Module 4: Evidence of Understanding & Assessment Tasks

Goals for this module: Become familiar with the 6 facets of understanding: 1.Explanation 2.Interpretation 3.Application 4.Perspective 5.Empathy 6.Self-Knowledge Develop approaches to assessments that test student understanding. Understanding by Design: Evidence of Understanding & Assessment Tasks 2

This training module is based on the works of Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins Understanding by Design. This module was built by AISD to support use of the Understanding by Design concepts in the classroom. AISD Curriculum documents such as Yearly Itineraries and Curriculum Road Maps are written in the UbD Framework Design. At the end of the training, you will need to complete an Online Assessment to get credit for completing the module. Understanding by Design 3

Evidence of Learning Understanding by Design: Evidence of Understanding & Assessment Tasks 4

5 Understanding by Design: Evidence of Understanding Remember the first two stages of Backward Design: Stage I - What are the desired results? Stage II - If those are the desired results, what follows for assessment? Evidence is needed that shows students have made meaning of the content. Also, transfer of prior knowledge is needed. Applying to new situations. No prompting from the teacher or coach. STAGE 1 STAGE 2

Success at assessment is dependent on the depth of understanding. Success is not measured in how well a student can recall isolated facts and figures. Evidence of Understanding 6

Which of the following shows Evidence of Understanding? Evidence of Understanding A student creates a timeline and explains in order the events leading up to World War II. A student is able to remember details from Charlotte's Web, but he doesnt grasp the importance and consequences of the themes of friendship and motive. A student creates a rap that displays skillful word use, and the class thinks its entertaining; however, the song fails to make mention of the scientific method that the rap was based on. The students bird house project was poorly constructed, but her description of the mathematics involved in creating the project demonstrated genuine and original insight. 7

Evidence of Understanding 8 How well written is my assessment? making clever guesses about the correct answer but limited on understanding? showing good effort and hard work, but still not revealing in- depth understanding? create a neat, exquisite project but understanding isnt present. Could the student do well on the assessment by…

Evidence of Understanding 9 How well written is my assessment? lacking the requirements of the assessment but showing that the students has an understanding of the concept? lacking certain skills or abilities for certain aspects of the task, but those skills arent central to the main learning objective create a project that is messy and looks bad, but shows a deep understanding of the concept. How likely is it that the student could do poorly on the assessment by...

Evidence of Understanding 10 How well written is my assessment? applying knowledge to new situations. uses new knowledge without any prompting or guidance from the teacher. A novel look and feel to the assessment and a context that requires students to tailor prior learning to a concrete situation. The student will show mastery of content assessment by...

6 Facets of Understanding Understanding by Design: Evidence of Understanding & Assessment Tasks 11

6 Facets of UnderstandingMeaning Empathy Perspective Self-Knowledge Apply and Adjust Explain Interpret 6 Facets of Understanding click and drag the definitions and match them with the correct term see the bigger picture; be aware of and consider different points of view; take a critical stance; analyze bias Metacognitive awareness; reflect on new learning and experiences; be aware of ones own biases; be aware of how one learns and doesnt learn as well as what they dont understand walk in anothers shoes; find value in what others think 12 connect, infer, express ideas in their own words; teach; make analogies go beyond the context of classroom learning, use the knowledge and skills in new and interesting ways make sense of, show a new dimension to ideas, data, or events, make anecdotes, turn data into information, develop a theory

6 Facets of UnderstandingMeaning Empathy Perspective Self-Knowledge Apply and Adjust Explain Interpret make sense of, show a new dimension to ideas, data, or events, make anecdotes, turn data into information, develop a theory 6 Facets of Understanding – And the Answers are: 13 see the bigger picture; be aware of and consider different points of view; take a critical stance; analyze bias Metacognitive awareness; reflect on new learning and experiences; be aware of ones own biases; be aware of how one learns and doesnt learn as well as what they dont understand walk in anothers shoes; find value in what others think connect, infer, express ideas in their own words; teach; make analogies go beyond the context of classroom learning, use the knowledge and skills in new and interesting ways

6 Facets of Understanding 14 Dont use all 6 indicators when coming up with an assessment. Select 2-3 of the 6 indicators when coming up with an assessment. The 6 Facets are equal. One facet is not better than another. The 6 Facets are indicative of understanding.

