UBD 11

Chapter 11: The Design Process

Introduction

  • Good teaching requires a balance of planning and improvisation.

  • Artful spontaneity in the classroom is often overrated compared to careful planning.

  • Effective lesson design enhances learner understanding, a key principle in Understanding by Design (UbD).

The Nature of the Design Process

  • The teaching design process is nonlinear; designers often revisit elements as they progress.

  • The UbD Template provides a structured reflection of a completed design but is not a rigid step-by-step guide.

  • Creativity is essential at all stages, similar to cooking where experimentation leads to refined recipes.

Entry Points for the Design Process

  1. Begin with Content Standards

    • Identify key nouns and concepts in standards.

    • Infer essential questions that drive learning.

  2. Focus on Real-World Applications

    • Clarify broader goals of learning content and its application to real-life challenges.

    • Develop plans for authentic tasks.

  3. Start with a Key Resource or Activity

    • Use significant texts or activities as anchors for developing the design with related essential questions.

    • Align activities with desired learning outcomes and skills.

  4. Begin with a Key Skill

    • Determine how skills interconnect and which assessments are necessary for mastery.

  5. Assess Existing Units

    • Evaluate alignment between goals, activities, and assessments in current lessons.

    • Rework designs to ensure they reflect high-quality teaching via UbD.

Revising Existing Designs

  • Using backward design helps to create a more coherent educational experience by focusing on goals first and identifying essential understandings.

  • Examples:

    • Social Studies Unit: Originally lacks clear goals; after revisions, it aligns activities to standards and introduces critical perspectives.

    • Geometry Unit: Transition from a textbook-centric approach to one that incorporates real-world applications and performance tasks.

Essential Questions in Unit Design

  • Essential questions promote deeper understanding and reasoning in various subjects.

  • Assessing units against outcomes ensures that learning is more than a mere collection of facts.

Dilemmas in Design Process

  • Balancing various elements poses inherent challenges in unit design:

    • Big ideas vs. specific knowledge.

    • Performance tasks vs. traditional assessments.

    • Teacher control vs. student agency.

    • Depth vs. breadth of knowledge.

    • Comfort vs. challenge in learning tasks.

  • Each design involves negotiating these dilemmas for effective student learning.

Feedback and Adjustment

  • Continuous solicitation of feedback from students and peers is vital to improve the design process.

  • Regular feedback helps in observing what works and what doesn’t, allowing for earlier and more effective adjustments.

  • Keeping clear goals allows for better responsiveness during lessons, enhancing both structure and spontaneity.

Conclusion

  • Successful design rests on careful planning and dynamic adjustments based on feedback and real-time classroom observations.

  • Reflect on the process continuously, acknowledging inherent challenges while striving for high-quality learning outcomes.