Understanding By Design

UBD Slides

Key Questions...
What is worth understanding? What is understanding? How will we know that students really understand?
How might we better anticipate and address predictable student misunderstandings?

Key Questions...
Why are the best curriculum designs backward? How might we work smarter in curriculum design? How shall we walk the talk and apply design standards to our own work ?

Understanding by Design
is not

a prescriptive program an instructional model opposed to traditional testing & grading

Performance goal...
develop or refine a unit of study
using the

Three-Minute Pause
Meet in groups of 3 - 5 to... summarize key points. add your own thoughts. pose clarifying questions.

UbD unit planning template

working in

teams (2-3 colleagues)

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Understanding By Design

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3 Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results. 2. Determine acceptable evidence. 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.

Key to Backward Design

Think like an assessor!
Design assessments before you design lessons and activities. Be clear about what evidence of learning you seek.

Activity Orientation

Coverage Orientation
September ---------------------------------------- June

UBD 1-page template...

Standard(s): Understandings
s t a g e 1

Design Entry Points

Content standards Familiar topic Existing activities

Essential Questions

enables designers to check alignment: content standards

Assessment Evidence

s t a g e 2

Performance Task(s):

Other Evidence:

LearningActivities
s t a g e 3

big ideas essential questions assessments learning activities

Key resource(s)

Important skill(s)

Key assessment(s)

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Understanding By Design

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3 Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results. 2. Determine acceptable evidence. 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.

Stage 1 Identify desired results.

Consists of 4 components: CS content standards u understandings q essential questions k knowledge and skills

Stage 1 Identify desired results.

u What big ideas do we want students to come to understand? q What essential questions will stimulate inquiry? KS What knowledge and skills need to be acquired given the understandings and related content standards?

Two practical problems with content standards: 1. sheer number 2. the Goldilocks problem

sheer numbers...
160 national and state-level standards

sheer numbers...
would

documents
more than 2000 pages and 14 pounds a synthesis yielded 255 standards and

require an additional 15,465 hours for students to learn them all!

3,968 benchmarks
Marzano & Kendall, 1998

9 more years (K-21)

Marzano & Kendall, 1999

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Understanding By Design

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research on

Learning and Cognition

Some standards are too

BIG!

Research on expertise suggest that a superficial coverage of many topics in the domain may be a poor way to help students develop the competencies that will prepare them for future learning and work.

World Geography (grade 10)

10.11 - The student will analyze the regional development of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in terms of physical, economic, and cultural characteristics and historical evolution from 1000 A.D.to the present.

- Bransford, et. Al., How People Learn, p 30

Some standards are too small!

The literate student ought to know:

Unpack Content Standards

Consider: What big ideas are embedded within the standards?

estivation

faux pas Occams razor Trabasso valence

content standards

Structure of Knowledge

Matters of Fact
Factual Knowledge
[Students] identify the boundaries of U.S. and French territorial claims in the western hemisphere in 1800.
[National History Standards]

principles generalizations key concepts core processes facts and skills

and and

[Student] knows the similarities and differences among various contemporary forms of dance (e.g., jazz, tap).
[Standards for Dance]

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Factual Knowledge
includes... vocabulary/ terminology definitions key factual information critical details important events and people sequence/timeline include...

Skills
basic skills - e.g., decoding, drawing communication skills - e.g., listening, speaking, writing research/inquiry/ investigation skills thinking skills - e.g., comparing, problem solving, decision making study skills - e.g., note taking interpersonal, group skills

Concepts transferable big ideas

examples... adaptation change energy exploration freedom interaction

Principles and Generalizations

examples...
Democratic governments must balance rights of individuals with the common good.
Correlation does not insure causality. Creating space away from the ball u

justice migration patterns power symbol systems

increases scoring opportunities (e.g., in soccer, football, basketball).

