AISSA“Down the Track” Seminar

April 7-8, 2011

Backward Mapping: curriculum planning for aligning pedagogy

and assessment

Dr. Katie Weir

Backward mapping: origins

Backward Mapping(Weir , 2009)

What do you value?

What do you want students to demonstrate as a result of their learning?

How are you going to get them there?

How is assessment going to be incorporated into your pedagogy?

Backward Design(Wiggins & McTighe, 1998)

Identify desired results

Determine Acceptable Evidence

Plan learning experiences and instruction

Backward Mapping Outline

ASSESSMENT TASK + GRADING TOOL(= learning goals)

↓LEARNING EPISODES

(pedagogical activities that create optimal conditions for students to undertake assessment)

↕(In)FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

(gathering evidence of learning progress at key junctures)

An Example: Planning for “Down the Track” Seminar

1. What do I want participants to learn?

2. How am I going to obtain evidence of participants’ understanding?

A new approach to curriculum planning and its implications; how to design quality assessment tasks

Participants will create a unit/theme/topic plan based on the principles of backward mapping

An example (cont’d)3. What learning activities do participants need

to engage in so they can create their own curriculum plans?

Design Quality Assessment Tasks

Create a task sheet

+ grading tool

For a unit/theme/topic

Design Learning Experiences

that align with the assessment task

And incorporate- big ideas/questions- literacy demands- TfEL strategies- student diversity

Understand and apply the principles of Assessment FOR learning

An example (cont’d)

4. What formative assessment strategies can I implement to ensure participants are progressing

towards the desired learning goals?

Look for evidence of (mis)understanding through group discussions about expectations of the seminar

Informal feedback through conversations as participants work on designing their plans

WIP – participants present ideas for plan end Day 1

Participant feedback

Why do it?

When teachers plan (preferably together) and apply the principles of backward mapping, they are enabling the following conditions: Alignment between curriculum, pedagogy and

assessment Consistency of curriculum delivery and teacher

evaluation of student work Accountability for learning, teaching and to the SACSA

(DECS) and ACARA (standards-based) frameworks Connecting the learning to students’ everyday lives Inclusive classrooms Professional learning communities and confident

teachers

SESSION OVERVIEW

Today:Introduction to Backward MappingAuthentic Assessment: Designing Quality Assessment Tasks

Before you go: Present WIP/ideas to group

SESSION OVERVIEW

Tomorrow (Friday):Aligning assessment and curriculumNew ideas on marking rubricsContinue working on plansAligning assessment and pedagogyDesigning learning for optimal performanceBefore you go:Discuss implications for schools, staffrooms and classrooms Present rough draft of plansComplete feedback forms.