Backward Design

In the past, teachers approached course design in a “forward design” manner, meaning they consider the learning activities (how to teach the content), develop assessments around their learning activities, then attempt to draw connections to the learning goals of the course. In contrast, the backward design approach has teachers consider the learning goals of the course first. These learning goals embody the knowledge and skills we want our students to have learned when they leave the your class. Backward design is focused primarily on student learning and understanding. When teachers are designing lessons, units, or courses, they often focus on the activities and instruction rather than the outputs of the instruction. It begins with identifying the big idea and learning goals and prioritizing them. In the next step, assessment for each learning goal is addressed. How will students demonstrate what they have learned not only for content recall but for understanding of concepts? The goals and assessment measures determine the design of learning experiences and instruction to convey and transfer that understanding to the students (McTighe and Wiggins 2011 ).

Stages of Backward Design

Identify the results desired (big ideas and skills)
- What the students should know, understand, and be able to do
- Consider the goals and curriculum expectations
- Focus on the "big ideas" (principles, theories, concepts, point of views, or themes)
Determine acceptable levels of evidence that support that the desired results have occurred (culminating assessment tasks)
- What teachers will accept as evidence that student understanding took place
- Consider culminating assessment tasks and a range of assessment methods (observations, tests, projects, etc.)
Design activities that will make desired results happen (learning events)
- What knowledge and skills students will need to achieve the desired results
- Consider teaching methods, sequence of lessons, and resource materials