Slides from 2013 UCF FCTL Summer Faculty Development Conference Access AUDIO of this session at: http://ofcoursesonline.com/thompson_sugar_backwarddesign.mp3

1. Starting Backward Design
from the Middle
Dr. Kelvin Thompson
Ms. Amy Sugar
University of Central Florida
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2. Primitive session audio available for playback
while reviewing slides
http://ofcoursesonline.com/thompson_sugar_backwarddesign.mp3

3. Introduction
• Alignment between outcomes and activities
• Balance between Higher Order Thinking Skills and
Lower Order Thinking Skills
• Better articulate connection between outcome and
activity to students
• Accreditation

4. From Design to Outcomes
Course design
Course syllabus
Course assignments
Student reflections
Human moments
Invisible to students
Articulated to students
Experienced by students 
“learning”
Internalized by students
Remembered by students

5. Course Blueprint

6. Design is Iterative
Design
Evaluate

7. less frequent more frequent
Frequency of Revision

8. Your Mission…
• What is “Backward Design?”
• Of what value is Backward Design to teaching
faculty?
• Why don’t faculty use Backward Design all the
time?
Take five minutes to Google (or Bing)

9. What Did You Find?
• What is “Backward Design?”
• Where did it come from?
• Of what value is Backward Design to teaching
faculty?
• Why don’t faculty use Backward Design all the
time?

10. Starting Backward Design from the Middle
provides a mechanism for iterating course design.

11. Starting Backward Design from the Middle
• Jump start the design process
• Focus on what you know works
• Work backward to learning objective
• Work forward to learning assessment
• Check alignment between objectives/assessment/content
• Step back to view overall course design
– Accommodation v. assimilation
– Balance of cognitive levels (and other domains)
– Logistical compromises
– Know what you can change!

12. Starting from the Middle
Think of an assignment that is typically
successful, engaging, valuable.
• Describe existing assignment
• Identify evidence in assignment
• Verb It
• Align Outcomes
See http://bit.ly/thompson_DIVA

13. higher-level
lower-level
See http://bit.ly/bloom_reference
Bloom’s Taxonomy

14. Start Worksheet
• Work on design by starting from the middle
OR
• Identify tweaks to existing assignments to
make them more engaging
OR
• Review existing course design for
– Learner-centeredness
– Balance in cognitive levels
– Other learning domains needed (e.g., affective)
See Example at: http://bit.ly/thompson_DIVAex

15. Pair Up to Discuss Progress
• What task did you begin?
• How far did you get?
• What do you want to do next?

16. Wrap Up
• Now what?
• Action plan