Resources
Returning tests following an examination is often a difficult task for the instructor, particularly in courses that are perceived by students as anxiety producing. The purpose of this article is to offer suggestions for designing this class session so that students view it as a positive part of the learning process. the four phases suggested for this feedback session are (a) preparing the students for receiving test feedback, (b) implementing a strategy for returning tests, (c) selecting an approach for reviewing test items, and (d) bringing closure to the class a positive way. young professionals lacking the experiences to anticipate problems when returning examinations to students may especially benefit from these suggestions.
Journal Issue.
What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition, offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike. (From the Publisher)