What is Ubd?
Understanding By Design is not a new fad or phenomenon sweeping the education world. In fact, it has been around for sixteen years. Many independent schools and school districts across the nation regularly utilize this tool when developing curriculum. Its creators, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, believe teachers are the ultimate "designers" of their students' understandings. Therefore, they should design their curriculum with the "end in mind."
Ubd's approach to designing curriculum consists of three basic stages of planning.
Stage 1--Desired Learning Outcome
Stage 2--Assessment Evidence
Stage 3--Learning Plan
Before the teacher begins to plan their first lesson, he or she will consider what learning outcomes they hope students will understand by the end of the unit. These specific educational goals include essential questions, enduring understandings, skills, and topical content. Next, the teacher creates formative and summative assessments that will demonstrate their students' understandings. Topical content knowledge and skills are also assessed, but the essential questions and endearing understandings are given extra importance. Wiggins and McTighe encourage teachers to assess students' deeper understandings through "performance tasks," such as projects or other experiential learning activities. Finally, the teacher scaffolds each lesson in a way that fully supports and leads to the learning outcomes of the unit plan. As you can see, the teacher is planning the unit backwards. This is UBd in a nutshell.
Ubd's approach to designing curriculum consists of three basic stages of planning.
Stage 1--Desired Learning Outcome
Stage 2--Assessment Evidence
Stage 3--Learning Plan
Before the teacher begins to plan their first lesson, he or she will consider what learning outcomes they hope students will understand by the end of the unit. These specific educational goals include essential questions, enduring understandings, skills, and topical content. Next, the teacher creates formative and summative assessments that will demonstrate their students' understandings. Topical content knowledge and skills are also assessed, but the essential questions and endearing understandings are given extra importance. Wiggins and McTighe encourage teachers to assess students' deeper understandings through "performance tasks," such as projects or other experiential learning activities. Finally, the teacher scaffolds each lesson in a way that fully supports and leads to the learning outcomes of the unit plan. As you can see, the teacher is planning the unit backwards. This is UBd in a nutshell.
Why use Ubd?
Teaching with the end in mind helps teachers prioritize what to teach. You can't teach everything, so what is essential? What will endure over time? Ubd allows teachers to stay focused and on track in their unit plan. Every lesson is built to scaffold the students' ultimate understanding.
What are the challenges of using Ubd?
It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and front loading to create a solid unit plan using Ubd. For many teachers, it can feel a little overwhelming, especially when time is the most limited of resources teachers have. However, if teachers do invest more time in creating their unit plans using this tool, they will potentially have a smoother teaching experience, and the students will greatly benefit.
Can Ubd be applied to a year-long plan?
Absolutely. Using essential questions and enduring understandings is a great way to frame the year-long curriculum. The culminating activity/project/portfolio should then demonstrate the students' understandings. All of the previous units should naturally progress to the final year end culminating activity.