What is the second step of Backward Design?

What is the second step of Backward Design?

• A. Plan Learning Experiences & Instruction: Design activities to lead to desired outcomes.
• B. Determine Acceptable Evidence: Decide how mastery will be assessed.
• C. Identify Desired Results: Define learning goals or competencies.
• D. Implement the course.

Answer: (B)

In backward design, the second step is to determine acceptable evidence—deciding how mastery will be assessed. This means specifying what students must produce or demonstrate to show they’ve achieved the learning goals: rubrics, performance tasks, tests, projects, portfolios, observations, and similar measures. The important part is alignment: the assessments should directly reflect the outcomes you’ve identified so the learning activities are designed to prepare students to meet those criteria. For example, if the goal is for students to evaluate historical arguments, acceptable evidence might be a rubric-based essay or a presentation that clearly justifies conclusions with sources. Once the evidence is defined, you then plan the learning experiences and instruction to help students reach those assessment targets, followed by implementation.

In backward design, the second step is to determine acceptable evidence—deciding how mastery will be assessed. This means specifying what students must produce or demonstrate to show they’ve achieved the learning goals: rubrics, performance tasks, tests, projects, portfolios, observations, and similar measures. The important part is alignment: the assessments should directly reflect the outcomes you’ve identified so the learning activities are designed to prepare students to meet those criteria. For example, if the goal is for students to evaluate historical arguments, acceptable evidence might be a rubric-based essay or a presentation that clearly justifies conclusions with sources. Once the evidence is defined, you then plan the learning experiences and instruction to help students reach those assessment targets, followed by implementation.