Session 3

February 9, 2010

LMCC

Designing Instruction for Deep Learning and Diversity

Backward Design Model – Stage 2

1. Identify desired results

2. Determine acceptable evidence

3. Plan learning experiences and instruction

Mid – 1990s

Topic or Theme • chosen based on curriculum, personal

preference, or a favourite resource

Teaching Strategies • chosen and implemented

Assessment Strategies • chosen and implemented

Outcomes or Expectations• become apparent as the teacher

analyzes what was learned

Today

Outcomes or Expectations • determined by curriculum• unit is often organized by big ideas

Assessment Strategies • chosen based on their ability to

accurately measure achievement of outcomes

Teaching Strategies • chosen based on their ability to achieve

assessment criteria

Resources• are chosen according to applicability

to unit goals

Backward Design Model – Stage 2

BIG IDEA: Valid Evidence

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:

What we assess and how we assessmust align with the learning goals.

Backward Design Model – Stage 2

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

1. What is “valid” evidence of student learning?

2. How can we assess ‘deep understanding’of learning?

3. How do we design “authentic”assessments?

1. Understand what is meant by Valid Evidenceand how to align assessment with Goals.

2. Review Assessment For/As/Of Learning

3. Determine how to best “assess for understanding”using the 6 Facets of Understanding.

4. Develop Performance Tasks using the “GRASPS”model.

Learning Intentions for Today

1. Multiple Sources of Evidence

2. Align Assessment with the Learning Goals

3. Form Follows Function• What are we assessing?• Why are we assessing?• For whom are the results intended?• How will the results be used?

Three Principles of Assessment

At the endContinuousContinuous

SummativeFormativeFormative

Letter grades, %s, performance scales,

Goal SettingDescriptive feedback

Reporting out

Measuring learning

Students monitoring their own progress

Guiding instruction

Improving learning

Assessment OF Learning

Assessment AS Learning

Assessment FOR Learning

Types of Assessment

• Ensure that what we assess and how we assess aligns with Stage 1 Goals

• Assess only what has been taught, modeled and practiced

• Allow students to use their strengths

• Assess students’ in-depth understanding of key concepts, knowledge, and skills (Stage 1)

(Hume 2010)

VALID EVIDENCE

A Quick ‘Concept Attainment’

Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe) p. 151

What would be sufficient and revealing evidence of learning?

What would be fun and interesting activities on this topic?

What performance tasks must anchor the unit and focus the instruction?

What project might students wish to do on this topic?

What are the different types of evidence required by Stage 1 desired results?

What tests should I give, based on the content I taught?

Against what criteria will we appropriately consider work and assess levels of quality?

How will I give students a grade and justify it to their parents?

1. How well did the activities go? Were students engaged?

2. Did the assessments reveal and distinguish between those who understood from those who only seemed to?

3. How did students do on the test?

4. Am I clear on the reasons behind learner mistakes?

5. Do my group assessments reveal individual students’understanding of key concepts, skills and processes?

“Testers”

In your group, sort the assessment tasks intocolumns of “valid” or “invalid”

• Could a student do well in this assessment task without a real understanding of the goals?

• Could a student perform poorly on this assessment task but still have a good understanding if allowed to show understanding in other ways?

Testing for Validity Group Activity

“…Understanding shows its face when people can think and act

flexibly around what they know.”

The Six Facets of Understanding

• Explain why they did something

• Discuss their evidence and support for their answer/ approach/ design

• Reflect on the results they achieved and possible alternative ways to achieve it

We want students to be able to:

• Demonstrate insight

• Explain the big idea / significant concept in their own words

• Make connections

• Justify an argument with evidence

• Avoid common misunderstandings

Why are the characteristics of …What accounts for …How did … come about

Explanation

• Requires students to make sense of something

• Read between the lines and offer plausible accounts for discrepancies

• Offer a meaningful account of a complex situation

Interpretation

What does it mean when…How does this relate to…Predict what might happen if…

Application

• Using knowledge or skills in a new way

How is … usable in a larger contextWhen can we use…How might … help…

• See something from different points of view

• Critique and justify a position

• Test a theory

• Understand the biases and assumptions in an argument

Perspective

Defend the …What are the limits of…Was it justified to…Is this evidence reliable?

• Understand how others think and the rationale behind the thinking

• Develop an appreciation of those who think and act differently than us

Empathy

What would it be like to….What was the author thinking when…How can we understand…

• Gain insight into our performance

• Helps us to question our convictions

Self-Knowledge

What are the limits of my understanding?What strategies work for me?How do I learn best?

• Help us find authentic assessment that is suitable for our significant concept/big idea

• Guide us to an measurement that we deem quintessential for understanding and comprehension

• Help us find a balance between factual recall and deep understanding

Six Key Facets

• Explain to the class how a battery causes a light bulb to glow.

Application

Inte

rpre

tatio

n Explanation

• Design an electrical circuit to accomplish a specific task

• Troubleshoot a faulty electrical circuit

• Why does Canada use AC instead of DC current? (historical perspective)

• What are the strengths of each type?

• Describe an electron’s experience as is passes through a simple current.

• Interpret a schematic diagram and predict the outcome.

Empathy

• Give a pre-test and a post-test to assess common misconceptions (e.g., force-concept inventory) and have students reflect on their deepening understanding.

Persp

ectiv

e

Self-Knowledge

Electricity

• Higher-order thinking skills

• Acquisition of content and procedural knowledge

• Differentiate content, process and product according to students’ readiness, interests, and learning profiles

Tomlinson 1999

Why Performance Tasks?

• Realistically contextualized

• Judgments and innovation

• Asks the student to “do” the subject

Criteria forA Performance Task:

• Knowledge and skill to negotiate a complex and multistage task

• Opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, get feedback and refine performances and products

Criteria forA Performance Task:

Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe) p. 154

• GOAL

• ROLE

• AUDIENCE

• SITUATION

• PRODUCTS/PERFORMANCE/PURPOSE

• STANDARDS and CRITERIA for SUCCESS

GRASPS

• Use the verbs from the PLOs to determine what students will do to reveal understanding

• Consider the verbs within the 6 Facets of understanding when designing Performance Tasks

From Learning Goals to Performance Task

Curricular Priorities

Worth being familiar with

Important to know and do

Big Ideas and Core Tasks

Worth Being Familiar With

• Different conditions requiring dietary restrictions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and stomach ulcers

Important to know and do

• Canada’s Food Guide recommendations

• Nutritional information on food labels and how to interpret them

Big Ideas

• Balanced diet

Understandings

• “You are what you eat.” Your diet affects your health, appearance, and performance.

Worth being familiar with

Important to know and do

Big Ideas and Core Tasks

Traditional quizzes and tests

• Paper-and-pencil

• Selected-response

• Constructed response

Performance tasks and projects

• Complex

• Open-ended

• Authentic

Curricular Priorities and Assessment Methods

Where to Differentiate?Tomlinson & McTighe (2006) Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. p. 36 Fig 3.3

• Use the concept of Validity, the 6 Facets of Understanding and the GRASPStemplate, design a performance task for your planned unit of instruction.

School Teams: Your Task

• Complete Stage 1 and 2 of your UbD unit

• Check the Wiki page for articles and updates

Next Steps…

Next session:March 29th at the LUCAS Gym