Exploring What is Understanding by Design: A Comprehensive Guide
If you are an educator or instructional designer and seeking to create effective learning experiences, you may have heard about Understanding by Design (UbD). Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in the 1990s, UbD is a framework for designing curriculum and assessments that focus on student understanding. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what Understanding by Design is, how it works, and what benefits it brings to education.
What is Understanding by Design?
Understanding by Design is an approach to curriculum and instruction that prioritizes the development of student understanding over the mere acquisition of knowledge. The UbD framework consists of three stages: 1) identifying the desired results, 2) determining acceptable evidence, and 3) planning learning experiences and instruction.
The first stage begins with educators defining what they want students to know, understand, and be able to do. This involves creating learning objectives, or ” Big Ideas” – the essential concept or theme that students should understand by the end of the learning experience. Then, educators identify supporting knowledge or skills that will help students achieve these Big Ideas.
The second stage involves determining the types of assessments that will be used to evaluate student understanding. Educators design assessments that measure students’ understanding of the Big Ideas and supporting knowledge/skills. Assessments should require students to apply critical thinking, problem-solving, and other higher-order thinking skills.
The final stage focuses on planning learning experiences and instruction. Educators design learning experiences that are aligned with the Big Ideas and support knowledge/skills. These experiences are intended to help students build their understanding of the content and prepare them for assessments.
The Benefits of Understanding by Design
Understanding by Design brings many benefits to education. Here are some of the most significant benefits:
1. Focus on Student Understanding: The primary advantage of Understanding by Design is that it focuses on developing student understanding, not just knowledge acquisition. It helps educators design instruction and assessments that promote deeper understanding and the application of knowledge in real-world contexts.
2. Alignment and Coherence: Understanding by Design promotes alignment and coherence across a curriculum. By starting with the essential Big Ideas and working backward, educators ensure that all learning experiences and assessments are aligned with the core concepts and skills that students need to know.
3. Higher Order Thinking: UbD assessments require students to think critically, solve problems, create, and apply knowledge. This approach promotes higher-order thinking skills.
4. Flexibility: Understanding by Design is flexible enough to accommodate different instructional models, teaching styles, and content areas. Educators can tailor the framework to meet the needs of their students, subject matter, and learning objectives.
Examples of Understanding by Design in Action
Let us look at a few examples of how Understanding by Design is applied in education:
Example 1: Science Instruction
In a science class, the teacher wants students to understand the concept of photosynthesis. They identify the Big Idea as “Plants convert energy from the sun into chemical energy, which they use to grow.” Supporting knowledge includes an understanding of photosynthesis, the transfer of energy, and the processes involved. The teacher designs a range of learning experiences, including experiments, lab reports, and demonstrations building up to a final performance task, which requires students to explain photosynthesis using models, diagrams, and real-world examples.
Example 2: Social Studies Instruction
In a social studies class, the teacher wants students to understand the concept of democracy. They identify the Big Idea as “Democracy is a form of government in which citizens have a say in how their country is run.” Supporting knowledge includes an understanding of democratic principles, the history of democracy, and democratic institutions. The teacher designs learning experiences like debates, mock elections, and simulations culminating in a final task where students develop a plan for participatory democracy in their communities.
Conclusion
Understanding by Design is a powerful framework for designing curriculum and assessments that promote student understanding. It is flexible, adaptable, and emphasizes the core content and concepts that students need to know. By focusing on essential Big Ideas and designing assessments that promote higher-order thinking, Understanding by Design can help students develop deeper understanding and prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century.
(Note: Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)
Speech tips:
Please note that any statements involving politics will not be approved.