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(c) Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe 1
Focusing on Understanding
International School of Bangkok
August 3-7, 2010
Facilitated by Elizabeth Rossini
McTighe 2
Agenda for the workshop
Overview of Teaching for Understanding
What is good design?
What is understanding?
What does our understanding of
“understanding” demand of our designs?
McTighe 3
Essential Questions for us to
consider –
Why teach for understanding?
What does it mean to teach for
understanding? To understand?
What’s the difference between “getting it”
and mere accurate recall of what was taught?
How do you know when learners really
understand?
What does designs – our planning?
How do we teach understanding as a goal
McTighe 4
Best Design exercise
What was the most well-designed learning
experience you ever encountered as a
learner, in or out of school?
“Best” = the design resulted in highly
engaged and effective learning.
McTighe 5
Focus on Design Features:
The teaching and learning itself.
Avoid:
“She made us feel comfortable.”
“I was really interested in the topic.”
“The teacher matched my learning style.”
“Our group really got along.”
McTighe 6
Best Design Part 1
Personally reflect (3 minutes)
What was the best designed learning situation that
you experienced?
Could beCould be in or outin or out of school. Cof school. Could be as aould be as a
learner or teacher.learner or teacher.
What made it engaging and effective?What made it engaging and effective?
Ignore the teacherIgnore the teacher’’ss stylestyle..
Describe the situation and consider theDescribe the situation and consider the
charactercharacterisisticstics

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McTighe 7
Best Design exercise - Part 2
Small group reflection (10 minutes)Small group reflection (10 minutes)
Given the description and characteristics, whatGiven the description and characteristics, what
generalizations become apparent about best designsgeneralizations become apparent about best designs
for learning? What do the the examples you identifiedfor learning? What do the the examples you identified
have in common?have in common?
Work in a small group and develop statements thatWork in a small group and develop statements that
utilize key ideas from your indiutilize key ideas from your individual remembrancevidual remembrance..
WriteWrite youryour bestbest generalizations. Pick a spokesperson togeneralizations. Pick a spokesperson to
represent your group.represent your group.
McTighe 8
Your Answers:
What are the common
characteristics of well
designed learning
experiences?
McTighe 13
Aurora Public Schools K-5:
immediate application and time to try new
ideas
Specific and timely
Time to self-reflect
Multiple exposures in different modalities
Doing the work, hands-on
Purpose for learning is established
Learners empowered and can make decisions
McTighe 14
Aurora Public Schools K-5:
Goals were clear for specific learning and
shared up front
Gradual release of responsibility model used
Models/exemplars/demonstrations used
They “why” of the learning was clear and
shared with the goals
Both big picture and sequential learning is
clear and followed
Immersed in the process/learning
Authentic applications of our learning
McTighe 15
The best designs: K-16 Educators
San Antonio conference
• opportunity to practice ideas through teaching others
• Clear goals/outcomes
• Models/exemplars used
• Took baby steps
• Engaging
• Teachers effectively “hooked” the students
• Used multiple modalities
• Clear identification of knowledge/skills to be
learned/learned
McTighe 16
The best designs…
Cheshire Academy, CT
Clear goals from the start
Immediate and lots of feedback
Active, hands-on and minds-on
Challenging
Some kinds of public/semi-public presentation
Real-world application
“Not by winging it” - well-organized, sequenced

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McTighe 17
The best designs…
St. Louis Univ. (K-16 educators)
Provides enough time to do it well
Connected to prior learning
Feedback on-going
Doable but challenging
Interactive
Reflective
Clear expectations
McTighe 18
The best designs…
K-6 Educators, Menomonee Falls, Wi.
Designed around open-ended
questions and problems
Clear goals and expectations
Challenging and relevant
Allow for self-assessment,
reflection
McTighe 19
In Sum: The best designs…
Have focused, meaningful learning goals
Assessments include transfer, feedback and
self-assessment
Students are engaged and supported
Learning is effective, active and
individualized
Structure is effective, sequenced and
coherent See pg. 12
McTighe 20
Three-Minute Pause
Meet in groups of 3 - 5 to...
summarize key points.
add your own thoughts.
pose clarifying questions.
√
√
√
McTighe 21
By ‘design’ UbD addresses
many key problems:
Lack of meaningful and focused learning
goals;
Addressing the problem of “students who
don’t really ‘get it’
Student failure to apply/transfer learning
Aimless and un-engaging work
Lack of coherent and sequenced
instructional plans (c) Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe 22
Problem #1: A Frequent
Absence of Understanding
In even our best students and
their work, we see frequent –
amnesia
misunderstanding
rigid knowledge, no
transfer

