(UbD)

by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins

Presented by: Joy De Roxas

BSE 2M
• Understand by Design (UbD) is an education
planning approach. It is a framework and design
that focuses on unit planning. Past practice had
teachers determining what they would teach and
then trying to make connections to the goals.

• It is an example of Backward Design.

Traditional Method of vs. UbD / Backward Design
Curriculum Planning
Choose Textbook Formulate broad learning goals
↓ ↓
Write Syllabus Set specific learning objectives
↓ ↓
Write/Revise lectures Design assessments
↓ ↓
Prepare Powerpoints Develop learning activities
↓
Write exams/problem sets
Three Stages of “Backward” Design

1. Identify Desired Results

2. Determine Acceptable Evidence

3. Plan Learning Experience and Instruction

 STAGE 1 - Identify Desired Results

What is it that I want the students to

understand, know, and be able to do?

What is the bigger purpose?

 STAGE 1 - Identify Desired Results

What is it that I want the students to

understand, know and be able to do?

What is the bigger purpose?

Answer: BIG IDEAS

 STAGE 1 - Identify Desired Results
What are BIG IDEAS?

• Core idea
• Enduring: has lasting, universal value
• Transferable to other topics/displines
• NOT: facts, definitions, statements...
STAGE 2 - Determine Acceptable Evidence

How will I know that they know what I

want them to know?

What should we be assessing?

 STAGE 2 - Determine Acceptable Evidence
• Before we plan the activities and lessons, we must plan
the assessment.
• Assessments are too often created without carefully
considering the evidence needed or only as a means for
generating grades.
• Instead, consider this: How do we know that the
learner...
ü met the goal through performance?
ü got the understanding?
ü deeply considered the essential questions?
 The Six Facets of Understanding

When we truly understand, we...

• Can Explain
• Can Interpret
• Can Apply
• Have Perspective
• Can Emphatize
• Have Self-Knowledge
STAGE 3 - Plan Learning Experience and Instruction

What learning activities and content

will lead to desired results?
W Ensure the students know WHERE the unit is headed and WHY.
H HOOK students in the beginning. HOLD their attention throughout.
E EQUIP students with necessary experiences, tools, knowledge, and know how to meet performance goals.
R REVISE their work.
Provide students with numerous opportunities to RETHINK their big ideas, REFLECT on progress, and

E Build in opportunities for students to EVALUATE progress and self-assess.

T Be TAILORED to reflect individual talents, interests, styles, and needs.
O Be ORGANIZED to optimize deep understanding, not superficial coverage.
Key Points to remember…
• Clarify results and evidence of them before designing
lessons.

• UbD is a way of thinking more carefully about design; it is

not a program.

• Thinking like an assessor (not only an activity designer) is

key effective design

• Too many students learn without thinking.

Ø Instruction has become an activity in repeating the teacher.
• The COURSE is NOT…

The Textbook: that’s a resource

The activities: these are steps
The content: this is to be mastered
l There is a Big difference between just knowing and really
understanding:

I want students to understand... I want students to understand

that…

The Philippine Constitution The Philippine Constitution was a

solution based on compromise to
real and pressing problems and
disagreements in government.