Q. What is UbD?
A. Understanding by Design (UbD) is a model or template for curriculum design. Defined by Wiggins and McTighe, Understanding by Design is a “framework for designing curriculum units, performance assessments, and instruction that lead your students to deep understanding of the content you teach.”

UbD is anchored on three points that are actually three interrelated academic goals: acquiring knowledge, understanding content, and transferring or applying knowledge as it is understood.

UbD also expands on the “six facets of understanding.” This means that students, through UbD, will be able to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and have self-knowledge about a given topic.

Q. Is UbD a new concept?
A. No. UbD has been around for several decades, although it was only in 1998 when this model was branded as such. UbD is also known as Backwards Design.

UbD is not a new concept; rather, it is the coming together of several teaching approaches and strategies such as higher order thinking skills (HOTS), constructivism, cooperative, and integrative so students will have a deeper understanding of concepts and ideas.

UbD is all about learning in context, as against the traditional learning-in-isolation. In UbD, learners do not learn in isolation. In UbD, students learn how one concept weaves with other concepts from the same discipline, and from other disciplines (Integrative).

Q. Is DIWA ready for UbD?
A. Teachers will immensely benefit from DIWA’s Superior Learning Experience (SLE), which brings together in customizable, scalable packages our various learning materials, resources, and services.

SLE seamlessly integrates the use of textbooks, scholastic enhancement materials, and multimedia resources like Genyo and Diwa Learning Town in the classroom so both teachers and students can optimize the understanding curve. SLE brings to fore Diwa’s commitment to design educational materials that teach basic education students how to prepare for the challenges of 21st century learning.

Q. How will Diwa’s product offering for SY10–11 support UbD?
A. This February 2010, Diwa will release its very own Teacher’s Guidebook to Understanding by Design (TGB-UbD). The TGB will have two parts: (1) a UbD primer; and (2) 28 sample unit plans that will support the following titles:

• Exploring Science and Technology / High School Science Today I–IV
• New High School Mathematics Second Edition I–IV
• English across Continents I–IV
• Tanglaw sa Wika at Panitikan I–IV
• Pagtanaw at Pag-unawa I–IV
• Social Studies in Perspective Second Edition I–IV