4
McTighe 23
What does it mean to
understand?
You really understand a
subject if you can…
If you only learned
content, you will only
be able to…
McTighe 24
But, what is Understanding?
1. How do you define it?
2. What are indicators of
understanding? What does it
look like when someone
understands?
3. What does it look like when you
possess knowledge but don’t
understand?
McTighe 25
Understanding Explained
Meet Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
As you listen to their definition of
understanding make note of any ah ha’s
or any questions that you have.
McTighe 26
Understanding – a Definition:
Understanding:
effective use of knowledge and skill – in
varied, important, realistic, and novel
situations;
Insight into key ideas, their rationale, and
their connections, as reflected in wise
expression - knowing & showing “why?” and
“so what?”
McTighe 27
Essential QEssential Q’’s of UbDs of UbD
What is ‘understanding’- really ‘getting it’?
If that’s what understanding is, what follows?
What does understanding as a goal require of -
‘Designs’ - our planning?
Learning and teaching activities?
Assessment and feedback to learners?
How do we achieve understanding by design
(vs. ‘good fortune’)?
McTighe 28
Three-Minute Pause
√
√
√

5
McTighe 29
Problem #2: Lack of Transfer
The research is sobering:
Transfer of learning is widely considered to be a
fundamental goal of education. When students cannot
perform tasks only slightly different from those learned in
class, or when they fail to appropriately apply their
classroom learning in settings outside of school, then
education is deemed to have failed.
Unfortunately, achieving significant transfer of learning has
proven to be a difficult chore. Dating back to the beginning
of [last] century, the research literature on transfer is
replete with reports of failure.
McKeough et al Teaching for Transfer
McTighe 30
Transfer defined and justified
What is ‘transfer of learning’?
‘Transfer of learning’ is the use of knowledge and skills
(acquired in an earlier context) in a new context. It
occurs when a person’s learning in one situation
influences that person’s learning and performance in
other situations.
When transfer of learning occurs, it is in the form of
meanings, expectations, generalizations, concepts, or
insights that are developed in one learning situation
being employed in others
Bigge & Shermis, 1992.
McTighe 31
Transfer = gradual release of
responsibility
Consider in primary language arts
I do, you watch
I do, you help
You do, I help
You do, I watch
McTighe 32
The poetry unit
#1: Poetry alive
Exposure to many poems
See, hear, touch
#2: Read and react
I chose this poem because
This poem reminds me of
# 3: Poetry is everywhere
EQ, where is poetry hidden?
#4/5: forms and structure of poems
#6: poetry portfolio
McTighe 33
Three-Minute Pause
√
√
√
Transfer = you cannot expect mostly
simple ‘sideline drills’ to prepare you for
the real game
Designing backward from genuine
performance means you have to learn
by practicing to perform, on your own
– scaffold and easy exercises gradually
removed

6
McTighe 35
Tball coaching experience
3 years during high school
4 years during college
4 years as a parent
Fast pitch softball player in high school
and in WDC league
McTighe 36
Typical Tball Stations
Throwing
Stop, step and throw
To center of hoola hoop on back drop
To the glove of another player
Catching/Fielding
Using open gallon jugs
Alligator
Crab
Glove to ground
Batting
Elbow up
Step, hit, rotate hips
Don’t throw the bat
Base Running
One direction
Listen to base coach
Look at base not ball
McTighe 37
Typical Game
What are coaches and parents
doing during most tball games?
Coaching tball through the
lens of understanding
McTighe 39
Goals for coaches and players
Our Goals as coaches:
Create a fun, inviting and safe environment for the kids
Teach the kids the basics of baseball (both knowledge and skill)
Educate the parents
Have fun coaching!
Our Goals for our players:
Basic understanding of baseball rules (base running, field positions,
safety rules, proper catching/throwing/batting form, proper behavior
while on bench.)
A feeling of being an integral part of a team.
A respect for fellow players and the differing ability levels.
A fun experience.
McTighe 40
Our Tball players
will understand that…
After hitting the ball, if you get to the base
before the ball you are safe.
Players run around the bases in a specific order
and direction.
There is a place in the field for each position.
When the ball is hit, the position closest to
where the ball is gets to field the ball.
Being a part of this team requires going to the
practices and games, listening to the coaches,
trying new things, and a fun attitude.
It is not about winning, it is about having fun!

