabus and curriculum

When a sequence of learning is designed, it is usually with the broad aim of delivering content, knowledge and
skills. In the modern classroom, however, the word delivery has been replaced with the more learner-friendly term
facilitate. Facilitating learning suggests that the learners play a greater role in the learning process and the teacher
plays a lesser role. However, this is perhaps misleading, and what is meant is that the teacher adopts a more
central role: that of a negotiator, or perhaps a mediator. It is important when designing learning to remind
candidates that while they should place learners at the centre of learning, the candidate should also ensure they
have a place there. In many cases, a syllabus will be used as a means to design a suitable programme plan.
Additionally, the syllabus will prescribe to a particular curriculum. It is important to explore these connections.
Murray Print (2003, p 97107) outlined four rationales for curriculum design: subject-centred design, learnercentred design, problem-centred design and core design.
Subject-centred
Subject-centred design is probably the oldest and most widely used form of curriculum organisation. It is found
mainly in schools and revolves around the teaching of an established body of content derived from accumulated
wisdom. Content decisions are the basis for the decisions about the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the
curriculum

Learner-centred
Learner-centred designs emphasise individual development, and the approach to organising the curriculum
emerges from the needs, interests and purposes of the learners. Consequently, learner-centred designs are
usually not as pre-planned as subject-centred designs, as they evolve from teacher-learner interactions. In some
cases, the curriculum may emerge as a group of learners reveal their needs, interests and purposes.

Problem-centred
Problem-centred designs direct learners to focus their attention on resolving problems they are likely to
encounter, such as persistent life situations, contemporary social problems, personal concerns of youth, and
worldwide problems such as ensuring peace and avoiding poverty. Generally a pre-planned approach, the
emphasis is placed on group welfare, group activities and group resolution of problems.

Core design
Core designs assume that there is a set of common learnings that should be provided to all learners in order for
them to function effectively in society. These learnings are usually based on knowledge, skills and values, which
form a 'core' curriculum. Interesting questions are: what should be included in the core? What should be
excluded? How large should the core be? Is a core required for all learners?
If a syllabus can be regarded as the detailed outline of a course of study, it is important to understand something
of the nature of the curriculum which underpins the syllabus. Candidates should be encouraged to plan for a
balance of teaching and learning activities in their programme plan, which draws upon certain curriculum
rationales.

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resource

Understanding by design (UBD)

While to some extent the curriculum will be prescribed, there is usually the opportunity for a teacher to design some
of their own syllabus content, and teaching and learning methodologies. Content, knowledge and skills may be
defined, but how, when and to what extent content, knowledge and skills are introduced is often the responsibility of
the teacher.

Curriculum

Syllabus

Programme plan

Understood by teacher

Interpreted by teacher

Designed by teacher

Understanding by design (UBD) is a means by which teachers can challenge the traditional approach to planning,
and instead re-focus teaching so that it is based on achieving goals and outcomes which are established with the
learners and not for the learners. A key principle of UBD is 'backward planning'.
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005) propose that in backward design, the teacher starts with expected outcomes
and then plans the curriculum, choosing activities and materials that help determine learner ability and foster
learning. In other words, it is backward design that decides on teaching and learning strategies, and the modes and
timing of assessment.
Teachers may suggest that their plan had to be modified due to the dynamics of the classroom situation. In
backward planning, the plan is always open to modification.
The greater the impact of the teacher in the design of learning, the more effective the learning is likely to be.
Considered another way, the traditional teacher delivers the plan, while the contemporary teacher plays many more
roles:

a designer
an interpreter
a modifier
an evaluator.

As part of this process, candidates could be reminded of David Kolbs reflective cycle. Essentially, the teacher as
designer should be able to reflect, based on observed practice, and then plan more effectively, based on new
practice.
Teachers should be encouraged to take responsibility for their programme plan as much as possible. Using Kolb's
reflective cycle and the principles of UBD will ensure that teachers are updating their programme plan regularly.

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

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Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Aims, goals, objectives and outcomes

Candidates may wish to consider a range of views regarding terms such as aims, goals, objectives and outcomes.

Wiggins and McTighe (2005) suggest:

Teaching for understanding should be evident in course design.
Curriculum design should be coherent with clear distinctions between big ideas and essential questions.
Teachers should inform learners about big ideas and essential questions, performance requirements, and
evaluative criteria at the beginning of the unit or course.
Learners should be able to describe the goals (big ideas and essential questions) and performance
requirements of the unit or course.
The learning environment should have high expectations and incentives for all learners to come to
understand the big ideas and answer the essential questions.
Wiggins and McTighe suggest that successful learning depends in part on the learners understanding why they are
learning. Indeed, many learners will know what objectives are, as more and more teachers are sharing them with
their learning groups.
Below are two examples of a programme plan for teaching a unit on psychology. Encouraging candidates to
explore the differences may be helpful when considering how to approach these terms in their planning.
Curriculum needs

Learner needs

Aims

Goals

Objectives

Learner outcomes

to make learners
aware that society
includes sociopaths

Aims

to cover the whole

unit on sociopathic
behaviour

Goals

to explain the nature

of sociopathic
behaviour

to provide examples
of such behaviour

to present case
studies

to identify sociopathic
behaviour

to select and
prescribe existing
treatment.

to explore society

to enrich learners'
understanding of
how varied society is

for learners to meet

people with recent
sociopathic events
to assess empathy
levels

to understand
sociopathic
behaviour

to consider
alternative
approaches to
traditional treatment.

