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Read
Read Chapter 1: Surfacing Backward Design from Small Teaching Online. Come to the next session ready to discuss using the backward design process in redesigning your course with OER.
The link above goes to the e-book chapter in one of our Library databases. Let us know if you have trouble logging in to read the chapter.
Reflect
Reflect on the following questions and post your thoughts as a comment below:
- How is backward design different than your current process for designing learning experiences for your students?
- How might you use backward design to redesign learning experiences in your course(s) using open educational resources and other no-cost materials?
- What are your key take-aways from the chapter, “Surfacing Backward Design”?
Bonus
If you have time and interest, here is a podcast episode interviewing the author of Small Teaching Online, Flower Darby.
9 thoughts on “OER Backward Design”
In a nutshell, backward design flips the usual approach to teaching on its head. Instead of diving into topics and lesson plans right away, you first figure out exactly what skills and knowledge your students should have by the end of the course. This might mean delivering a persuasive speech, understanding complex grammar points, or communicating effectively and professionally. Once you have these targets in sight, everything else falls into place.
Applying this to my speech classes using free resources is not only cost-effective but also a smart move. I’d start by pinpointing those essential skills. Then, I’d find ways to measure them. Maybe it’s a final presentation, a debate, or a simple self-assessment. Once I know what success is, I can confidently find the perfect resources to make it happen. Thankfully, many free options are available: online pronunciation guides, TED Talks, grammar exercises, vocabulary builders, and even open-access textbooks.
The trick is to weave these resources into engaging activities that directly address the learning goals. This might involve students analyzing their own recorded speeches, practicing pronunciation drills with online tools, or debating the merits of different rhetorical strategies used in famous speeches. Doing so ensures that every minute of class time is purposeful and drives students towards those predefined goals.
“Surfacing Backward Design” really hammered a few key points for me. First and foremost, it’s about prioritizing the destination over the journey. By clearly defining those learning outcomes, everything else becomes so much easier. It’s like having a map that guides every decision you make.
The chapter also emphasized the importance of alignment. Every element of your course, from assessments to activities, should work together to achieve those outcomes. It’s like a symphony, where each instrument plays its part to create a beautiful melody.
One of the most inspiring takeaways was putting the student at the center. It’s not about what we, as teachers, want to cover but what our students need to learn. This shift in perspective can be truly transformative, empowering our students to take ownership of their learning journey.
Finally, the chapter underscored the need for evidence-based assessment. It’s crucial to determine beforehand how we’ll know if students have reached those goals. This might involve traditional tests, but it could also include more creative approaches like portfolios, presentations, or even real-world projects. By thinking about assessment early on, we can ensure it accurately reflects what students have learned, providing a secure and informed understanding of the learning outcomes.
Armed with these insights, I’m excited to revamp my speech classes. By focusing on outcomes, aligning everything to those goals, putting students first, and using evidence-based assessment, I’m confident I can create a more meaningful and effective learning experience for everyone, regardless of their language background.
Backward design is not different from how I organize the topics in my linguistics class. This is a learner-centered design which focuses on the main student learning objectives of the class. Starting from what students need to be able to learn and do at the end of the class is the objective of this design. I used smaller assignments that would help students to build confidence and knowledge and skills to complete the objective-related major task. Along this journey, the professor provides support by providing appropriate materials and having students do activities and go through experiences that would lead them to complete the task that is connected to the learner-objective of the course.
There are several visuals, such as YouTube videos, library database articles, free online articles at Hunter’s College, thelingspace.com, or free online chapters that would help students to get knowledge in a linguistics course. I also use http://www.makebeliefscomix.com for students to create comix to demonstrate their understanding of linguistics terms. There are also documentary films on linguistics.
The main benefit of backward design is that it focuses on student-centered educational philosophy. In other words, students are the main actors in their educational journey as they need to take an active role in participating in the activities, and secondly their performance should be assessed by regular tests, quizzes, or assignments. As the third characteristic, all the activities, assignments and quizzes should be aligned to support the learning process. As the final benefit, backward design as the curriculum design makes it both students and instructors to be transparent and clear about what is asked about students to do in completing the assignments. When students reflect on “the three takeaway assignments”, they take ownership of their own learning.
Recently, I try to research a little bit about students, their prior experiences of learning, degree level, course prerequisite etc. This helps me to develop the learning objectives and other components align realistically bearing in mind that the course also must meet the degree requirement. I couldn’t access the link, probably due to the fact I’m a recent graduate and might need a new credential.
My original post:
When I first started teaching, I used to focus so much on the delivery of course content and learning materials, hence, the courses were pretty much content, or knowledge based. Along the way, I understood the importance of aligning learning objectives, learning activities, and assessing whether those objectives were met. I strive to fit course design into backwards design, however, there are challenges associated with feasibility of course materials (documentary discussion vs reflection paper) to best meet the needs of students’ learning. Recently, I try to research a little bit about students, their prior experiences of learning, degree level, course prerequisite etc. This helps me to develop the learning objectives and other components align realistically bearing in mind that the course also must meet the degree requirement.
How is backward design different than your current process for designing learning experiences for your students?
Backward design is an interesting concept because you start with the learning outcomes by planning your curriculum “backwards” by deconstructing your curriculum so that you can meet the needs of your students and help them towards achieving their learning outcome.
