Reverse design, also known as backwards design, is an instructional approach used by educators to plan and develop curriculum and lessons with a clear focus on desired learning outcomes. In reverse design, the process begins by identifying the desired results or learning goals, and then instructional activities and assessments are developed to achieve those outcomes.
The three key stages of reverse design are:
Identify Learning Outcomes: Educators start by determining the specific knowledge, skills, and understanding they want students to achieve by the end of the instruction.
Plan Assessments: After establishing the learning outcomes, educators design assessments that measure the extent to which students have achieved the desired results. Assessments may include tests, projects, presentations, or other forms of evaluation.
Develop Instructional Activities: Once the assessments are in place, educators design instructional activities that align with the learning outcomes and help students develop the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the assessments.
Reverse design emphasizes a student-centered approach to teaching, where instruction is intentionally designed to support students' mastery of specific learning objectives.
A curriculum is a structured educational plan outlining learning objectives, content, and assessment methods for students.
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