Backward design

Definition

Backward design is an educational planning approach that begins with the end goals of learning and works backward to develop the instructional methods and assessments needed to achieve those outcomes. This method emphasizes aligning assessments and learning experiences to the desired results, ensuring that teaching is purpose-driven and focused on student understanding.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Backward design involves three main stages: identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence of learning, and planning learning experiences and instruction.
2. By starting with the desired outcomes, educators can create assessments that genuinely measure student understanding rather than relying solely on traditional testing methods.
3. This approach encourages educators to think critically about what they want students to know and be able to do by the end of their instruction, fostering a more intentional teaching practice.
4. Backward design can enhance performance-based assessments by ensuring that tasks reflect real-world applications of knowledge and skills, making learning more relevant for students.
5. It supports inquiry-based learning by allowing educators to structure lessons that encourage exploration and critical thinking, aligning tasks with overarching goals.

Review Questions

• How does backward design influence the creation of performance-based assessments in education?
  • Backward design significantly impacts performance-based assessments by ensuring these assessments are aligned with clearly defined learning outcomes. By starting with the end goal in mind, educators can craft tasks that require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in authentic contexts. This alignment promotes deeper learning as students engage in meaningful activities that reflect real-world applications.
• Discuss how backward design can be used to develop effective rubrics for assessing student work.
  • When using backward design to create rubrics, educators first identify what successful student work looks like based on predetermined learning objectives. This clarity allows them to develop specific criteria that measure student performance against these objectives. The resulting rubrics provide a structured way to assess student work, ensuring consistency and fairness while giving feedback that aligns directly with the intended outcomes.
• Evaluate the role of backward design in shaping curriculum theories and models within modern educational practices.
  • Backward design plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary curriculum theories by emphasizing outcomes-focused planning. By prioritizing desired student competencies at the outset, it encourages curricula that are coherent, aligned, and relevant. This approach challenges traditional models that might prioritize content delivery over student understanding, fostering a shift toward more integrative practices that cater to diverse learning needs while enhancing overall educational effectiveness.

Related terms

Learning objectives: Clear statements that define what students are expected to learn and achieve by the end of a lesson or unit.

Assessment alignment: The process of ensuring that assessments are directly related to the learning objectives and goals established for a course or curriculum.

Constructivist theory: An educational theory that posits learners construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiences and reflecting on those experiences.