Monday, April 26, 2010

Grant Wiggins Understanding by Design

Grant Wiggins’ co-wrote the book Understanding by Design with Jay McTighe. Grant Wiggins taught 14 years in a secondary school. He is currently the president of the Authentic Education in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. He organizes workshops, develops materials and web resources on curricular change.

One of Grant Wiggins key understandings if that the primary goal of education is the development and deepening of student understanding to enable transfer of knowledge and skills. Another key component of understanding according to Grant Wiggins is that content needs to be “unpacked” to identify the big ideas and essential questions. Lastly, Wiggins feels that understanding can not be transmitted by “telling”. It is revealed when students apply (transfer) knowledge and skills.

The Backward Design approach invented by Grant Wiggins uses a question format rather than an objective one. Wiggins believes in order to develop an effective curriculum, students answer key questions, in order to strengthen their learning about content, and experience an enduring understanding. As educators, we all want our students to learn, and to keep that learning with them. There is no way better to ensure this but by developing curriculum that not only meets their needs, but also is an essential part of learning. Students learn best by creating and developing relevant meaning.

The Backward Design consists of three stages. Stage 1: Identify Desired Results. In this stage, the essential question is determined to guide stages 2 and 3. During Stage 1, the essential question needs to focus on enduring value beyond the classroom, requires unfolding of abstract or often misunderstood ideas, and offers potential for engaging students. Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence. In the second stage, the design process is to define what forms of assessment will demonstrate that the students acquired the knowledge, understanding, and skills to answer the questions. In this stage, Wiggins is accepting of three types of assessment: a performance task, criteria referenced, and self-assessment. Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction. In this stage, it is determined what sequence of teaching and learning experiences will allow students to develop and demonstrate the necessary enduring understanding.

Grant Wiggins also developed the Six Facets of Understanding. They are: explain, interpret, apply, perspective, empathize, and self-knowledge. Once a student grasps these facets of understanding, they can then, in turn, transfer that knowledge from one lesson to the next. Following this model of understanding enables the students to make meaningful and lasting connections while enduring understanding.

While reading about Grant Wiggins Understanding by Design, I found that it makes so much more sense to start with what our big ideas and questions are that we want children to investigate and understand. These focus topics do not just need to be for one lesson- they can be incorporated for multiple lessons at a time. So many high school students graduate not feeling as though they have learned much information which is useful to them. If we follow Wiggins’ theory and practices, students have a better chance of recalling and applying knowledge more realistically.

Of course, it is easier to simply teach out of a textbook and use rote memorization as the tool for assessment. If you put into practice Wiggins ideas, much teacher preparation is needed to fully and correctly implement the curriculum. For many years, this has been, and for many still is, the way students are taught. It is not easy to convince those who have been educators for years that this new “backwards” way does increase a student’s learning ability. As for the Six Facets of Design, not all educators feel that all of them need to be a focal point. Some believe that only a few of them are crucial in a child’s learning and understanding.

Barbara-Jo Freundlich
Spring 2010

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