Understanding by design (UBD)
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
― Albert Einstein
Wiggins and McTighe (2005) argue that "the greatest defect in teacher lesson plans...is that the key intellectual priorities - deep understandings of transferable big ideas, and competence at core performance tasks - are falling through the cracks of lessons, units, and courses devoted to developing thousands of discrete elements of knowledge and skill, unprioritized and unconnected" (p. 58). The UbD Template places emphasis on the goals and reestablishes the need for learning to be both meaningful and memorable in order for authentic connections to be made. Below is my UbD plan for 5th-grade students to develop reading and writing skills in a significant learning environment.
BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
Learners will develop an ePortfolio as a learning tool to reflect, develop their voice, showcase their growth through time, and share their authentic reading and writing coursework.
Creating a significant learning environment (CSLE) requires providing authentic learning opportunities where the students are the center, and they have choice, ownership, and voice (COVA). It is also necessary to prepare them with a growth mindset and encourage inquiry, collaboration, communication, digital learning, and creativity. Since my Innovation Plan aims to engage ePortfolio adopters in their learning, I intended to include all these elements in the instructional course for the 5th-grade students in the Language Arts class.
Following Fink's outline from the PDF A Self Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning, I created a 3-Column Table to plan an instructional course for creating and managing ePortfolios as a learning tool. I also used Wiggins' and McTighe's backward design template from his book Understanding by Design (UBD) to detail parts of my lesson. I found out that both designs are student-centered and align outcomes, activities, and assessments. They also start with the end in mind or backward design.
In my opinion, the two designs complement each other. While the 3-Column table considers background information, such as the learning environment, situational factors, and questions for formulating significant learning goals, the UBD template allowed us to dig deeper into the outcomes to create a specific plan. The 3-column table seems better suited for course development with a holistic view, whereas the UbD template seems better suited for unit development.
Being able to use both designs grants us to plan better. Starting with the 3-column table allowed us to consider situational factors (foundational, application, integration, Human dimension/Caring, and Learning How to Learn) and develop a BHAG (Big hairy audacious goal) that outlines the outcomes, assessments, and activities that will be used. Conversely, by creating the UBD template, we can plan in depth. Using them together led me to create a significant learning environment for my ePorfolio adopters.
Fink's 3-Column Table vs. UBD Template
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Student-centered
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Teacher facilitates learning
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Connecting the dots rather than collecting them
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Backward design
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Aligning Outcomes, Assessment, and Activities
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Stars with BHAG
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It focuses on six different aspects: Foundational, Application, Integration, Human Dimension/Caring, and Learning How to Learn.
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Considers background information, such as the learning environment, situational factors, and questions for formulating significant learning goals.
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For course development with a holistic view.
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It allowed us to dig deeper into the outcomes to create a specific plan.
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It is better suited for unit development.
3-Column Table
UBD Template
Both
REFERENCES
Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (expanded second ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.