Understanding By Design Wiggins Video

Background

There is so much subject matter in the area of instructional design that it can be completely overwhelming for any educator, especially one that's relatively new to the field. However there is one concept that seems to have stood the test of time: Understanding by Design (UbD)by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. I was first introduced to UbD in my credential program while studying instructional design and lesson planning. The main concept of backward design sounds funny at first but makes sense once you dive in to it. Steven R. Covey describes backward thinking in simple to understand terms:

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

Many teachers have adopted the practice of backward design in their classroom routine but what is most important to remember, in my opinion, is to make sure to use the design to focus on learner outcomes, not teacher-centered activities. In my Learning Outcomespage I introduced my 3-column table (Fink, 2013) Digital Literacy course which established a course-level goal, learning goals, learning activities, and assessment activities. The UbD design template takes a different approach -- most notably there is no space for a high-level goal (BHAG) -- but much of the same information from the 3-column table can be easily adapted to fit in the different sections. After trying both approaches, and though they are both backward design in nature, I might be more inclined to use the 3-column table for more of a course overview and use UbD for more detailed, unit-focused design, Below is a nice overview by author Grant Wiggins which includes some video examples.

Wiggins, G. (2012, February 10). What is UbD? Grant Wiggins Answers, with Video Cases. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsDgfC3SjhM

Putting It All Together

Both the 3-column table and UbD can be useful tools in helping to create our significant learning environments -- but how? Focusing on the learning outcomes or desired results and then working backwards gives us a more informed perspective to start creating these environments from. If I don't know where I want to be then how will I ever figure out how to get there? Designing how to present our material and what activities will best support our learners in understanding that material is key to their success. Implementing the concepts of the 3-column table and UbD are two more tools in my toolbox that will help me move forward on my Innovation Planand ensure that what I am doing is learning-centered and outcome focused,

References

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. John Wiley & Sons.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design . Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2000). Understanding by design study guide . Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Wiggins, G. (2012, February 10). What is UbD? Grant Wiggins Answers, with Video Cases. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsDgfC3SjhM