5.6 | Backward Design

The Steps of Backward Design

Historically, instructors have planned assessments and activities first and then created the learning objectives last. However, the very first step in effective and equitable course design is to create student learning objectives (SLOs). After creating the learning objectives, the next step is to determine acceptable evidence (assessments), and the final step is to develop the learning experiences and instructional materials (course learning activities). This model begins with the end in mind. 

Wiggens and McTighe, in their book Understanding by Design1, describe the following three steps of backward design:

  1. Identify Desired Results. What should students know and be able to do at the end of the course? These are the learning objectives and are the key to everything else in the course. This becomes the basis of the alignment of objectives, learning activities, and assessments. 

  2. Determine acceptable evidence that students have achieved these learning objectives. These are the formative and summative assessments. In this stage, think about how you are measuring your students' learning. For example, if your objective states that students will be able to "design a model that describes the process of photosynthesis," and you measure student learning by using a traditional quiz, this measurement is not appropriately aligned because it does not give students the opportunity to actually design the model.  

  3. Plan learning experiences, instruction, and resources that will help students be able to provide evidence that they have met the learning objectives. Focus on planning and designing course activities to provide an experience that connects to the student learning objective. 

Watch the following video (5:54) to take another look at this method:

 

Prefer to read than watch? Check out the video transcript. 

Developing clear and measurable objectives can be a challenging process. Please navigate to the next page where you will learn about Bloom's Taxonomy, which explains the multiple stages of learning and the action statements that can be applied toward aligning objectives with assessments. 

Works Cited

  1. Wiggens and McTighe (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd Edition)

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