Backward Design
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations
ESTABLISH LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Aligned with Vision and Change
• Core Concepts = Biological Content
• Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity, Other?
• Core Competencies = Skills of Scientists

Data Literacy, Quality, Visualization, Analysis
ESTABLISH LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Hierarchy of Learning Objectives
• Lower Level – Knowledge, Comprehension
• Higher Level – Apply, Analyze
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations
IDENTIFY ASSESSMENTS
• Culminating Assessment Tasks

What would students have to be able to do to
show you they had met the learning
objectives?
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations
DESIGN THE ACTIVITY
• Vision and Change = student centered, active,
inquiry-based
• Must include students doing activities similar to
what you identified as the culminating
assessment
• Should include formative assessment and student
reflection / metacognition
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations
EVALUATE AND IMPROVE THE MODULE
• Scientific Teaching = using assessment
data/evidence to inform teaching
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the module at
achieving the objectives
• Revise and re-evaluate as needed
considerations
Establish Learning
Objectives
Scale up and
disseminate
Can these objectives be addressed
by established curated datasets?
Objectives should include both
science content and skills.
Brainstorm the types of activities that would
help students gain the skills and knowledge
necessary to successfully complete these
assessments.
Design and write up the Activity
being cognizant of
duration of class
Determine the most
appropriate…
access to technology and
data
data source(s)
Re-evaluate and improve
lesson
Repeat as
needed
Identify Assessments
What student product(s) would provide evidence
that students had met the objectives?
Are you planning
to publish?
Evaluate the module with
a pilot run
Include
An instructor who didn’t help
develop the module
direct pre and post-measures
of student performance on the
learning objectives
Could/should students contribute to the
community via an online platform
and/or submit their findings to an online
knowledge base?
considerations
products
taxa
analysis techniques and
tools
…to address the objectives
Include
appropriate level of inquiry
formative and summative
assessment
reflection/metacognition
adequate scaffolding for
instructors and students
class discussion of results
Gather background information including
peer-reviewed research on the topic
Could/should scientists curating the
data sources consult during
activity/module
development?
considerations