We do not intend that the six facets represent a theory of how people come to understand something. Instead, the facets are intended to serve as six helpful lenses or indicators of how understanding is often revealed in action – in performance, products, words, or behavior. Thus they provide practical frames for the kinds of assessments we might construct to determine the extent and depth of student understanding. (McTighe & Wiggins pg 94) 6 Facets of Understanding 15

Developing Assessments Understanding by Design 16

Developing Assessments 17 History / Social Studies Math ELA Fine Arts P.E. Science Developing Assessments Click to continue to the next section. Move your computer mouse over each of the subjects to see examples of Assessments based on UbDs 6 Facets of Understanding.

Developing Assessments – Social Studies ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf- Knowledge Clarify the meaning of Manifest Destiny. Create a biography based on primary sources. Design a display on the cause and effects of the Civil War. Compare different accounts on the same event. Take on the identity of a historical figure having to make a complicated decision. Reflect on your participation in class. 18 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments - Math ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf- Knowledge Clarify meaning of the Pythagorean Theorem. Analyze trends in data. Invent a new way to mathematically evaluate a persons performance. Look at the differences when using different measures Read the works of mathematicians and write a reflective essay from their perspective on a mathematic topic. Create and maintain a math portfolio. Examine your strength weaknesses. 19 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments - ELA ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf- Knowledge Explain why authors use similes. Analyze the main character of a novel. Review a book for the school library and publish it. Read a story that reveals multiple points of view (i.e. The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs ). Experience real life events similar to events experience d by literary characters. Write a self- assessment reflecting on your reading or writing abilities. 20 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments – Fine Arts ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf- Knowledge Discuss how science and art are connected. Draw a visual representation for an emotional state. Create a performance about a social issue. Analyze different performances of the same scene from a play. Imagine you are a character from a book. Describe your thinking and feelings as that character. Keep a record of your performances and your analysis of your portrayals. 21 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments – P.E. ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf-Knowledge Describe the effect of an exercise on the body Analyze biometric data such as height, weight, BMI, etc. Design a fitness routine. Take on the point of view of an out of shape person trying to get fit. Imagine you have a physical handicap, write a reflective essay describing the difficulty of physical activity. Keep a record of your fitness goals with personal reflections on how it feels to achieve or fail at a goal. 22 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments - Science ExplanationInterpretationApplicationPerspectiveEmpathySelf-Knowledge Explain the physics of common everyday actions. Examine scientific measurements and reach a conclusion. Analyze chemicals found in the environment and create a presentation. Imagine you are a renowned scientist reflecting on how your work has changed the world. Pretend you are a scientist whose work has been discredited, discuss what went wrong and how to fix it. Keep a journal of scientific ideas you come up with. 23 Click the mouse to return to the previous screen.

Developing Assessments How do these assessments measure up to the 6 Facets of Understanding? 24

Developing Assessments 25 What do I need to be able to show you that I successfully know the material? What do I what to see from my students to show me they successfully learned the content?

Developing Assessments Stage 1 – What do you want to see from your students? Stage 2 – What evidence will you collect that shows the students have achieved the results you wanted? If the desired result is for learners to… …then you need evidence of the students ability to… …so the assessments need to require something like… (What will students do to show their understanding?) Understand that… (What do you want students to understand?) What influences the price of an item? Explain – why similar items might be priced differently. Give an oral/written explanation explaining price differences of items. Interpret – price fluctuationsDevelop a visual showing fluctuations in price over time Apply by – setting the priceResearch customers to establish prices Additional Questions… What determines cost? What is a good price? See from the points of view of – customers who buy the product and business owners who sell the product. Role play a customer and seller discussing the price of an item. Empathize with – a buyer who got ripped off. Write a diary entry about a buyer or sellers thoughts about a deal. Overcome the idea that – items are marketed at a fixed rate. Reflect on – influence of sales, advertising, and marketing on your buying habits. Describe a time when your or someone you know dealt with buying an item that maybe you paid too much for. 26

Remember: Your ultimate goal should be for the student to be able to use their skills and their knowledge all on their own without any help from the teacher. Think about it terms of sports: How many football games have you seen where the coach stands next to the quarterback in the middle of a game? Where is the coach? In the huddle? At home? On the sideline? Developing Assessments 27

Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units. 2nd. Alexandria: ASCD, Print. Understanding by Design: Evidence of Understanding & Assessment Tasks 28