Epistemological Understandings
examples...
Conclusions from scientific investigations must be verified through replication. Scientific inquiry deliberately isolates and controls key variables.
History involves interpretation and historians can disagree. Ones interpretation of the past may be influenced by ones experiences, culture, philosophy, and political beliefs.

research on

Learning and Cognition

We turn now to the questions of how experts knowledge is organizedTheir knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas that are relevant to the domain; instead, their knowledge is organized around core concepts or big ideas that guide their thinking about the domain. - Bransford, et. Al.,
How People Learn, p 24

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Understanding By Design

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research on

Learning and Cognition

Establishing Curricular Priorities

worth being familiar with
nice to know

Learning with understanding is more likely to promote transfer than simply memorizing information from a text or a lecture.
- Bransford, et. Al., How People Learn, p 224

important to know & do

foundational concepts & skills

big ideas
worth understanding
enduring understandings

New York MST #3 - select appropriate standard and nonstandard measurement units and tools to measure to a desired degree of accuracy

measurement
Students will understand that:
We can describe and measure

ARTS - recognize how technical, organizational and aesthetic elements contribute to the ideas, emotions and overall impact communicated by works of art (Oregon - CIM)

artistic expression
Students will understand that: Available tools and technologies influence the ways in which artists express their ideas. Great artists often break with established traditions, conventions, and techniques to express what they see and feel.

the same thing in different ways. There are margins of error inherent in every form of measurement. Correlation does not insure causality.

Kentucky Science Academic Expectation 2.1: Students understand scientic ways of thinking and working and use those methods to solve real-life problems.

English 2A.4a - Analyze and evaluate the effective use of literary techniques in literature representing a variety of forms and media. (Illinois)

scientific process

satire
Students will understand that: Authors do not always say exactly

Students will understand that: Scientific knowledge develops and

is confirmed through carefully controlled investigations. The scientific method deliberately isolates and controls key variables.

what they mean (literally). Satire attempts to expose & ridicule public or political immorality and stupidity through irony, sarcasm or exaggeration.

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Topic or theme:

Matters of Understanding
big ideas or core processes at theheart of the discipline enduring - lasting value beyond the classroom transferable to other topics and inquiries require uncoverage

friendship
Students will understand that:
True friendship is often revealed

during challenging times rather than during happy times.

Establishing Curricular Priorities

worth being familiar with
nice to know

topic, goal, content standard

Why? So What? What is the moral of the story? How is ______ applied in the world beyond the classroom? What couldnt we do if we didnt understand ____?
enduring understanding

important to know & do

foundational concepts & skills

big ideas
worth understanding
enduring understandings

Identifying big ideas and essential questions in skill areas

Underlying Concept(s) Purpose, value of the skill

Skill area:

swimming
Students will understand that: The most efficient and effective

Strategies and Tactics

When to use the skill

stroke mechanics involve pulling and pushing the maximum amount of water directly backward. A flat (vs. cupped) palm offers the maximum surface area.

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Understanding By Design

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Misconception Alert:
An understanding

Framing Understandings
State the desired understandings as a

is abstract, may not be obvious, and possibly counter-intuitive. cannot be adequately understood by being stated. Coverage will not yield insight into abstract ideas. is an inference that requires inquiry and construction of meaning by the student if it is to be understood.

full-sentence, specific generalization (the moral of the story).

Dont just specify the topic to be

taught, but the understandings to be acquired.

Sample Essential Questions:

How does art reflect, as well as shape, culture? How are form and function related in biology? In what way do effective writers hook and hold their readers? Who were the winners and who were the Industrial Revolution the losers in ___________________________?

open-ended: no single answer; arguable; require reasoning Essential

doorway: lead to big ideas and core processes

Questions...

generative: spark inquiry and raise other questions

recur: can (and should) be revisited

Students will know:

estivation
Big Idea Understanding: Living organisms have developed

Mathematics Content Standard

predictive statistics
Big Idea Understanding: Statistical analysis and display often

adaptive mechanisms to enable them to survive in harsh environments.

Essential Question: In what ways do living organisms adapt to survive in harsh environments?

reveals patterns in data, enabling us to make predictions with degrees of confidence.

