Summary of “Applying Competencies, Outcomes, and Standards to Curriculum Development

Video Transcription

In the unit Applying Competencies, Outcomes, and Standards to Curriculum Development, the learning objectives included analyzing the difference between standards and competencies and distinguishing between knowledge and skills, evaluating the Deeper Learning theory and its connection to competency-based instruction, developing a unit plan using the UbD template and mapping the aligned competencies to the standards and to the outcomes, and reflecting on how using a competency-based approach can increase the authenticity and deeper learning of the curriculum unit.

We began with the learning objective that focused on standards and competencies, knowledge, and skills. First we just compared and contrasted the ideas of standards and competencies, since these ideas are closely linked and there's a lot of overlap in the definitions and the applications of these terms. We then looked at the difference between content standards and skill standards. And we looked at how all of these various elements apply to curriculum design within the context of Competency-Based Education.

In this learning objective, I explained that various educational sources might refer to these terms, like standards and competencies, by different names or in different ways. So it's important that we have an understanding of the meaning behind the terms so that we can recognize the purposes of these various educational ideas when we encounter them in other contexts.

After laying this strong foundation of understanding in Competency-Based Education, we then were ready to approach the second learning objective in the unit, which focused on how Deeper Learning can be used as an approach to implementing CBE. We looked at some suggestions for implementing Deeper Learning that came from the National Research Council. These methods have been proven to deepens students' understanding of new concepts and skills. And we also outlined some practical approaches that you can use, again, in order to implement Deeper Learning within the context of Competency-Based Education.

In these tutorials, you were able to reflect on which of these approaches might be the best fit for your particular classroom environment and for your particular students. As you thought about which approaches or which methods might be the best fit for you and your students, that led us into the discussion of creating an actual unit plan that would implement Deeper Learning and CBE.

So we began by reviewing the stages of UbD and what they might look like in curriculum design at the course level, at the unit level, and at the lesson level. We connected those stages of UbD with the elements of CBE and also with the six facets of understanding and the WHERETO elements. And we put all of these pieces together as we designed a curriculum map that was based on a template that was aligned with UbD. As you designed your curriculum map, you were encouraged to keep in mind those various design principles of CBE and the real purpose behind each of the stages of Understanding by Design.

And then after designing and maybe even implementing that unit that was based on UbD, you were encouraged to reflect on your implementation of CBE. One method for accomplishing this reflection is to use McTighe's questions for the three stages of UbD. And so I shared those with you. And we also talked about reflecting on essential questions, reflecting on transfer goals, and on students' ability to make meaning out of new information.

Throughout this process, we recalled the curriculum design really is a fluid and continual process. So at any time, if you notice any gaps or overlaps in your curriculum, you can and should make changes to those. And as you are making instructional decisions in this curriculum revision, you are always encouraged to implement, again, the stages of Understanding by Design, the elements of Competency-Based Education, the WHERETO elements, and the six facets of understanding in UbD. Because these are all methods that can help you to make the best decisions in order to help your students meet their learning goals.

To recap, the learning objectives in this unit included analyzing the difference between standards and competencies and then distinguishing between knowledge and skills, evaluating the Deeper Learning theory and its connection to competency-based instruction, developing a unit plan using the UbD template and mapping the aligned competencies to the standards and to the outcomes, and finally, reflecting on how using a competency-based approach can increase the authenticity and deeper learning of the curriculum unit.

So here is one final chance in this unit for you to stop and reflect. I hope that you found the creation of your curriculum map and instructional unit to be a really valuable exercise in combining the elements of CBE and the stages of Understanding by Design. For more information on how to apply what you learned in this video, please view the additional resources section that accompanies this video presentation. The additional resources section includes hyperlinks useful for applications of the course material, including a brief description of each resource. Thanks for joining me for this unit. Have a great day.