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McTighe 41
Our players will know and
be able to…
determine who should field the ball
depending upon where it goes on the field
run the bases properly
bat from a tee with proper form
catch the ball OR position their hands in
proper form in order to catch the ball
find designated positions on the field
field the ball when it comes to their position
throw the ball to specified location
sit appropriately on the bench during games
Practices have some station work
(skill and drill) but most of the
time is spent in game like
conditions.
Consider the following
examples:
What do these reveal about
transfer ?
McTighe 45
NAEP Grade 4 MathNAEP Grade 4 Math
There will be 58 people at breakfast and each person
will eat 2 eggs. There are 12 eggs in each carton.
How many cartons of eggs will be needed for the
breakfast?
(calculator available)
A. 9
B. 10
C. 72
D. 116
McTighe 46
Grade 4 Math: Multi-step problem
(Note: Calculator available)
21%
77%
3%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Correct Incorrect Omitted
%ofStudents
Nation
(Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.)
__
__
__
__
NAEP Grade 4 MathNAEP Grade 4 Math
McTighe 47
Colorado CSAP Math Gr. 4
Together Sara and Brendan have 20 pencils. Sara
says ¼ of the pencils are hers. Brendan says 15
of the pencils belong to him. Explain how they
both could be right. Use words or drawings.
Did you use a calculator on this question? Y or N

8
McTighe 48
Colorado CSAP Math Gr. 4
2003 Performance Results
Score Percentage of Students
Correct 11%
Partial 18%
Incorrect 61%
Omitted Item 9%
Off Task 1% (c) Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe 49
NAEP 8th-grade test item,
constructed response
How many buses does
the army need to
transport 1,128 soldiers if
each bus holds 36
soldiers?
McTighe 50
“31, remainder 12”!!
Remainder
12 bus
Answer from 30% :
McTighe 51
MCAS (MASS) test item:
10th-grade English reading item
Is this selection is best described as a :
•biography?
•scientific article?
•essay?
•investigative report?
McTighe 52
MCAS (MASS) test item: 10th-
grade English reading item
A fellow fourth grader broke the news to me after she saw my effort on a
class assignment involving scissors and construction paper. “You cut out a purple
bluebird,” she said. There was no reproach in her voice, just a certain puzzlement.
Her observation opened my eyes— not that my eyes particularly help—to the fact
that I am colorblind. In the 36 years since, I’ve been trying to understand what that
means. I’m still not sure I do….
Unlike left-handers, however, we seem disinclined
to rally round our deviation from the norm. Thus there’s no ready source of
information about how many presidents, or military heroes, or rock singers have been
colorblind. Based on the law of averages, though, there must have been some. We are
everywhere, trying to cope, trying to blend in. Usually we succeed. Until someone
spots our purple bluebirds. Then the jig is up.
McTighe 53
The most wrong item on the
state test: 71% incorrect!
This selection is best described as
A. a biography.
B. a scientific article.
C. an essay.
D. an investigative report.
Many students said it could not be
an essay because “it was funny” and
because “it had more than 5
paragraphs.”