Essential Question:

Can you predict the future? What will happen next? How sure are you?

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English/Lang. Arts Content Standard

world literature
Big Idea Understanding: Great literature from various cultures

Core Commonality Questions Boyers Basic School

Everyone

Big Idea Understanding:

explores enduring themes and reveals recurrent aspects of the human condition.
Essential Question:

holds membership in a variety of groups.

Essential Questions:

How can stories from other places and times be about me?

Which groups did I join at birth? Why do people join groups? What groups do I belong to? Can I leave a group?

STANDARD 11.6a The student will analyze the causes and effects of major events of the Civil War and Reconstruction, including slavery. Virginia Standards of Learning Big Idea Understandings: There is historical disagreement as to the centrality of slavery as a cause of the Civil War. The South seceded after Lincolns election in 1860 because Southerners perceived a threat to the survival of their institutions, including slavery.

3 Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results. 2. Determine acceptable evidence. 3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.

Stage 2 Determine acceptable evidence.

What evidence would show that students have achieved the desired results?

Assessment...
any systematic basis for making inferences about characteristics of people, usually based on various sources of evidence; the global process of synthesizing information about individuals in order to understand and describe them better Brown, 1983

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Think Photo Album versus Snapshot

Sound assessment requires multiple sources of evidence, collected over time.

Recognizing the limits of testing...

Evaluation is a complex, multifaceted process. Different tests provide different information, and no single test can give a complete picture of a students academic development.
from CTB/McGraw-Hill Terra Nova Test Manual

Gather evidence from a Range of Assessments

authentic tasks and projects academic exam questions,

Assessing Student Understanding

prompts, and problems

quizzes and test items informal checks for

understanding student self-assessments

Focus on evidence.
Consider a judicial analogy:

Challenges in Assessing Understanding

difficult to distinguish true understanding

Students should be presumed innocent of understanding until proven guilty by a preponderance of evidence.

from accurate recall knowing is binary - understanding is a matter of degree technical skill does not ensure understanding (e.g., athlete vs. commentator) understandings are student-constructed, thus not easily standardized

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Understanding By Design

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Understanding???

Understanding... the capacity to apply facts, concepts and skills in new situations in appropriate ways.
Howard Gardner

reflection of a veteran high school teacher --

Evidence of Understanding...
requires the student to:

Apply to
novel situation authentic context

Explain
support, justify theorize & defend

Facet #1: Explanation

to understand is to know not only what but why and how
ability to construct and induce theories, and provide explanations

Focus on Justification
The student must not just do, they must explain and support (the dissertation and its defense). understanding revealed through increasingly sophisticated accounts ( novice-expert rubrics)

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Understanding By Design

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example:

Teach a Lesson

example:

Tell a Story
Imagine that you are an elderly tribal member who has witnessed the settlement of the plains by the pioneers. Tell a story to your granddaughters to explain the impact of the settlers on your life.

You have been asked to help a third grader understand the economic concept of supply and demand. Design a plan for a 10 minute lesson. You may wish to use examples (e.g., Beanie Babies or Pokemon cards), visuals, or manipulatives to help them understand.

example:

example:

You Are What You Eat

Since our class has been studying nutrition, the first grade teachers have asked us to help their students learn about healthful eating. Your job is to create a picture book to use in explaining what a balanced diet is. Include pictures to show health problems that result from poor eating habits.

Whats Wrong with Holden?

You are a member of Holden Caufields case-review committee at the hospital from which Holden is telling his story. Your task is to write: 1) a diagnostic report for the hospital, and 2) a letter to Holdens parents explaining whats wrong with him. Base your analysis on Holdens own words.

example:

Whats the Trend?

Facet #3: Application

The capacity to apply facts, concepts and skills in new situations in appropriate ways.
Howard Gardner

Interpret the data on ______ for the past ______ (time period). Prepare a report (oral, written) for ______ (audience) to help them understand: what the data shows what patterns or trends are evident what might happen in the future

Application: the use of abstractions in particular and concrete situations If a student really comprehends something, then he can apply it.

