Instructions
Curriculum is the basis of learning any task. It is critical that the created curriculum be effective and comprehensive enough to achieve the goals and objectives of the institution or group using it. Whether you are a parent teaching your child to tie their shoes, a corporate trainer trying to develop your employees, or a teacher in a classroom, you will use curriculum as a foundation from which to build.
After the curriculum is designed, you can then consider the various activities and assessment strategies to integrate and implement to achieve the established goals. It is imperative that the instructor, trainer, parent, or coach get to know the learner and the learner’s needs so they can maximize the differentiation and customization of instruction and improve learning opportunities for all: It is when activities and assessment techniques are personalized that effective learning and retention occurs.
This course will guide you through the various elements of effective curriculum design. Using Understanding by Design (UbD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), you will incorporate differentiated instruction (DI), twenty-first-century skills, data collection methods, learning theories, and technology into a concept of learning.
You will use the provided Learner Profile Data document to inform your decisions as you create your final project.
The final project for this course is the creation of an initial concept for an Understanding by Design (UbD) curriculum unit. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final project will be submitted in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Develop curriculum concepts using Understanding by Design (UbD) that incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for supporting student learning
Recommend strategies for employing data in informing the planning and renewal of curriculum design that addresses learning needs
Incorporate learning theories and considerations for learning environments into curriculum planning that supports student needs
Apply differentiated instruction (DI) techniques in curriculum planning for supporting student needs
Recommend educational technologies that address student needs for incorporating into curriculum design
Prompt
In this final project, you will create and plan an initial concept for an Understanding by Design (UbD) curriculum unit. You will have the opportunity to build out your unit concept further in future design courses. In this unit concept, you will examine how course concepts that are important to curriculum design impact, need to be considered in, or should be a part of your curriculum unit. Be sure to use appropriate resources to support your explanations.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Understanding by Design (UbD) Unit Concept:
State the topic for your UbD unit concept.
Develop a summary of what would be included in Stage 1: Desired Results if you were creating the entire UbD unit.
Outline how you would continue your UbD unit for Stages 2 and 3. Include examples of information that is needed for each stage.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Considerations:
Explain how you will incorporate the principles of UDL in your unit. Are the principles present in your plan? How would you keep the principles in mind if you were creating the entire unit?
Data
Explain how you used aspects of the learner profile data when creating your UbD unit concept. Include a rationale for the decisions that you made using examples from the learner profile data.
Recommend how you would use specific instruments to collect data during your curriculum implementation. Include examples of assessments that would use those instruments in your recommendation.
Make recommendations on how to use data for monitoring the effectiveness of your unit. Include the ideal types of data you would collect to monitor the effectiveness of your unit and how you would collect them.
Learning Theory
Determine one or more learning theories to use in the full creation of your curriculum unit concept. Provide justification for the selected theory or theories, and include how they will influence decisions made in the unit design.
Determine which theories apply to the UbD Stages. Include justification for your determination.
Explain how the selected learning theory or theories will help you accommodate a variety of learning environments in your curriculum unit.
Differentiated Instruction (DI)
Suggest DI strategies to implement in your unit concept. Include a rationale for the strategies you select.
Identify DI considerations that need to be included in your unit concept. Include a rationale for the considerations you select.
Determine how your previously identified DI strategies and considerations will have a positive impact on the unit implementation. Include examples of positive impacts to support your determination.
Technology
Recommend technology to support the unit and help meet the desired results. Include assistive and adaptive technology in your recommendations.
Explain how your recommended assistive technology should be incorporated in your unit concept to address the learner profile data.
Explain how your recommended adaptive technology should be incorporated in your unit concept to address the learner profile data.
Milestones
Milestone One: Draft of the UbD and UDL Sections of Final Project
In Module Three, you will submit a draft of the UbD and UDL sections of your unit concept. This draft should include the integration of UbD and UDL elements. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Draft of Data and Learning Theories Sections of Final Project
In Module Five, you will submit a draft of your data and learning theory section. You will explain how you used data to create your unit concept, make recommendations about the continuous use of data, and determine how learning theory was used in the creation of your unit. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Draft of Differentiated Instruction and Technology Sections of Final Project
In Module Seven, you will submit a draft of your DI and technology integration sections. You will discuss how to integrate DI and technology throughout your unit concept. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Understanding by Design (UbD) Curriculum Unit Concept
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
What to Submit
Your UbD unit concept must be 6–10 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least six references cited in APA format.