In this course, you have worked within a given unit and grade level to
create a variety of assessments for an eLearning course. One significant part
of assessing students in a variety of ways is to get a good picture of what the
students actually have learned. How does Backward Design provide for a way to
see if students are actually learning what you want to teach then by looking at
the assessment results? Hint: Revisit lesson 1 and apply what
you have learned throughout the course to the concept of Backward Design.
When teachers and educators use a backward design lesson
planning process it ensures that they are thinking about what the achievement looks
like in the students before teaching even begins. Backward design forces the
educator to look at the learning outcomes and performance objectives to ensure
that they are based on the standards and the appropriate grade-level
curriculum. In other words, backward design forces the educator to think about
the end in mind and then create the curriculum from the performances required
for the standard and the teaching needed to prepare students to perform.
Educators should focus on answering these questions during
the design phase -
What is worthy and requiring of understanding?
- What is evidence of understanding?
- What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence?
What is worth and requiring of understanding?
Per McTighe & Wiggins (2004), educators must consider the goals, what students should know, understand, and be able to do. They need to consider the big ideas (e.g., essential question) and any specific knowledge and skills that are targeted in the goal and needed for effective performance. As McTighe & Wiggins (2004, p. 18) state they might ask the following questions:
•
What are the goals (e.g., what would be seen in
classrooms, schools, and the district if designing, teaching, and assessing for
understanding were the norm)?
•
To achieve [the] goals what understandings will
be needed (e.g., by teachers, administrators, policymakers, parents, students)?
•
What essential questions will focus [the] goals,
stimulate conversation, and guide [the] actions?
•
To achieve [the] goals, what knowledge and
skills will be needed (e.g., by teachers, administrators, policymakers,
parents, students)?
What is evidence of understanding?Educators must consider the evidence of learning – how do they know if the student has achieved the desired results and met the learning standard? Educators need to make sure that they can identify whether the student really understands the “big idea” (e.g., essential question) as well as what acceptable proficiency evidence looks like. McTighe & Wiggins (2004) suggest that educators look at the backward design as a way to document and validate that the desired results of was achieved. McTighe & Wiggins (2004, p. 18) state they might ask the following questions:
•
What will count
as evidence of success?
•
What baseline
data … should be collected?
•
What are key
indicators of [the] short-term and long-term progress?
What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence?Once the educator has identified the results and the appropriate evidence of understanding, they can now plan the learning activities. The educator should identify the sequence of activity that will result in the best desired results. The learning activities need to be engaging and effective. This is especially true in an eLearning environment where the environment is student-centered. McTighe & Wiggins (2004, p. 18) state they might ask the following questions:
•
What actions will help … realize [the] goals
efficiently?
•
What short- and long-term actions will we take?
•
Who should be involved? Informed? Responsible?
•
What predictable concerns will be raised? How
will [they be addressed]?
Through backward design, educators are forced to look at the
desired results and assessment evidence even before creating the action plan
(e.g., the lesson). Teachers already have a clear identified goal on what they
want the student to be able to do by the end of the lesson. So they establish a
framework for assessing the students, determine an assessment plan, produce the
assessment (whether is it a constructed-response, fixed-response, written,
performance, interactive and collaborative), even before creating the learning
activities.
With a backward design model, educators will know what
should be assessed prior to teaching and the students will know what they will
be measured on to show mastery of the concept. With an eLearning environment,
students can receive instant feedback on their assessments (e.g., feedback on how
they answered a multiple choice question, score immediately posted at the
conclusion of the assessment, and qualitative feedback). The teacher can review
the assessment results and be able to identify which objectives the students
have mastered and which ones they might need have an intervention. This all
ensures that students are actually learning.Works Cited
McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2004). Understanding
by Design Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development
Oosterhof, A., Conrad, R.-M., & Ely, D. P. (2008).
Assessing Learners Online. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Tasmanian Department of Education. (n.d.). Principles
of Backward Design. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.wku.edu/library/dlps/infolit/documents/designing_lesson_plans_using_backward_design.pdf
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