Backwards Design

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.  It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”  (Covey, S., 2004) [1]
This image shows a funnel made up of six rectangles that get increasingly larger towards the top. The top rectangle is blue, the second rectangle is red, the third rectangle is yellow, the fourth rectangle is lime green, the fifth rectangle is light green, and the bottom rectangle is black. There is a drawing of a person's hand holding a pen, with a white dotted line going up the side of the funnel.

When you begin your design project, always keep in mind the principles of backwards design. Ensure that your Program Outcomes, Course Outcomes, and Weekly Learning Objectives are aligned with each other as well as with the assessments and learning materials in the course.

The key to backwards design and alignment is to start with the finished product in mind—the outcome the student will demonstrate—and design backwards from that point. The purpose of this approach is to make sure that every instructional decision for the learning experience contributes directly to the desired student learning outcomes. Backwards design is used throughout a program, courses within that program, and assessments and content used within courses.  Each layer is a building block to help ensure that students are achieving program level and institutional outcomes by the conclusion of their academic journey at Bay Path.

This image shows the hierarchy of alignment. The top of the triangle indicates the institutional outcomes, the second tier indicates the program level outcomes, the third tier indicates the course level outcomes, and the bottom of the hierarchy indicates the weekly learning objectives..

No matter what type of development or edits you are doing in a course, it is important to ensure that the alignment of all outcomes, assessments, and materials remains intact or is adjusted adequately to reflect the new design of the course.

The three primary steps of backwards design include 1) identifying desired results 2) determining acceptable evidence (creating assessments) and 3) planning the learning activities and materials.

 

This image shows a flow chart of the three phases of backwards design. The first phase requires you to identify your desired results, the second phase is determining your form(s) of assessment, and the final phase is planning your learning activities and instruction.

This chapter will provide a detailed overview of the first step in backwards design: Identify Desired Results.

  1. Stephen R. Covey (2004).  “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change”, p.98, Simon and Schuster. ↵

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