B. Bloom

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Understanding By Design

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Authenticity Matters...
Therefore: Understanding is revealed through contextualized performance. Students apply knowledge in meaningful, real-world contexts to show that they really understand.

inauthentic vs. authentic

(examples) inauthentic
fill

authentic
purposeful scientific

in the blank select an answer from a set of given choices answer the ?s at end of chapter solve contrived problems

writing investigation issues debate primary research interpret literature solve real-world problems

example:

Day Care Center

example:

State Tour

You have been hired by a day care agency to fence in an area to be used for a play area. You have been provided with 60 feet of fencing (in 4 sections) and a 4 gate. How can you put up the fence so the children will have the maximum amount of space in which to play? Submit your plan for the playground area. Include a diagram, your calculations, and a summary of why this is the best design.

The State Department of Tourism has asked your help in planning a four-day tour of (your state) for a group of foreign visitors. Plan the tour to help the visitors understand the states history, geography and its key economic assets. You should prepare a written itinerary, including an explanation of why each site was included on the tour.

example:

Personal Trainer
As a fitness trainer, your task is to design a personalized plan to help a client meet their fitness goal. (Client goals and characteristics are provided.) Your fitness plan should include aerobic, anaerobic and flexibility exercises along with a proposed nutrition regimen.

example:

Making the Grade

Your math teacher will allow you to select the method by which measure of central tendency mean, median or mode your quarterly grade will be calculated. Review your grades for quizzes, tests, and homework to decide which measure of central tendency will be best for your situation. Write a note to your teacher explaining why you selected that method.

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Understanding By Design

UBD Slides

Designing Task Scenarios

G What is the goal in the scenario? R What is your role? A Who is the audience? S What is your situation (context)? What p roducts/performances will P you prepare? S By what standards (criteria) will your work be judged?

Implications for Rubrics

Include 2 traits to distinguish between:

Content Understanding

Product/ Performance Quality

Organize by W. H. E. R. E.
W = Where are we headed? and why? (from the students perspective) H = How will the student be hooked? E = What opportunities will there be to be equipped and explore key ideas? R = How will we provide opportunities to rethink, rehearse, refine and revise? E = How will students evaluate (so as to improve) their own performance?

W from the students perspective

How will you help students know where they have come from: assess prior knowledge and interests; and where they are headed and why: orient them toward purpose of work, key assignments, performance tasks, and the criteria by which work will be judged?

Where example a model bulletin board

4 3 2 1 ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............

H = hook the students

How will you hook and hold the student through engaging and thoughtprovoking experiences (issues, oddities, problems, challenges) that point toward big ideas, essential questions, and performance tasks? How will you honor their different styles, interests, and abilities?

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Understanding By Design

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Hook the student via...

weird facts/ anomalies case studies counterintuitives problems/ challenges issue/ controversy perspective shift(s)

E = experience, explore, and equip

What learning experiences will help students to explore the big ideas and essential questions? What instruction is needed to equip students for their final performance(s)?

Hooks

R = reflect, rethink, revise and refine

How will you cause students to reflect & rethink to dig deeper into the core ideas? How will you guide students in revising and refining their work based on feedback and selfassessment?

R = Rethinking using the Facets

Design work so that students are required to rethink what they thought they knew:

explain-apply-explain interpret-self-assess-interpret explain-shift perspective-explain interpret-empathy-interpret

E = exhibit and evaluate

How will students exhibit their understanding through final performances and products? How will you guide them in selfevaluation to identify the strengths/ weaknesses in their work and set future goals?

Considering Misunderstanding

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Understanding By Design

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Something to think about...

1. Why is it warmer in summer and colder in winter? 2. What causes the phases of the moon?

Work Smarter...
design 1-2 units in teams experience the design process

(develop a mental template) share many gourmet units via a searchable data base

Sound familiar...?

Lack of resources

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