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Jay McTighe's Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design, developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in 2002, is a curriculum planning framework that emphasizes teaching for understanding through a Backwards Design model. This model focuses on identifying desired learning outcomes before planning instructional activities, structured in three stages: identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences. The framework also highlights six facets of understanding that students should demonstrate, including the ability to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and possess self-awareness.

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91 views3 pages

Jay McTighe's Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design, developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in 2002, is a curriculum planning framework that emphasizes teaching for understanding through a Backwards Design model. This model focuses on identifying desired learning outcomes before planning instructional activities, structured in three stages: identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences. The framework also highlights six facets of understanding that students should demonstrate, including the ability to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and possess self-awareness.

Uploaded by

Masiclat Mikee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Understanding by Design

What do you mean by Understanding by design?


Understanding by Design developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe in 2002.
It is a framework for curriculum planning, for assessment design and for teaching with goal of
teaching for understanding.
It proposes a straight forward ways that the student want to understand.
It is a short-term plan with a long-term goal, it means a teacher teach along the content and the
knowledge the students gained stays where it can be use in the future, or the student can share to
others.

Understanding is revealed when student autonomously make sense and transfer their learning
though authentic performance.

What is the process of Understanding by Design?

The Backwards Design model focuses on learning goals as a result of instruction before planning
learning activities and teaching methods. While it is important to think about what content to
teach and how you would like to teach it, the focus should first be on the desired outcomes of the
curriculum. Using a backwards design offers a concrete way of communicating learning
expectations. Using Understanding by Design often creates higher student achievement because
the organized approach outlines what is to be learned at the end of a lesson or unit.
Wiggins and McTighe (2005) described Understanding by Design through three stages: a)
identify desired results, b) determine acceptable evidence, and c) plan learning experiences and
instruction.
Stage 1
An instructor develops an instructional objectives which means the learning outcomes of
students or what students are expected to achieve. It is important to be specific as possible when
identifying desired results (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). When determining desired results, there
are important questions to consider:
What should learners be able to do, know, and understand at the end of instruction?
What content should I be teaching?
In what order should I be teaching content?
What long-term understandings are desired at the end of instruction?
Stage 2

The process here is identifying the prior knowledge of the student by conducting diagnostic test
or pre- assessment test that can help teacher to plan the teaching learning process.
The assessment should be aligned from the objectives, desired result and teaching learning
process.

The student learning or knowledge transfer into performance task based.

Stage 3

Planning the most appropriate instructional learning activities, strategies for students to acquire
targeted knowledge and skills.

It is implementing the teaching learning process which the student will gain knowledge and
apply into meaningful ways.

In developing plan, consider the prior knowledge of the students and it should be align from the
desired results, evidence or if the teacher conducted diagnostic test.

6 faucets of Understanding

Not because students know things does not mean they understand it, they should be able to
explain, interpret, apply, have perspective and self-awareness.

These are the 6 faucets of understanding

1. Can explain - it is the ability to describe illustrations, theories, events, ideas, or actions
2. Can interpret – it is the ability to make meaning of information through narratives, data,
experiences, and translations.
3. Can apply - can be use the idea in different context, apply the knowledge into the new
situation.
4. Have perspective - is the ability to critically think through contexts using various points of
view to help answer a complex question or issue.
5. Can empathize - involves having learners go inside another person's feelings or relate to your
situation or experiences.
6. Have a self-knowledge or self-awareness - the limitations of one's knowledge in understanding
an idea or concept
Learners must be familiar with their limitation to understanding.

Common questions

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The potential long-term benefits for students who learn through the 'Understanding by Design' framework include the ability to transfer learned knowledge to new and diverse situations, a deeper understanding and retention of subject material, improved critical thinking skills, and a mindset geared towards lifelong learning. These benefits arise from the framework's emphasis on understanding and application rather than rote memorization .

The ability to 'empathize' contributes to a student's educational development within the ‘Understanding by Design’ framework by fostering a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and contexts. This empathetic approach can enhance learning by allowing students to connect emotionally and cognitively with the material, facilitating more meaningful engagement and a more inclusive approach to learning .

The 'Understanding by Design' model differs from traditional curriculum planning by focusing on starting with the end goals in mind and working backward to determine the necessary instructional methods and assessments. Traditional approaches often start with content selection and then move towards deciding how to teach it, potentially leading to a less coherent connection between learning activities and outcomes. In contrast, UbD ensures that all elements of the curriculum are directly aligned with the desired learning outcomes .

The main objective of the 'Understanding by Design' framework is to focus curriculum planning on teaching for understanding, ensuring that the knowledge students gain is not only retained but also applicable in future contexts. By starting with the desired learning outcomes and working backward to design the curriculum and assessments, it aims to make learning more purposeful and coherent .

The '6 facets of understanding' play a critical role in the 'Understanding by Design' framework by defining the dimensions through which true understanding is demonstrated. These include the abilities to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and possess self-awareness. By aiming to develop these facets in students, the framework ensures a comprehensive approach to understanding that goes beyond surface-level knowledge .

The three stages of 'Understanding by Design'—identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences—collaboratively enhance student learning outcomes by aligning teaching methods and assessments with the ultimate learning goals. This backward design process ensures that all educational activities are goal-oriented, making learning expectations transparent and achievable, thereby potentially increasing student achievement .

The use of backward design in the 'Understanding by Design' framework implies that teachers need to focus initially on the learning outcomes and evidence of student understanding before planning instructional activities. This approach shifts teacher planning from being activity-driven to result-driven, thereby aligning assessments directly with expected learning outcomes and ensuring that teaching methods are purposeful and coordinated .

Having 'self-knowledge or self-awareness' enhances a student’s learning experience by encouraging them to recognize the limitations of their own understanding. This awareness promotes a deeper engagement with material, encourages reflection on personal learning processes, and motivates students to seek deeper understanding and additional knowledge, which is aligned with the goals of the 'Understanding by Design' framework .

It is essential for students to develop the 'ability to apply' knowledge in the 'Understanding by Design' framework because application demonstrates a deeper level of understanding beyond memorization. By being able to use knowledge in new and varied contexts, students show they can transfer and integrate learning, which is a key goal of education focused on long-term retention and adaptability .

Diagnostic or pre-assessment tests are important in the 'Understanding by Design' framework as they help in identifying the prior knowledge of students, which is crucial for planning effective learning experiences. By understanding what students already know, teachers can tailor instruction to fill knowledge gaps and build upon existing knowledge, ensuring that lessons are appropriately challenging and relevant .

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