Narrowing the Challenge: Revisiting Understanding by Design Cherie McCollough VaNTH-PER Professional Development June 1, 2004

Curriculum Frame Worth being familiar with Important to know and do “Enduring” understanding

Let’s Review: 6 Facets of Understanding 1. Can Explain: Provide thorough, supported, and justifiable accounts of phenomenon, facts, and data 2. Can Interpret: Tells meaningful stories; offers apt translations; provides a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas and events; make them personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models 3. Can Apply: Effectively uses and adapts what he or she knows in diverse contexts 4. Has Perspective: Sees points of view through critical eyes and ears; sees the big picture 5. Can Empathize: Finds value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausible; perceive sensitively on the basis of prior direct experience 6. Has Self-knowledge: Perceives the personal style, prejudices, projections, and habits of mind that both shape and impede one’s own understanding. One is aware of what one does not understand, of why understanding is hard, and of how one comes to understand

Let’s Review: Four Filters of Understanding 1. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process represent a “big idea” having enduring value beyond the classroom? 2. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process lie at the heart of the discipline? 3. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process require un-coverage? 4. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process offer potential for engaging students?

What results am I looking for in determining understanding?  What should students know, understand, and be able to do?  What is worthy of understanding?  What enduring understandings are desired?

What evidence of understanding will I be looking for? What is the evidence of in-depth understanding as opposed to that which is superficial or naive? What should teachers look for to determine the extent of student understanding? What kinds of assessment evidence will anchor a curricular unit, guiding instruction?

Backwards Design Identify desired results Determine acceptable evidence Plan learning experiences and instruction

More Review: Overarching vs. Topical Questions There are 2 types of understandings: Topical understandings involve generalizations derived from the specific content knowledge & skills of the unit. Overarching understandings transcend the content knowledge of the unit, thus serving as bridges to other units & courses A cycle should focus on a small number of transferable big ideas (overarching understandings) Enduring understandings of both kinds are best stated as generalizations or propositions Although abstract, the targeted understandings must be stated unambiguously –as specific abstractions Overarching understandings typically focus on broader conceptual relationships than do topical understandings See pages 115 – 117.

Okay…so how do I narrow my topic? Uncoverage vs. coverage. Uncoverage Coverage The text is the resource for independently designed course of study with specific purposes, based on standards. The text is the syllabus; no explicit purpose exists beyond marching through the text. The purposes imply various inquiries that culminate in valid and effective performance assessments of understanding. Assessment involves only tests of knowledge and skill from the content of the textbook. The text is used t help explore big ideas and overarching essential questions. The student’s job is to know what is in the text; no overarching questions exist. Sections of the text are read in an order that supports overarching purposes. The text is read in page order/ The textbook is one resource among many; it only summarizes important ideas or inferences. Primary-source and other secondary- source materials are not used.

“Coverage is a sad irony.” Without guiding questions, ideas, and methods that are meant to inform learning, students are left to guess about what is most important and what will be tested. “I would like to go into greater depth, but I have to cover the content.” Coverage works under the false logic that by confusing correlation with causality – that short- answer test results correlate with important performance. Multiple choice answers may correlate with more genuine abilities and performance, yet mastery of such tests items does not cause achievement. Complete pages 193 as a group discussion. Complete page 195 – 197 individually.

Narrowing the Challenge: Looking at Design Standards In judging unit designs, McTighe and Wiggins suggest looking at three stages: 1. Identify Desired Standards Asks questions regarding targeted understandings. 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence Asks questions regarding assessments. 3. Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction Asks questions from the students’ perspective. Page 249 – Teachers individually answer questions

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results 1. Is the proposed understanding truly enduring – a big idea or core process at the heart of the discipline? Key – indicators of enduring understanding 2. Is the proposed target a specific matter of understanding? 1. Key – indicators that a targeted understanding is not specific enough. 3. Is the unit focused on important and engaging questions? Complete pages 250 – 252 with your Challenge One questions. Discuss.

Stage 2: Determining Acceptable Evidence 1. Would the proposed performance task provide a valid measure of the targeted understanding? Key – indicators of valid performance tasks. 2. Is the assessment anchored in a performance task requiring a meaningful, authentic application of understanding? Key – indicators of an authentic performance task. 3. Is the proposed assessment evidence sufficient to support valid and reliable inferences about student understanding? Key – indicators of insufficient evidence. Teachers complete pages 252 – 255, discuss.

Stage 3: Planning learning experiences and instruction 1. Do students know what the overall unit goal is, what is most important and why, and what the performance requirements are, and to what criteria or standards will be used to assess their work? Key – Indicators that students are likely or not to understand where the unit is headed. 2. Are provocative introductory experiences provided early in the unit, and is student interest like to be held as the unit unfolds? Key – indicators that the unit has a powerful hook, or not, for students and it if holds their interests.

Stage 3 continued 3. Are students equipped to demonstrate understanding through their culminating performances? Are students provided with experiences to help them explore key ideas? Key – Indicators that the unit will adequately, or not, equip students. 4. Are students provided with opportunities to rethink key ideas and revise their work based on feedback? Key – indicators that the unit will require, or not, appropriate rethinking, rehearsal, or revision.

Stage 3 continued 5. Are students provided with opportunities to evaluate their work and consider next steps? Key – indicators that the unit provides, or not, adequate opportunities for self-assessment? 6. Is the unit logical and coherent from the students’ perspective? Key – Indicators that the unit lacks coherence from the students’ perspective. Teachers complete 257 – 262. Discuss.