For our previous assignment, our task was to create a three column table based on the ideas of Dr. Fink (n.d). This week, we went deeper into designing a significant learning environment by creating a plan based on Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005).

 

These two design ideas are very similar in how you design your curriculum with the end in mind, but there are some differences as well. The three column design is more of an overview of a unit where you do start thinking of goals, activities, and assessments. The UbD plan goes more specific first by declaring what your established goals are what ideas should be transferable outside the course. Lists are also specified of what understandings the students should have by the end and what some of the essential questions are that will be discussed. UbD has you say what students should know and how you will get evidence of them knowing it. The biggest difference between the two designs is in UbD's Stage 3 where the learning activities get broken down to identify how they are beneficial to the students learning following the WHERETO list of key elements. An explanation of those elements is in the graphic below by plan.

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My preference between plans would all depend on the length of time I have to prepare for a unit. My three column table helped me to nail down my initial ideas of what I want to do, but UbD makes me go further to make sure that my activities are beneficial to my students and take care of all the things they need to know.

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My UbD Plan for a Linear Functions Unit