What is Understanding by Design (UbD) and Why It Matters?

Understanding by Design (UbD) is a framework that helps educators design curriculum and assessments that are focused on student understanding and long-term retention. This approach prioritizes the end goal of education and starts with a clear understanding of what students should learn. UbD is a powerful tool to ensure that instruction is meaningful, relevant, and effective.

What is Understanding by Design (UbD)?

UbD was developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe and emphasizes backward design. This means that educators begin with the end in mind and plan backward from the desired results. In this approach, the goal is to identify what students will understand, and then design assessments and activities that will help them achieve that understanding.

Why Does UbD Matter?

UbD prioritizes the ultimate goal of education: student understanding. Too often, traditional curricula are focused on coverage rather than depth, breadth, or meaning. Standardized tests can contribute to this problem by assessing memorization and isolated skills rather than complex and meaningful understanding.

By using UbD, educators can design learning experiences that are meaningful, relevant, and aligned with the end goal of education. Students are more likely to remember and apply what they’ve learned when it is connected to their lives and interests.

The Key Components of UbD

UbD has three key components: Understanding, Assessment, and Instruction. Let’s examine each element in more detail.

Understanding

First, educators must identify what students should understand, not just what they should know or be able to do. This requires a deep understanding of the subject matter and the desired outcomes for students.

For instance, if the objective is to teach students about World War II, instead of teaching them to memorize dates and battles, the goal might be to help them understand the political, social, and economic causes and consequences of the war.

Assessment

Second, educators must design assessments that measure understanding. Traditional assessments like multiple-choice tests are inadequate because they do not capture the complexity of understanding. UbD advocates for assessments that require students to apply, analyze, and synthesize information rather than just recall information.

Instruction

Finally, instruction must be designed to help students achieve the desired understanding. This means designing learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and aligned with the desired outcomes. UbD encourages educators to ask themselves, “What do I want students to be able to do with their new understanding?” and design instruction to support those skills.

Example of UbD in Practice: The Sun and the Moon

An elementary school teacher is designing a science lesson about the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. Using UbD, the teacher starts by identifying the desired outcome: students should understand how the movement of the Earth, Sun, and Moon creates day and night, the phases of the moon, and eclipses.

For assessment, the teacher designs an activity in which students create a model of the Earth, Sun, and Moon and demonstrate their understanding of these concepts.

For instruction, the teacher designs a hands-on lesson in which students use flashlights to simulate the movement of the Earth, Sun, and Moon, and observe how this movement creates different phenomena. Students work in groups to create their models and present their findings to the class.

Conclusion

Understanding by Design is an approach to teaching that prioritizes student understanding and long-term retention. By starting with the end in mind and designing assessments and instruction to support understanding, educators can create meaningful, relevant, and engaging learning experiences. The result is a generation of students who are better prepared for success in life and career.

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