Understanding Backward Design: Step One - Identifying Desired Results

Welcome back to our series on Backward Design, a forward-thinking model for instructional design. In our previous post, we introduced the concept and provided a high-level overview. Today, we're going to roll up our sleeves and delve into the first step - Identifying Desired Results.

Identifying Desired Results is akin to planting a flag at the summit of your educational mountain. This stage compels us to articulate our end goals - what we want our learners to know and be able to do at the conclusion of a course or training program. We need to define what success looks like before we plot the path to get there.

In the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, these results often align with the competency standards in a training package. However, in other educational settings, these could be curriculum objectives or the learning objectives in a syllabus. But it's not just about ticking off a list of competencies or skills. It's also about considering the bigger picture - how will these competencies or skills support learners' broader goals and aspirations? How will they help learners make sense of the world around them and take meaningful action within it?

In Backward Design, we're encouraged to think about the enduring understandings we want to promote. These are the big ideas or core concepts that have lasting value beyond the classroom. They're the kind of understandings that make learning truly meaningful and applicable in the real world.

So, how do we identify these desired results? It starts with asking the right questions. What are the key ideas or concepts in this topic? What should learners understand and be able to do? What misconceptions might they have, and how can we address them? By grappling with these questions, we can articulate clear, relevant, and robust learning outcomes that act as our guiding star throughout the rest of the design process.

Remember, our journey with Backward Design is akin to planning a road trip with the destination set. With our Desired Results identified, we have our destination. In our next post, we'll start considering what evidence we'll need to be confident we've reached it. That's when we step into the next phase - Determining Acceptable Evidence.

So, keep your eyes peeled for the next blog and prepare to navigate the exciting landscapes of instructional design further!

Until then, keep on learning, everyone!