Using Backward Design for Curriculum Planning

by: Ginger Bidell

One of the most challenging, and important, tasks facing teachers and instructional designers is curriculum planning. There is so much content. How do we decide what is most important and valuable for students to master?

Many people begin the planning process by developing lessons or reviewing textbooks first. Backward design, a curriculum planning approach introduced by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, challenges teachers and designers to begin their planning process by developing goals for student learning. 

The backward design approach helps teachers and designers to establish priorities for learning and avoid using the textbook as the curriculum instead of a resource. This approach includes three steps: identifying the desired results, determining acceptable evidence of learning, and developing the learning plan. 

Step one: Identifying the desired results, including developing learning objectives. 

This step involves reflecting on the standards and curriculum map to identify the key concepts that students should know and be able to understand at the end of the unit. It is also important to identify the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students are expected to acquire during the unit. For example, in a technical writing unit, an objective might be for students to effectively write for various audiences to enable others to perform a task. 

Step two: Determining acceptable evidence of learning. 

Another important question that teachers and designers must answer is “how do we know whether or not students have achieved our learning objectives?” This step requires teachers to consider what will be acceptable evidence that students have met the objectives. What will students need to do to demonstrate that they can effectively write for various audiences to enable them to perform a task?

In our example, students may provide evidence that they have met the objective by writing directions that will enable their peers to perform a task, for example making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Once students have written the directions, their classmates can follow the directions to see if they are able to successfully make the sandwich.

Step three: Developing the learning plan. 

Once we know what students need to be able to know and do, what needs to happen in the classroom to support that goal? What will need to be taught? What might need to be coached? What types of scaffolding will students need to meet their goals? And finally, what materials and resources will students need to acquire the needed information? 

A learning plan that would enable students to meet our objective might include a number of different activities. Students may need to learn aspects of technical writing from the teacher or textbook. They may need to view and discuss examples of technical writing. They will also need opportunities to practice their technical writing skills and receive feedback. For example, students could write technical directions for a task. Their classmates could use the directions and attempt to complete the task. Then, those classmates can provide feedback to the writer to help them fill in missing steps or information. Students might also write directions for their parents and have their parents provide feedback. Every activity in the learning plan will support students’ mastery of the objective. 

So back to our original question; in all of the content and materials that we have at our disposal, how do we decide what is most important and valuable for students to master?

Using backward design to plan learning units and courses helps teachers and designers to reflect on what is really important for students to learn. Establishing objectives first enables them to prioritize learning activities so that students can successfully master learning goals.

Wiggins, J & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This post was written by Ginger Bidell, A Pass Educational Group, LLC, February contractor of the month. 

Ginger Bidell is an instructional designer who provides faculty support for the development, design, and revision of online and hybrid courses and programs at SUNY Buffalo State. In addition, Ginger has worked as a freelance instructional designer for A Pass Educational Group for the past year. Prior to working as an instructional designer, Ginger taught history and English language arts at the elementary and secondary levels. Ginger earned both her Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education and Social Studies and Master of Science in Education from SUNY Buffalo State.