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CAST.Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, Version 2.0. Center for Applied Special Technology, 2018, www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines. Emory, J. “Understanding Backward Design to Strengthen Curricular Models.” Nurse Educator, vol. 39, no. 3, May-June 2014, pp. 122–125. Kelting-Gibson, Lynn M. “Comparison of Curriculum Development Practices.” Educational Research Quarterly, vol. 29, 2005, pp. 26–36. Reynolds, Heather L., and Katherine Dowell Kearns. “A Planning Tool for Incorporating Backward Design, Active Learning, and Authentic Assessment in the College Classroom.” College Teaching, vol. 65, 2017, pp. 17–27. Richards, Jack C. “Curriculum Approaches in Language Teaching: Forward, Central, and Backward Design.” Regional Language Center Journal, vol. 44, no. 1, April 2013, pp. 5–33. Tyler, Ralph W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press, 1949. Wiggins, G., and J. McTighe. Understanding by Design. Merrill Prentice Hall, 1998. Backward design is the process to design a lesson, unit, or course by first determining what the final outcomes are and then planning assessment strategies and finally determining methods of instruction and assignments. It allows instructors to plan lessons and courses with a focus on student learning. International students’ specific circumstances require that instructors consider certain strategies to support learning. Some of these circumstances include English being their second language, unfamiliarity with the U.S. academic system, diverse learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds. By adopting backward design, instructors are afforded the opportunity to incorporate the specific learning needs of their students in their planning process. The concept of backward design is not new; however, Wiggins and McTighe (2005) developed a well-structured and detailed approach to using it in designing lessons, units, and courses. Wiggins and McTighe (2005, p. 18) structured backward design in three sequential stages: (1) Identify desired results, (2) determine acceptable evidence, and (3) plan learning experiences and instruction. Stage 1 – Identify the desired resultsWhat do you expect students to know or be able to do at the end of the class, unit, or course? The first stage of backward design is to write learning outcomes. Bloom’s (revised) Taxonomy (Anderson, Krathwohl, and Bloom, 2001) is very helpful in writing learning outcomes. Stage 2 – Determining acceptable evidenceHow will the students demonstrate they met the learning outcome? Before thinking about the lessons and instruction, Wiggins and McTighe (2005) encourage instructors to determine how they will assess student learning. Assessing a multicultural group of students require attention to the specific characteristics of the diverse students. Some topics to consider are:
See Assessing International Student Learning for more information. Stage 3 – Plan learning experiences and instructionHow will students gain the knowledge and develop the skills necessary to meet the learning outcome? Now it is time to plan the lessons, determine reading assignments, method of instruction, and other classroom activities to support student learning. With students’ needs in mind, instructors can choose the most appropriate methods to help their classes meet the learning outcomes. For more information or to request a workshop on Backward Design, email . Reference Anderson, L., Krathwohl, D., & Bloom, B. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing : a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives (Complete ed.). New York: Longman. Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Backward design is a method of designing an educational curriculum by setting goals before choosing instructional methods and forms of assessment. Backward design of curriculum typically involves three stages:[1][2][3]
Backward design challenges "traditional" methods of curriculum planning. In traditional curriculum planning, a list of content that will be taught is created and/or selected.[4] In backward design, the educator starts with goals, creates or plans out assessments and finally makes lesson plans. Supporters of backward design liken the process to using a "road map".[5] In this case, the destination is chosen first and then the road map is used to plan the trip to the desired destination. In contrast, in traditional curriculum planning there is no formal destination identified before the journey begins. The idea in backward design is to teach toward the "end point" or learning goals, which typically ensures that content taught remains focused and organized. This, in turn, aims at promoting better understanding of the content or processes to be learned for students. The educator is able to focus on addressing what the students need to learn, what data can be collected to show that the students have learned the desired outcomes (or learning standards) and how to ensure the students will learn. Although backward design is based on the same components of the ADDIE model, backward design is a condensed version of these components with far less flexibility. Curriculum design, and instructional design[edit]Backward design is often used in conjunction with two other terms: curriculum design and instructional design. Curriculum design is the act of designing or developing curricula for students. Curricula may differ from country to country and further still between provinces or states within a country. A curriculum is based on benchmark standards deemed important by the government. Typically, the time frame of attainment of these outcomes or standards is set by physical age.[6] Instructional design is the design of learning experiences and instructions for the acquisition of knowledge and skill by students.[7] In addition, instructional design models or theories may be thought of as frameworks for developing courses, modules and lessons that increase and enhance learning and encourage engagement .[8] There are numerous instructional design models available to instructors that hold significant importance when planning and implementing curriculum. Many of the models are quite similar in that they essentially all address the same four components in some form or another: the learners; the learning objectives; the method of instruction; and some form of assessment or evaluation. Based around those components, the instructor then has the opportunity to choose the design model and stages that work best for them in their specific situation. This way they can achieve the appropriate learning outcomes or create a plan or strategy for improvement. As learners and instructors may vary, instructional design must be a good fit for both and therefore different models can have behavioral, cognitive or constructivist roots. History[edit]Ralph W. Tyler introduced the idea of "backward design" (without using this particular term) in 1949 when referring to a statement of objectives. A statement of objectives is used to indicate the kinds of changes in the student to be brought about so that instructional activities can be planned and developed in a way likely to attain these objectives.[9] The term "backward design" was introduced to curriculum design in 1998/99 by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins (Understanding by Design). The somewhat idiosyncratic term is ultimately due to James S. Coleman, who in his Foundations of Social Theory (1990) used it to parallel the term "backward policing" which he coined for a policy which he found in the production process in Honda factories. Advantages[edit]According to Doug Buehl (2000),[10] advantages of backward design include:
