Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
A practical companion to the main UbD text with step-by-step guidance for creating units.
View Resource →📖 Resources Hub
Curated resources to deepen your understanding of Understanding by Design, AI in education, and effective course design. All resources are freely available or commonly accessible through academic libraries.
⭐ ESSENTIAL READING
Understanding by Design (2nd Edition)
The foundational text for this entire program. Wiggins and McTighe's framework for backward design has transformed how educators think about curriculum and assessment.
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Understanding by Design
Core resources for mastering the UbD framework and backward design principles
What is Backward Design?
An excellent overview of backward design principles with practical examples for higher education.
View Resource →Grant Wiggins on UbD
Video presentations from Grant Wiggins explaining core UbD concepts and addressing common questions.
View Resource →Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding
Deep dive into crafting essential questions that drive inquiry and promote transfer.
View Resource →AI in Education
Research, guidelines, and best practices for using AI tools in teaching and learning
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning
Comprehensive report on AI's potential and challenges in education with policy recommendations.
View Resource →Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide
Practical strategies for integrating AI tools into teaching while maintaining academic integrity.
View Resource →UNESCO Guidance for Generative AI in Education
International guidelines for the ethical and effective use of AI in educational contexts.
View Resource →AI and Academic Integrity: A Framework
Guidance on developing policies and practices that promote integrity in the age of AI.
View Resource →AI Prompt Engineering for Educators
Learn to write effective prompts that get better results from AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
View Resource →AI for Education
Free course on using AI responsibly and effectively in educational settings.
View Resource →Course Design Tools
Software and platforms to help you design, organize, and deliver your courses
ChatGPT
Versatile AI assistant for brainstorming, drafting, and refining course materials. Free tier available.
Visit Tool →Claude
AI assistant known for nuanced responses and handling longer documents. Great for detailed rubrics.
Visit Tool →Canva for Education
Free design tool for creating visual course materials, presentations, and infographics.
Visit Tool →Notion for Education
All-in-one workspace for organizing course content, planning, and collaboration. Free for educators.
Visit Tool →Rubric Maker
Free tool for creating and customizing rubrics with pre-built templates for common assignment types.
Visit Tool →Syllabus Builder
Check if your institution has a syllabus builder or template system for consistent formatting.
Check Your Institution →Teaching & Learning
Evidence-based resources on effective pedagogy and instructional design
Small Teaching
Quick, evidence-based teaching techniques that make a big difference with minimal prep time.
View Resource →Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Research-based strategies for effective learning that challenge common misconceptions.
View Resource →Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
Framework for designing flexible, inclusive learning experiences that reach all learners.
View Resource →Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs
Reference list of action verbs for writing learning outcomes at different cognitive levels.
View Resource →Specifications Grading
Alternative grading approach that focuses on mastery and reduces grading burden.
View Resource →The Science of Learning
Summary of cognitive science research and implications for teaching practice.
View Resource →Templates & Downloads
Ready-to-use templates for course design documentation
UbD Unit Design Template
Complete template for documenting your backward-designed units with all three stages.
Download in Workbook →Learning Outcomes Template
Structured template for writing and organizing course-level and module-level outcomes.
Download in Workbook →Assessment Alignment Matrix
Map your assessments to learning outcomes to ensure complete coverage and alignment.
Download in Workbook →Rubric Templates (3 Types)
Analytic, holistic, and single-point rubric templates ready for customization.
Download in Workbook →💡 Template Tips
- All templates are included in the downloadable workbook
- Templates work with Word, Google Docs, or can be printed
- Use AI prompts from the Prompt Library to help fill in templates
- Customize templates to match your institution's requirements
Communities & Further Learning
Connect with other educators and continue your professional development
POD Network
Professional association for faculty developers with conferences, resources, and networking.
Join Community →EDUCAUSE
Community focused on technology in higher education, including AI and learning design.
Join Community →Online Learning Consortium
Resources and community for online and blended learning excellence.
Join Community →r/Professors & r/Teachers
Active discussion forums where educators share experiences and advice, including AI use.
Visit Forum →Scholarly References
Formal citations for all frameworks, models, and scholarly works referenced throughout AI DesignLab. This platform models the same attribution practices it encourages educators to use.
Understanding by Design (UbD)
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. ASCD. The foundational backward design framework used throughout this platform, including Stage 1 (Desired Results), Stage 2 (Evidence), Stage 3 (Learning Plan), GRASPS, WHERETO, and essential questions.
Bloom's Taxonomy (Revised)
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives: Complete edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Referenced in Module 2 for cognitive complexity levels in learning outcomes.
Original Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York: Longman. The original taxonomy upon which the revised version was based.
Affective Domain Taxonomy
Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1967). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook 2: Affective domain. Longman. Referenced in Module 2 for affective learning outcomes.
Psychomotor Domain Taxonomy
. Referenced in Module 2 for psychomotor learning outcomes.
Taxonomy of Significant Learning
Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. John Wiley & Sons. Referenced in Module 2 as an alternative to Bloom's taxonomy.
BOPPPS Lesson Planning Model
. Referenced in Module 4 as a structured lesson planning framework.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines
CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. Referenced in Module 3 for inclusive assessment design principles.
AI Hallucination in Large Language Models
. Referenced in Module 1 for the "How AI Tools Actually Work" section.
How Large Language Models Generate Text
. Referenced in Module 1 for the "How AI Tools Actually Work" section.
Training Data Bias and Limitations in Generative AI
. Referenced in Module 1 for the "How AI Tools Actually Work" section.
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