UbD
Understanding by Design
and
IMAD Pedagogy
What is UbD?
UbD, created by educators Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, is a framework for designing courses and content units called “Backward Design.”
Traditionally, pedagogy (the practice of teaching) is planned in a “forward design” manner, meaning teachers consider the learning activities to teach the curriculum content, develop assessments around the activities, and then attempt to draw connections to the learning goals of the curriculum.
In contrast, the practice of “Backward Design” is to identify the desired results first, and focuses on “transfer of learning”. Essential questions that foster inquiry, acquisition, understanding and transfer of learning are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making” to help them develop and deepen their understanding of important ideas and processes that support such transfer of specific understandings desired, as well as predictable misunderstandings.
The second stage is to determine assessment evidence – in other words, how will students demonstrate understanding, and by what criteria will the demonstration of understanding be judged. All desired results from Stage 1 must align with assessment evidence in Stage 2.
In the third stage of Backward Design, teachers plan the most appropriate lessons and learning activities to address the three different types of goals identified in Stage 1:
Transfer
Meaning making
Acquisition
Understanding cannot simply be told; the learner has to actively construct meaning to avoid misconception and forgetfulness.
A key concept in UbD framework is alignment – all three stages must clearly align with standards and one another. In other words, the Stage 1 content and understanding must be what is assessed in Stage 2 and taught in Stage 3.
Teachers are only able to help students learn a limited number of facts and ideas, so it is important to equip students with the tools they need to decipher and understand ideas. If a student is able to transfer the skills they learn in the classroom to unfamiliar situations, whether academic or non-academic, they are said to truly understand.
IMAD Pedagogy
Case Study
Actions based on self-motivated decisions are more effective than those based on instruction. IMAD lessons are designed to foster self-awareness of thoughts and behaviour, and the knowledge and skills taught are relevant and achievable, prompting motivation.
Why is understanding important?
When knowledge is meaningfully understood, it is retained for longer, can be built upon to acquire further understanding, is versatile in the ways it can be used, and facilitates creativity.