The importance of assessment[edit]The primary starting point for backward design is to become familiar with the standards/outcomes for the grade level and curriculum being taught. The second part of curriculum planning with backward design is finding appropriate assessments. It can be difficult for "traditional" educators to switch to this model because it is hard to conceptualize an assessment before deciding on lessons and instruction. The idea is that the assessments (formative or summative) should meet the initial goals identified. Wiggins and McTighe (2008) also utilize the "WHERE" approach during the assessment stage of the process.[11]
Other models of instructional design[edit]ADDIE model of design[edit]Most models of instructional design follow the core elements found in the ADDIE model of design: analyze (designer develops an understanding of the desired outcomes and the learner's knowledge and skills); design (documents learning outcomes, assessment tools, exercise and content); develop (creating the learning materials); implement (the created learning materials are distributed to the learners); and evaluate (the effectiveness of the learning materials is assessed and documented).[12] Many instructional designers and training developers use the ADDIE model as a generic process for creating other models. This model is purposely not designed to be followed in a linear step-by-step fashion, but rather is circular so that it is possible to re-trace steps once data have been collected and analyzed.[13] Dick and Carey model (also known as the systems approach model)[edit]The Dick and Carey model is made up of nine different stages which are meant to be executed in parallel, rather than linear, fashion, but this model still follows the same basic instructional design pattern of the ADDIE model, as does backward design. The Dick and Carey model focuses on the interrelationship between context, content, learning and instruction, and addresses instruction as an entire system.[14] In this model, all of the components of this model work together to enable learners to meet the desired learning outcomes. The model includes the following components:
Both the Dick and Carey model and the backward design model are goal and objective oriented; assessment is created based on learning objectives and goals, and instruction is created based on evaluation and assessment. The Dick and Carey model, however, is a more systemic model in that making changes to components affects other components and, therefore, the changes occur in parallel. In the more linear backward design model, the steps are non-flexible which means that skipping or changing steps is not an option. Kemp instructional design model (also known as the Morrison, Ross and Kemp model)[edit]The Kemp instructional design model is a holistic form of instructional design, taking into account all factors of the learning environment.[15] It is very systemic and also follows the same basic design pattern of the ADDIE model. The Kemp model is much more focused on the individual learner needs and goals by following nine components:
The largest difference between backward design and the Kemp model is that the Kemp model is meant to be used on a smaller scale. This allows for easier adaptations to be made for individual lessons and individual learners. It also places more emphasis on support and service for learners and instruction.[16] Supporting research using backward design[edit]
Application[edit]Here is a practical example of a 5th grade teacher developing a three-week unit on nutrition:[21] Stage 1: Identify desired results Based on three curriculum expectations about nutrition (concepts about nutrition, elements of a balanced diet, and understanding eating patterns), the take-away message that the teacher wants his/her students to understand is "Students will use an understanding of the element of good nutrition to plan a balanced diet for themselves and others". Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence The teacher has created an authentic task in which students will design a 3-day meal plan for a camp that uses food pyramid guidelines. The goal is a tasty and nutritionally balanced menu. Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction The teacher first considers the knowledge and skills that students will need in order to complete the authentic assessment. Specifically, students will need to know about different food groups, human nutritional needs (carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, vitamins, minerals etc.), and about what foods provide these needs. They will need to know how to read nutrition labels. Resources will be a pamphlet from the UDSA on food groups, the health textbook, and a video "Nutrition for You". Teaching methods will include direct instruction, inductive methods, cooperative learning, and group activities. Criticisms[edit]Although this approach is widely accepted, the following are criticisms of the backward design approach:[22]
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What are the stages of backwards design?Wiggins and McTighe (2005, p. 18) structured backward design in three sequential stages: (1) Identify desired results, (2) determine acceptable evidence, and (3) plan learning experiences and instruction.
When planning for assessment How does using the backward design approach work?The Backward Design Method is “backward” in that it starts with the end by first identifying the desired outcomes, goals or learning objectives (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998) for a course. The course developers then create appropriate assessments based on the desired learning outcomes.
What is the backward design approach?Backward design begins with the objectives of a unit or course—what students are expected to learn and be able to do—and then proceeds “backward” to create lessons that achieve those desired goals.
What is backward planning?A New Approach
It's called backward planning, backward goal-setting, or backward design, and it's used quite often in education and training. The idea is to start with your ultimate objective, your end goal, and then work backward from there to develop your plan.
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