Initially, when I start to create and plan my curriculum for my Introduction to Literature courses, I begin with a theme and then I expand on how I plan to teach the course. My current process for designing the learning experiences for my students consist of one key critical component: how can I incorporate an interesting and dynamic curriculum that will make students engaged and excited about the content? Then, I begin brainstorming and using the writing process to help me list and jot down ideas so that I can approach my pedagogy in a way that is creative, interesting, and meets the learning objectives of the course.
Lastly, I plan on incorporating this concept because it’s like peeling the layers of an onion except you start with the core and then you build everything back up. This the best analogy I can use to highlight the difference between my current way of designing my curriculum and using this new concept of backward design.
How might you use backward design to redesign learning experiences in your course(s) using open educational resources and no-cost materials?
Using backward design in association with open educational resources (OER) and other no-cost materials can be an exciting and innovative way to redesign learning experiences in a learner-centered pedagogy. Here are two ways in which I can incorporate backward design into my teaching approach:
1. Establishing Learning Outcomes: I can work backward to design assessments and learning activities that align with the learning outcomes for ENG-201. For example, if one of the learning outcomes is for students to analyze and interpret literary texts effectively, I can design assessments that require them to write critical essays or participate in group discussions where they analyze specific literary works. This approach ensures that every lesson and activity is purposefully designed to support the overall learning goals.
2. Contextualizing Literature: Instead of relying on pre-designed curriculum materials, I can create a curriculum that incorporates literature within real-world contexts. By using current events, personal experiences, or societal issues as starting points, I can engage students in discussions and activities that connect the literature they read with the world around them. For example, I can choose literary works that address social justice issues and encourage students to analyze them through the lens of contemporary social movements. This approach not only enhances their understanding of literature but also encourages critical thinking and empathy.
By incorporating these backward design principles, I can design a curriculum for the Introduction to Literature 201 course that is student-centered, engaging, and relevant, while not relying on traditional materials.
What are your key takeaways from the chapter, “Surfacing Backward Design”?
The chapter on “Surfacing Backward Design” emphasizes the importance of starting with clearly defined learning outcomes in education. The chapter suggests that assessments should be designed before planning instructional activities, ensuring they align with the identified learning outcomes.
Essentially, backward design encourages instructors to contextualize learning by connecting it to real-world contexts, making it more meaningful and relevant for students.
I use backward design in the overall structure of the course. The purpose of it, as a Spanish and WI course is to acquire the writing skills needed to produce different types of text in this language, so select/create/assign low-, medium- and high-stakes assignments that are closely related and are going to be useful for the final written project.
Of course, there is always room for improvement, and now I can evaluate what worked, what did not, and what I´d like to change or add so that students are better equipped for the final written assignment.
We can be kind to ourselves too, and acknowledge (and celebrate) that even a small change/revamp can lead to a better learning experience each time.
First, the first two paragraphs gave me flashbacks. Well, I’m being facetious, but my first teaching was like that. I was given a textbook and shoved through a door.
Thoughts on the backward design video and reading:
Because MES153 Script-writing is a project-oriented class, backward design is largely baked into it. That said, I can certainly apply some tips from the readings to make sure the course materials and the assignments especially have clear objectives.
I worry about adding too much to each unit, but can see if an additional phrase or two might help add to the headline, which provides a good idea of what the readings, viewings and writing assignments focus on. Maybe I can incorporate why these particular assignments are helpful for this part of the course.
One thing that came to mind during the “align” discussion was that identifying more directly the course goals in the required work is like identifying a throughline of the course.
Using the suggestion in the chapter of adding an activity for the first week of class that has the students engaging in some meaningful way with the final assessment/project, I am considering adding an in-class assignment (for the second class meeting) after they have watched several documentary shorts (“Jump,” “Nzingha,” “Little Potato,” “Snowy,” “The Diver”) in which they will choose one to identify certain story elements present in and then write a logline for it and share and critique the loglines.
Backward Design is a framework developed by Wiggins and McTighe for an educational planning approach that begins with the end in mind. Unlike traditional lesson planning, which often starts with lessons and activities and then moves towards assessment, Backward Design starts by identifying the desired learning outcomes and then lists actionable steps in a backward approach to developing the instructional strategies and learning experiences necessary to achieve those outcomes. This ensures that all lessons in the curriculum align with the ultimate educational goals, promoting deeper understanding and transfer of knowledge.
The process of Backward Design involves three main stages: identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences and instruction. In the first stage, educators define what students should know, understand, and be able to do by the end of the unit. In the second stage, they determine how they will measure students’ achievement of these goals through assessments and evidence of learning. In the third stage, educators plan the instructional activities and experiences that will help students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to meet the learning objectives. This approach clarifies the learning targets and ensures that instruction is purposeful and directed toward educational outcomes.
The traditional approach to designing learning experiences involves building up specific lessons and activities toward a broader understanding of the subject. In this process, educators typically start by selecting content, designing individual lessons, and then constructing assessments to measure student understanding. This method focuses on the sequential addition of information, with the assumption that students will naturally connect these pieces into a cohesive understanding.
Backward Design, on the other hand, reverses this process. Instead of starting with specific lessons and building up, it begins with clearly defined learning outcomes.