Niagara College Canada

Where do I begin?

Use “backward design”

Backward design is about beginning with the end in mind. It focuses on student learning and understanding first, and then activities and instruction to support them; it has three key parts. First, identify what you want students to know or demonstrate by the end of a class or course. Second, determine how you will know when students have learned what you set out to teach them.  Third, develop teaching strategies/activities that you will use to activate their learning and help them to meet the learning goals.

Step 1: Desired Results

When you’re considering what you want your students to know by the end of a section or course, it’s helpful to have a way to prioritize the objectives you want.  For example, you may organize by what is absolutely critical, important and then nice to know. Also helpful is to consider the order of these objectives and how they may link within your course.

To learn more about course objectives and how they relate to the online classroom, please go the the section titled Understanding Course Outcomes for an Online Course.

Step 2: Assessment

Now that you have the desired results in mind, consider how you will know that your students achieved those results.  Your assessments will not only evaluate mastery of a topic but also provide you with an indication of whether your teaching has been effective. In an online environment checking in with your students and their learning is really important. Therefore, in addition to an assessment of learning, which can take the form of summative assessments that have a grade attached to them, such as tests, you should also consider other forms of assessment.  Assessment for learning, otherwise known as formative assessments, may take the form of small, low- or no-stakes assignments to see whether students understand concepts. Assessment as learning, such as reflections that allow students to consider their own learning, can happen throughout the course. Different touch points will go a long way in creating your instructor presence and engaging your students.

To learn more please go to the section titled Choosing Assessments for an Online Course.

Step 3: Teaching strategies and activities

When you’re considering learning experiences and instruction it’s not only important to consider the objective they’re connected to, but also how you can help to support student learning, create meaning for students, and provide them with the ability to apply their knowledge to new situations in the future. Activities should also enable students to evaluate where they are in their learning. By doing so, your role as the instructor is less about being the “sage on the stage” and more about being an effective facilitator of learning and meaning making. For instance, you may engage your students on a discussion board by asking them to reflect on a problem in a case study and how it relates to an event in their life. Or you may have them share ideas on a topic using the whiteboard in Backboard during a synchronous Collaborate session.

How do I implement backward design?

Complete a backward design template

One method to help plan your backward design is to use a template that covers all three components.  Have a look at this template to help you in your planning.

Remember Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

It is important that each stage of the backward design process encourages learning and removes potential barriers. At each stage you will think about how you can motivate and engage your different learners, provide a number of avenues through which they can access content and information, and give varying opportunities to respond to and demonstrate their learning. For example, if one of the objectives is to apply non-verbal communication techniques in personal communication and presentations, what types of content can you provide that will enable students to understand what this looks like?  On Blackboard you can include links to narrated or closed captioned videos of people interacting or presenting. Or perhaps you can ask your students to demonstrate the use of visual cues with a partner through video and allow feedback from other learners. Think about all the different learners in your class. Can they meet the objective through your content and method of teaching online? Visit the CAST website to learn more about UDL and what to consider as you develop your course online.

As well, Tomlinson & McTighe (2007) outline questions that educators can ask at each stage of the backward design process. Click here to see the questions (towards the end of the page).