9
McTighe 54
The more difficult problems for students
on state tests are “transfer” questions
Unfamiliar reading passages and writing
prompts with few obvious clues (and no
teacher or textbook heads-up about what
this is about)
Unfamiliar-looking versions of math
problems
McTighe 55
Additional Examples --
state exam question; gr. 5 SS
Imagine you are a class buddy to a 3rd grader. You
have been asked to teach your buddy about the
various documents that were written by our
founding fathers. Create a visual aid to compare
and contrast the following; The Articles of
Confederation; The Bill of Rights and The
Constitution: Articles I, II, III. Be sure the
summarize for your buddy the key ideas that these
documents share. This summary statement should
reflect the key ideas in the foundation of the
United States Government.
McTighe 56
State exam question; gr. 8 Sci.
During your class trip to NYC, you received
permission to drop a tennis ball form the roof of
the Empire State Building. You recorded the
distance and time of the ball for the first nine
seconds of the fall. Using the data below that you
collected, sketch the shape of the data, and the
determine rate of change, if any, in the tennis
ball’s speed.
McTighe 57
It assesses for transfer, notIt assesses for transfer, not
mere recall, if...mere recall, if...
The student must draw from a
repertoire for a task requiring multiple
skills and an array of knowledge
The test-giver provides minimal cues,
prompts, graphic organizers, etc.
The learner must navigate a context -
this particular setting, audience,
purpose, ‘noise’, etc.
McTighe 58
Transfer is the goal = the realTransfer is the goal = the real
‘‘gamegame’’ of using content on your ownof using content on your own
Applying prior learning to -
a novel and increasingly new and
unfamiliar-looking task
An increasingly challenging context &
situation (in terms of purpose,
audience, dilemmas, “noise” etc.)
McTighe 59
Note how this goal changesNote how this goal changes
our view of time use!our view of time use!
What will we do to achieve the
performance goal - given the very
limited time we have?
We do NOT say: sorry, no time for
performance-based learning and
assessment - there is too much information
to cover!
Nor do we make this mistake in the arts,
athletics, writing, speaking a language

10
McTighe 60
Three-Minute Pause
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√
√
McTighe 61
Problem #3: the key problem
of meaningless work
We do not adequately share with students what are the
learning goals, what they are doing and why they are
doing it- what the learning means- and why, therefore, it
matters.
We front load way to much information, out of context
We teach and drill way too much skill, out of context and
without consideration for purpose
We unwittingly make them intellectually passive -- they
didn’t start out that way!
McTighe 62
3 useful questions to ask in
class as kids work
1. What are you doing? Is what you are doing meaningful
and important?
2. Why are you doing it?
1. What are you supposed to be learning?
3. What will learning it help you to do that matters?
1. The purpose in this class and beyond.
Train yourself and your students to ask WHY? And SO WHAT?
If you asked your students these questions, what do you think would be
their answers?
How can you make the work that they do more meaningful?
How can you better share the meaning and importance of the work that
they are doing in your classrooms?
McTighe 63
UbD was created to address these
issues through a “design process”…
Lets see what the process looks like
McTighe 64
3 Types of Typical Curriculum Design
Activity
Coverage
Procedures/Skills/Facts
McTighe 65
Helping teachers with a 3rd Grade Unit:
“Westward Movement and Pioneer Life” (p. 6)
Overview of Activities
a. Read text on “life on the prairie”.
Answer the questions. Read story together.
b. Read “Sarah Plain and Tall” and complete a
word search on pioneer vocabulary.
c. Create a “pioneer life” memory box, containing
pioneer “artifacts” and a journal.

11
McTighe 66Textbook Example
McTighe 67
McTighe 68
3rd Grade Unit:
“Westward Movement and Pioneer Life”
Read Sarah, Plain and Tall
a.”Exquisite, sometimes painfully touching tale” of a family living on the
prairie, probably in the mid 19th century.
b. The family consists of a father, daughter, and younger son. The wife has
died in childbirth, and the father has “advertised” for a wife. A women
from Maine, Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, “plain and tall” in her own
words, has responded, and comes to live with the family to try it out
for a month.
c. Tells the story of their lives on the prairie (somewhat romantically), their
hopes for their family, Sarah’s longing for the sea and home, and the
final happy ending resolution.
McTighe 69
Culminating Activity
“Prairie Day”
Complete seven learning stations during
“prairie day”:
1. churn butter
2. play 19th-century game
3. send letter home w/ sealing wax
4. play “dress the pioneer” computer game
5. make a corn husk doll
6. quilting
7. tin punching
McTighe 70
Unit Assessments: Westward Movement
and Pioneer Life
Assessments:
Quiz on pioneer vocabulary terms from
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Answers to end of text questions on
pioneer life
“Show and tell” and writing explaining
Memory Box contents
Student reflections
McTighe 72
“Westward Movement and
Pioneer Life”
What do you think are the:
Strengths of the unit?
Problems with the unit
What suggestions and recommendations
would you make to the teachers to
improve this unit?

