PLANNING BACKWARDS, MOVING FORWARD: BACKWARD DESIGN IN THE IMMERSION CLASSROOM

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Maria Teresa de la Torre Aranda

Goal:Provide participants with an overall

understanding of the three stages of backward design by exploring how setting

clear goals and assessment criteria yields evidence of learning.

Expectation:Participants will take away one or two tools that they will be able to apply when planning their next lesson/workshop.

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BACKWARD DESIGN IN THE IMMERSION CLASSROOM

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The trip metaphor:

Length

Destination


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Kind of trip Options (fun / academic studies / business…) Transportation Accommodation Documents (visa? passport? ID...) With company or alone? Package tour? People Expenses / Budget Currency (local or foreign?) Weather conditions (Surprises? The unexpected...) …………


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How was the trip?

(assessment refers back to planning and expectations)


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The two sins of traditional design

The error of activity-oriented design: hands-on without being minds-on

Coverage: “If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium...”

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Key Design Questions:

To what ends is the teaching directed?

What are the big ideas and important skills to be developed during the unit?

Do the students understand what the learning targets are?

To what extent does the evidence of learning from the unit reflect worthwhile content standards?

What understandings will emerge from all this and endure?

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The three stages of backward design:1. Identify desired results

2. Determine acceptable evidence

3. Plan learning experiences and instruction


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BACKWARD DESIGN IN THE

IMMERSION CLASSROOM

Expected outcomes (sample A):

Understanding the definition of invertebrates Studying the general aspects of the six groups of invertebrates Studying the simplest animals, the sponges, and understanding how their specialized cells and reproduction work

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IMMERSION CLASSROOM

Assessment (sample A)

Assessment will be performed through discussions in class and also the exposition of the students’ ideas and

concepts. A list of exercises will also be used to assess the

students’ mastering of the content.

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IMMERSION CLASSROOM

Expected learning outcomes (sample B)

Students should be able to describe the structures and functions of the respiratory system.

Students will analyze and identify the different types of muscles and their distinct functional characteristics. They will investigate the respiration process as a whole and also the specificities related to it.

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IMMERSION CLASSROOM

Assessment

Students will build a lung/diaphragm model and will describe the functionality of the respiratory system through it.

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IMMERSION CLASSROOM

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“Understanding is revealed in performance, as transferability of core ideas, knowledge, and skill, on challenging tasks in a variety of contexts. Thus, assessment for understanding must be grounded in authentic performance-based tasks.” (Mc Tighe and Wiggins,p.153)

“...a type of divergent thinking [in which] it is unlikely that the right solution to a problem can be set in advance” (Bloom, Madaus, & Hastings, 1981)

Thinking like an Assessor

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What are the different types of evidence required by Stage 1 expected outcomes?

Against what criteria will I assess my students’ work and levels of quality?

Do these assessment tools distinguish those who really understood from those who only seemed to?

Does the evidence enable me to infer the students’ knowledge and skill?

Do I know the source of my students’ mistakes?

Thinking like an AssessorWhat do the students know?

What are they able to do?

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How do you know that you know?

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A student who really understands...

Can explain

Can interpret

Can apply

Sees in perspective

Demonstrates empathy

Reveals self-knowledge

Using the Six Facets to Build Assessments for Understanding

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Using the Six Facets to Build Assessments for Understanding

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Topic: Grade 9 students are working on a Visual Arts unit about “A Semana de 22”, the Brazilian Modern Art movement that

took place in São Paulo in 1922.

What performance tasks can youthink of for each one of the six facets on the previous slide?


“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to

know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you

take are always in the right direction.”

Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989, p. 98

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Reference

Understanding by Design. Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Pearson Merrill

Education/ASDC. 2006

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Thank you!

[email protected]

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