Colegio Colombo BritánicoPrimary Years Programme

Claudia Fayad, PYP Coordinator

Understanding by Design

An approach to curriculum designed to engage students

in inquiry and uncovering ideas

What is the enduring idea? What will they remember about the topic in five years?

"Understanding by Design" Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe

(1998)

Conceptual framework for instructional designersBackwards DesignThe Six Facets of Understanding

Backwards Design

Backwards Design

Begin with identifying the desired results Then "work backwards" to develop instruction

• Traditional approach: define topics to be covered

Stages of Backwards Design

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE

EVIDENCE

PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES/INSTRUCT

ION

12

3

Backwards Design: 3 Stages

Identify desired results (3) (learning outcomes) Determine acceptable evidence (2) (means to assess if learners have learnt)Plan learning experiences/instruction (1)

Identify desired results (learning outcomes)

What should students know, understand, and be able to do? What is worthy of understanding? What enduring understandings are desired?

K.U.D.TO KNOW (Know-what, Declarative knowledge, Content)

TO UNDERSTAND

TO DO (Know-how, Procedural knowledge, Skills)

P.Y.P.Lines of Inquiry: (Knowledge)

ConceptsCentral IdeaEnduring Understandings

Transdisciplinary SkillsAttitudes

KUD

TO KNOW

TO UNDERSTAND

TO DO

PYP Planner

Stage 2

StageS 1 & 2

Stage 3 *

* “Extended POI”

Determine Acceptable Evidence (means to assess if learners have learnt)

How will we know if students have achieved the desired results and met the standards?What will we accept as evidence of student understanding and proficiency?

Plan learning experiences and instruction

Definition of knowledge (know-that), skills and procedures (know-how) students ought to master [Stages 1, 2 & 3]Definition of materials [Stage 5]Definition of learning /teaching activities (scenarios) [Stage 4]

Wiggins and McTighe insist on enduring understandings

that go beyond simple facts and skills to include larger concepts,

principles or processes

Stage 1. Identify Desired Results

Like “defining goals and objectives”BUT: Consider not only the course goals and objectives, but the learning that should endure over the long termThis is referred to as the ENDURING UNDERSTANDING

Establishing Curricular Priorities

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING

Important to know & do

Worth being familiar with

The enduring understanding is not just “material worth covering"

It has enduring value beyond the classroom It is at the heart of the discipline It requires un-coverage of abstract or often misunderstood ideasIt offers potential for engaging students

Questions, questions!

Backwards Design uses a question format rather than measurable objectivesBy answering key questions, students deepen their learning about content and experience an enduring understandingThe instructor sets the evidence that will be used to determine that the students have understood the content

Where in the PYP planner do we do this?

Stage 2:

TEACHERS QUESTIONS/PROVOCATIONS

Questions focus on:

What questions point toward the big ideas and understandings?What arguable questions deepen inquiry and discussion?What questions provide a broader intellectual focus, hence purpose, to the work?

Example:

Overall question: "How does an organism's structure enable it to survive in its environment?" Specific topic question: "How do the structures of amphibians and reptiles support their survival?”

Asking inquiry-based questions facilitates the

students “ uncovering" the answer

Practically speaking, this means turning content

standards and outcome statements into question

form!

Stage 2: Determine what constitutes acceptable evidence of competency

in the outcomes and results

Define what forms of assessment will demonstrate that the student acquired the knowledge, understanding, and skill

to answer the questions

Performance TaskCriterion-referenced AssessmentUnprompted Assessment & Self-Assessment

Wiggins and McTighe’s types of assessment:

Performance TaskIt’s at the heart of the learningA real-world challenge in the thoughtful and effective use of knowledge and skillIt is an authentic test of understanding, in contextFor PYP: Performance assessments

Process-focused assessmentsOpen-ended tasks

Criterion-referenced Assessment Quizzes, tests, promptsThese provide instructor and student with feedback on how well the facts and concepts are being understoodFor PYP: Selected responses

Unprompted Assessment & Self-Assessment

Observations, dialogues, etc.

THINKING AS AN ASSESOR

What would be revealing & sufficient evidence of understanding?What performance tasks must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work?How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand and thoise who don’t (but seem to)?Against what criteria will I distinguish work?What misunderstandings are likely? How will I check for those?

THINKING AS AN ACTIVITY DESIGNER

What would be interesting and engaging activities on this topic?What resources and materials are available on this topic?

What will students be doing in and out of class? What assignments will be given?

How will give students a grade (and justify it to their parents)?Will the activities work? Why or why not?

Practically speaking, this means designing

assessment (and asignments) that

evoke possible answers!

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Determine what sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and demonstrate

the desired understanding

Implications for TeachingAcquisition Development Understandingof Knowledge of Skills of Ideas &

Values

DIDACTIC COACHING, SOCRATICINSTRUCTION EXERCISES & QUESTIONING

SUPERVISED & ACTIVEPRACTICE PARTICIPATION

Six Facets of Understanding

Six Facets of Understanding

APPLYINTERPRET

EXPLAIN

HAVE SELF-KNOWLEDGE

EMPATHIZE

HAVE PERSPECTIVE

EXPLAIN

provide thorough and justifiable accounts of phenomena, facts, and data

INTERPRETtell meaningful storiesoffer apt translationsprovide a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas and eventsmake subjects personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models

APPLYuse and adapt knowledge in diverse contexts

HAVE PERSPECTIVEsee and hear points of view through critical eyes and earssee the big picture

EMPATHIZEfind value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausibleperceive sensitively on the basis of prior indirect experience

HAVE SELF-KNOWLEDGEperceive the personal style, prejudices, projections, and habits of mind that both shape and impede our own understandingbe are aware of what one does not understand and why understanding is so hard

Criteria for the Six Facets of Understanding

Explanation ACCURATEInterpretation MEANINGFULApplication EFFECTIVEPerspective CREDIBLEEmpathy SENSITIVESelf-knowledge SELF-AWARE

The Design Approach

The Big Picture

S T A G E 1DESIGN QUESTION

DESIGN CONSIDERATION

DESIGN CRITERIA

DESIGN ACCOMPLISHMENT

What is worthy & requiring of understanding?National & international standards - Teacher expertiseEnduring ideas – Opportunities for authentic, discipline-based work – Uncoverage – EngagingUnit framed around enduring understandings and essential questions

S T A G E 2DESIGN QUESTION

DESIGN CONSIDERATION

DESIGN CRITERIA

DESIGN ACCOMPLISHMENT

What is evidence of understanding?Six facets of understanding – Continuum of assessment typesValid – Reliable – Sufficient – Authentic work – Feasible – Student-friendly Unit anchored in credible and educationally vital evidence of the desired understandings

S T A G E 3DESIGN QUESTION

DESIGN CONSIDERATION

DESIGN CRITERIA

DESIGN ACCOMPLISHMENT

What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence?Research-based repertoire of learning & teaching strategies – Essential & enabling knowledge & skillsHook the students – Explore & equip – Rethink & revise – Exhibit & evaluateCoherent learning experiences & teaching that will evoke & develop desired understandings, promote interest, & make excellent performance more likely

Desing helps us to understand:What is worthy of understanding in a unitWhat counts as evidence that students really understand and can use what we are teaching themWhat knowledge and skills we must teach to enable them to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways

Thank you!