Objectives

Learner outcomes

Candidates should be encouraged to write aims, goals, objectives and outcomes with clarity and which
demonstrate a firm understanding of the content, skills and knowledge that need to be covered.
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Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

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Formative assessment and feedback

Formative assessment can be used to gain valuable insight which can be used to inform future teaching and
learning. It is feedback from the learners to the teacher, but also from the teacher to the learners.
Candidates should be encouraged to include formative assessment methods throughout their programme. Below
are some examples of formative assessment methods which could be adopted.

Case studies

Development plans Concept mapping

Peer assessment Critique sessions

Reflection

Problem-based
learning

Mentoring

Drafting

Self-assessment

Candidates should plan for and predict effective formative feedback methods within their programme plan and
should aim to make the feedback immediate. (Refer to Module 1 on Assessment for further guidance on
assessment methods.)

Observation as an evaluation tool

As part of Module 2, candidates are required to obtain feedback from an observer on two lessons. The aim of the
observation is to evaluate the programme plan, the teaching and the learning.
However, these are not the only occasions where observation of teaching and learning should feature in the
facilitation of the programme plan. For example:

candidates could video part/all of their lesson and self-observe

learners could be asked to provide informal observation comments
peers could be asked to provide informal feedback after observing a lesson.

The observation process therefore is not restricted to the two formal records required for the Diploma, but should be
a culture that is built into the professional practice of every candidate. Reflection and evaluation are key prerequisites in establishing and developing this culture.
Candidates should evaluate the feedback they receive from observers and use it to:

Revisit learners
needs

Refine formative
assessment
methods

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Explore new
teaching
methods

Modify
programme plan

Resource

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resources
1.1

Curriculum framework

1.2

Backward planning

1.3

Evaluating a programme plan

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resource 1.1

Resource

Curriculum framework

Consider the curriculum framework that you are working with. Using a programme plan that you have already
taught, complete the table below, which explores your curriculum in more detail.

Teaching & learning activity

Give 2 examples

Curriculum type

Core

Problem-centred

Leaner-centred

Subject-centred

Assessment activity
Give 2 examples

1.

1.

2.

2.

1.

1.

2.

2.

1.

1.

2.

2.

1.

1.

2.

2.

Which examples did you find easiest to insert?

Which were you struggling to find examples for?

What does this tell you about the curriculum framework you are working from?

How could you modify your programme plan to respond to this?

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Resource

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resource 1.2

Backward planning

Using the diagram below, think about the last programme plan or scheme of work you taught, and map out a backward plan. It could be any aspect of the programme plan but ensure
you begin with the overall goal first.

4. Resources
required

You should not be led by your

resources, but led by your goals.

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3. Teaching
Strategy

The teaching style must match

the formative assessment
method and the desired outcome.

2. Measuring
progress

Formative assessment could be a

better measure of progress.

1. Overall
goal

A Goal as an objective or a
learning outcome

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Resource

Resource 1.3 Evaluating a programme plan

Lesson

Evaluation question
What happened that was unexpected?

Practitioner action

Professional development

How did I respond?

How could I have responded more effectively?

1.

2.

3.

Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning

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Resource

Module 2: Planning and Designing Learning

Further references and links

Texts
Brown, S., Earlam, C. and Race, P. (1998). 500 tips for teachers. London: Kogan Page.
Cohen, L. and Cohen, L. (2010). A guide to teaching practice. 5th ed. London: Routledge.
Marsh, C. (2009). Key concepts for understanding curriculum. 4th ed. London: Routledge.
Routledge. McGee, C. (2005) Teachers and curriculum decision-making. New Zealand: Thomson.
Print, M. (1993) Curriculum development and design. Allen and Unwin.
White, J. (2004). Rethinking the school curriculum. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Solution Tree Press.

Web links
ASSET is a Transnational Co-operation Project funded through the European Union's Socrates Grundtvig
programme. It aims to enhance the effectiveness of European adult education teachers across a wide range of
curriculum areas, by providing a self-help tool-kit developing skills in learner-centred methodologies.
Yates, B. (2014). Characteristics of Adult Learners. Assetproject.info. Available
at: http://www.assetproject.info/learner_methodologies/before/characteristics.htm [Accessed 30 October 2014].
INFED: a collection of articles exploring education, learning and community. In particular, to provide a space for
people to explore the theory and practice of informal education, community learning and development, social
action, social pedagogy and lifelong learning.
Yates, B. (2014). Characteristics of Adult Learners. [online] Assetproject.info. Available at:
http://www.assetproject.info/learner_methodologies/before/characteristics.htm [Accessed 30 October 2014].
Wiggins, G. (2012). What is backward design?. [video] Available
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsDgfC3SjhM [Accessed 30 October 2014].
Owens, J. (2011). Vygotsky v Piaget. [video] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axi7xctulbM
[Accessed 30 October 2014].
Teaching Channel, (2011). New Teacher Survival Guide: Planning. [video] Available
at: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/coaching-planning-lesson-planning [Accessed 30 October 2014].
Teaching Channel, (2013). Measures of Effective Teaching: Observation. [video] Available
at: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/measures-of-effective-teaching-observation [Accessed 30 October
2014].

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Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning