Understanding by Design (UbD) is a book that has challenged my view of curriculum development and made me reflect on the many possibilities of designing curriculum which truly meets the needs of each student. The original book was published in 1998 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Since the first book, Wiggins and McTighe have written the Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook, Understanding by Design (2nd Edition), Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design (Tomlinson and McTighe) and Schooling by Design.
The UbD Professional Development Workbook is a favorite with teachers and administrators because it shares templates and tools for implementing the theories that are recommended in Understanding by Design. My favorite chapter in the book is chapter seven which is titled “What is Uncoverage?" Wiggins and McTighe wrote, “The key point to be developed in this chapter is that any curriculum aiming for student understanding requires uncoverage of the material – inquiring into, around, and underneath content instead of simply covering it” (p. 98). Some educators may argue that uncoverage is a novel idea, but there simply is not enough time in the day to wait for students to uncover the big ideas and enduring understandings in each unit of study. A review of UbD will help educators see that the purposeful design of curriculum and instruction to meet specific needs leads to student understanding. The tools provided at the end of this book and in the Professional Development Workbook will enable collaborative teams to make critical decisions regarding curriculum design.
Wiggins and McTighe cite the research of curriculum heavyweights such as Jerome Bruner, Art Costa, John Dewey, Howard Gardner, Madeline Hunter, David Perkins, Ted Sizer, Ralph Tyler and others. Using research combined with stories about present-day classrooms and unit designs, the authors provide the reader with curriculum theory and a process for implementing UbD. For additional information on Teaching for Understanding, visit Put Understanding First (Educational Leadership, May 2008). Understanding by Design books and resources are available for purchase at ASCD. Please feel free to share your thoughts on Understanding by Design.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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