12
McTighe 73
Student Reflections: Westward
Movement and Pioneer Life
Letter sent home with student comments
from all the 3rd grade classes:
Teacher prompts:
What did you learn about Life on
the Prairie?
What did you like about this unit? (c) Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe 74
Revealing Student Comments
I liked the tin punching because you could
make your own design or follow other
designs. You can see the sunlight through
the holes.
I liked the station where you wrote a
letter. I liked it because you put wax to
seal it.
McTighe 75
Revealing Student Comments
It was fun to design an outfit for myself on
the computer.
I liked the prairie games. My favorite was
the sack racing because I like to jump.
I liked the corn husk doll because it was
fun. I learned that making dolls was not
easy. (c) Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe 76
Problem: No “clear goals”
Activity-driven design of Prairie Day is not
focused on any important goals or “big
ideas” that need to be uncovered and
learned.
McTighe 77
Activity Based Learning
McTighe 79
“Coverage” Based Learning
Chapters in Textbook
September ---------------------------------------- June
“Mile Wide and Inch Deep” Learning

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McTighe 80
Problem With Coverage:
”Marching Through the Textbook”…
A “coverage” driven design at higher grade levels
often marches through the textbook -- and leads
to frequent student misunderstanding and
“amnesia” because
too much content is taught and learned too quickly (no
time to go deeper, make connections, answer
questions…)
goals are confusing
and there are no “big ideas” that make learning
meaningful to the learner and “connect” the pieces of
learning.
McTighe 81
Procedures/
Skills/Facts
teaching
McTighe 82
How many buses does
the army need to transport
1,128 soldiers if each bus
holds 36 soldiers?
Source: 8th grade NAEP mathematics assessment
Question:
McTighe 83
Problem With Procedures, Skills
and Facts Design
A “procedures, skills and facts ” driven
design focuses on the how often in
absence of the why
Students can do the procedure, skill,
regurgitate the fact in class but rarely can they
transfer
often there are no “big ideas” that help
“connect” the pieces of learning with a
conceptual framework (why/so what.)
McTighe 84
Activity
Coverage
Procedures/Skills/Facts
Our goal, understanding based designs
See page 8
McTighe 85
Three-Minute Pause
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√
√

14
McTighe 86
Underlying Assumption:
Understanding By Design:
Good teaching is
the outcome of
good design.
McTighe 87
People hear “six days” and don’t
think about the design work.
McTighe 88
“Backward Design” is the key
approach to unit design!
McTighe 89
Think “Backward”
“To begin with the end in mind means to
start with a clear understanding of your
destination. It means to know where you
are going so that you better understand
where you are now so that the steps you
take are always in the right direction.”
Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People
McTighe 90
1. Identify desired results
2. Determine acceptable evidence
3. Plan learning experiences
& instruction
3 Stages of (“Backward”)
Design
See pages 9-11
McTighe 91
3 Stages with an
understanding focus
What should students come away
understanding?
What is evidence of that understanding?
What learning experiences will develop
understanding?

15
McTighe 92
Stage One PlanningStage One Planning
MEANINGFUL AND FOCUSED GOALS
McTighe 93
Stage Two PlanningStage Two Planning
ASSESSING FOR TRANSFER
Not just knowledge/skill
McTighe 94
Stage 3 PlanningStage 3 Planning--
EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING
learning plan that promotes inquiry/questioning
McTighe 95
A Review of The Morning…
A recurring look at 2 questions:
What is understanding?
What is good design?
UbD offers a set of ideas and tools that
are an embodiment of
common sense
“best practice” in design
what we know about learning
McTighe 96
Now that we have defined
understanding and transfer… pg 13
What does the goal of understanding require
of the learning?
Think of the work the students do and the
instructional activities/assessments you plan.
What has to happen in class and in the
assignments/assessments to make student
understanding and transfer more likely?

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