Photo by Iewek Gnos on Unsplash

Backward Design and Understanding by Design (UbD)

Wiggins & McTighe’s idea of backward design is a way of planning education that begins with introducing the end goal. This approach is valuable because it allows students to see what exactly they need to understand, and it also provides space for them to explore different approaches to fulfill their desired learning objective. An example of this from my own learning experience has been in a research seminar here at UVic, PSYC 492, where we had very clear learning objectives. We were to study and discuss electroencephalography (EEG) techniques, accurately reproduce them in a lab environment, and then analyze, interpret and present our findings. The backwards design of this course syllabus was necessary, because it was a three and a half week accelerated summer course – without proper design, we would not have had a successful seminar.

Design thinking is another interesting framework that I hadn’t heard about before our discussion of it in Module 2. Reflecting on a prior experience I’ve had, design thinking definitely played a role in a more successful solution to a problem; I’ve noticed that during busy travel weekends, there will be extra buses or double-decker buses added to routes that normally don’t have them. Applying this framework makes a better solution to the problem – with more buses, more people were able to address their need of efficient public transport. I’ve noticed this design thinking approach applied to the 70 to Swartz Bay, as well as on some routes in Vancouver.

Photo from Wikipedia

Learning Outcomes and Bloom’s Taxonomy

We discussed both Bloom’s Taxonomy and SOLO Taxonomy in Module 2, but I found that Bloom’s Taxonomy resonated better with me. I find this framework more helpful because I’ve inadvertently applied it to my own experience as a math tutor. When I assign a student a project or assessment and describe it weak verbs, or if the textbook/workbook they’re learning from use the same weak verbs, I’ve noticed that they do not seem as motivated to work, nor do they seem to understand the material on a deep level. On the other hand, when I their teachers assign them a project with a rubric that uses strong verbs, they are much more focused and ready to learn.

Better Learning Design

In some of my courses, I’ve found that surface-level learning was good enough to get an A in the class. Without effective learning objective design to get students thinking, there was no reason for us to do anything more than memorize the content and regurgitate it on exams. As a result, I could not recall much at all about these courses after the final exam, because I was just cramming for the test, rather than to learn. Though I might have gotten the grade I wanted, I left the semester feeling like I didn’t gain any knowledge from the class.

Inquiry and Project-Based Learning

I see inquiry and project-based learning at the core of my professional interest, because I want to pursue a career in psychology research. At the heart of all research is some kind of inquiry, which usually turns into collaboration and a drive to solve a specific problem. As an example, here is a research podcast I did with my friend for a psychology class:

When applying this to education, I could see the biggest benefit to designing open-ended questions and projects being that students (and researchers) get to explore the things that they want to. An intrinsic drive to learn about something would lead to a much more authentic project. Conversely, a challenge to this approach could be keeping students on track and on topic, as well as making the grading system fair For example, how do you mark a podcast, vs a written paper, vs a poster, if they’re all supposed to be worth the same percentage of a student’s grade?