Understanding By Design, or UBD, is a framework and accompanying backwards design approach for thinking decisively about unit lesson planning for student learning. The concept was developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, and as part of their principles they state that it “…is not a philosophy of education”. It is not designed to tell teachers what or how to teach; it is a system to help them with their curriculum planning, and to help them teach more effectively. In fact, its flexibility is one reason it has gained so much acclaim. The ultimate goal is to think backward, focusing on the big picture of learning goals: at the end of a unit what is the important question your students should be able to answer?
The design process is organized into three stages:
As an educator, you can begin stage one by asking a few key questions. I like to simplify this and think of it as what you want your students to understand. What relevant learning goals (such as Common Core State Standards and objectives) will this address when looking at student achievement?
Your questions are the base of your UBD unit, so it is important that you know what they are. To keep it simple, the questions are open-ended, thought-provoking, and engaging. These are often characterized by a call for higher-order critical thinking skills, which points towards transferable ideas. They are not simple questions; they need support and justification, and often require that the student ask other questions before getting an answer. Most importantly, an essential question recurs over time. Without a strong question, you cannot move forward in your teaching design and implementation. To assist you, see the examples below.
| Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results/Outcome | |
| Goals:
|
|
| Understandings:
|
Essential Questions:
|
| Students will know ... |
|
| Students will be able to...
|
|
| Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results/Outcome | |
| Goals:
Students’ goal is to: read, write, and determine what makes a well-developed essay; with an introduction, a conclusion, and body paragraphs that use transitioning words, and proper spelling and grammar. |
|
Understandings:
|
Essential Questions:
|
Students will Know ...
|
|
Students will be able to...
|
|
For the second stage, you need to think of how you see Stage One taking place. Simplified again: what your students will DO to understand the concept, and how they will do it. Examples could be tasks where students demonstrate their understanding, or evidence like tests and quizzes, homework, prompts, and reflections.
| Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence | |
| Performance Tasks:
|
Other Evidence:
|
| Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence | |
Performance Tasks:
|
Other Evidence:
|
For the third stage, think about what specific lesson plans and assessments will you need to measure the progress of the process? How will your lessons get students to understand the desired results from stage 1? What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the goals you set in the previous stages?
WHERETO is an acronym to help execute Stage 3 and is explained below. (Another acronym to help with the process of writing Stage 3 is GRASPS) When considering your unit you must recognize what is expected of your students throughout the process. This table includes how will they be evaluated, judged, and graded:
| W | WHERE is the unit going and WHAT is expected? |
|---|---|
| H | HOOK all students, and HOLD their interest? |
| E | EQUIP students, help them EXPERIENCE the key ideas and EXPLORE the issue. |
| R | Provide opportunities to RETHINK and REVISE their understandings and work. |
| E | Allow students to EVALUATE their work and its implications. |
| T | TAILOR the unit to the different needs, interests, and abilities of learners. |
| O | ORGANIZE to maximize engagement, as well as effective learning. |
| Stage 3 - Learning Plan | |
|---|---|
| Learning Activities and Planned Lesson Instruction:
|
| Stage 3 - Learning Plan | |
|---|---|
| Learning Activities and Planned Lesson Instruction: | |
Each of the Following Lessons Contains
| |
Lessons |
|
Buy Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe on Amazon
It is an educational framework for designing curriculum that focuses on planning learning experiences with a strong emphasis on student understanding. It consists of three stages: identifying desired learning outcomes, determining assessment methods, and planning instructional activities.
Using this framework can help teachers create instructional strategies and new ideas that are focused on the most important knowledge and skills acquisition. This backwards design approach can also help to make instruction more engaging and meaningful for students, as it encourages teachers to plan activities and assessments that are authentic and relevant to students' lives.
Teachers can ensure that their lessons are rigorous and challenging by setting high expectations for all students, providing opportunities for students to apply their learning in authentic and meaningful ways, and offering appropriate scaffolds and support for struggling learners. They can also use formative assessment to monitor students' progress and adjust instruction as needed.
Yes, the framework can be used in all subject areas, as it is focused on designing instruction that leads to deep understanding and transfer of learning, rather than on specific content or skills.
Worksheets can be a useful tool if they are designed to support the desired learning outcomes and understanding. However, they should not be the primary focus of instruction, and should be used in conjunction with other types of learning activities and assessments.
UDL (Universal Design for Learning) focuses on creating inclusive learning environments, accommodating diverse student needs. UBD (Understanding by Design) centers on curriculum and instruction design, emphasizing learning outcomes, assessments, and alignment. UDL addresses how education is delivered, while UBD addresses what is taught and how it's assessed. Both can be used together to enhance teaching and learning.
The three stages of UBD are: identify desired results (objectives and essential questions), determine acceptable evidence (assessment), and plan learning experiences and instruction (teaching).
A UBD (Understanding by Design) lesson plan is an instructional design framework developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. It is a widely used approach in education for creating effective lesson plans and curriculum development. The UBD framework focuses on designing lessons with the end goal in mind, emphasizing student understanding and long-term retention of knowledge, rather than just covering content.
In education, "UBD" stands for Understanding by Design, which is an educational framework and approach to curriculum development. It is a backward design process, which means that it starts with the end goal in mind and works backward to create a curriculum and instructional plan.