Abstract
Much research in the field of International Baccalaureate (IB) education has focused on the strengths and weaknesses of this innovative system of education. In contrast, this chapter aims to return the discussion to the more fundamental aspects of IB by considering more deeply the issue of “backward design” and its relevance to the IB in the Korean and Asian contexts. The backward design consists of a) setting goals for learning, b) designing evaluation criteria to assess mastery of the course materials, and c) planning of the instruction in order to attain the learning goals.
TopBackground
There have been many studies on Backward Design in the USA, Korea, and other countries (e.g. Lee & Kang, 2018; Kang, 2019; Lee, 2019). Moreover, there have been studies on the commonalities between Backward Design and the IB curriculum (Erickson et al. 2017; Sapporo Kaisei Secondary School, 2018; Kang et al, 2019; Lee, 2019; Kang, 2019). The conclusions are as follows:
- 1.
Both Backward Design and IB pursue essential questions, focused presentations, and discussion classes.
- 2.
They both aim for authentic, understanding-based classes.
- 3.
They are both based on a concept-based curriculum.
- 4.
They both aim to evaluate real understanding through authentic performance tasks.
- 5.
They both emphasize inquiry-based educational activities.
- 6.
The IB unit design procedure is similar to Backward Design.
These six points suggest there is a need to understand both the Eastern and Western philosophies relating to pursuing the fundamental elements of education, which include the aim of the curriculum (Whitehead, 1929), the role of learners and teachers, and the emphasis on classroom instruction.
Therefore, future studies need to pay closer attention to the connections between the IB curriculum and understanding-centered backward-curriculum design, and more in-depth research is needed on improving classroom instruction and innovating public education. In Korea, Backward Design is now quite well recognized, and IB is becoming more and more widespread. So, in this chapter, the future of IB in Korea will be explored.
TopLinks Between Backward Design And The Ib Curriculum
Many findings concerning the commonalities between Backward Design and IB have been highlighted in previous research, including a case study in Korea (Kang et al, 2019: 413-423). In the next section, the six points listed above are discussed through a literature review and a discussion of curricular innovation.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Enduring Understanding: The specific inferences, based on big ideas, that have lasting value beyond the classroom. In thinking about the enduring understandings for a unit or course, teachers are encouraged to ask, “What do we want students to understand and be able to use several years from now after they have forgotten the details?”
Concept-Based Curriculum: This is a curriculum designed and developed to facilitate learners’ conceptual understanding by key concepts and related concepts beyond inert knowledge and rote learning. The concept is a mental construct or category represented by a word or phrase. The concept includes both tangible objects and abstract ideas. Overarching understandings are derived from concepts.
UbD: It literally means Understanding by Design, which refers to Backward Design. In UbD, the letter of D(Design) means Backward Design. Both can be used interchangeably.
Unit Planner: It is a well-organized format of unit planning in which teachers can easily design unit plans in the IB system. The planner is composed of three processes: inquiry-action-reflection. These processes are very similar to the three steps of Backward Design.
Authentic Assessment: An assessment composed of performance tasks and activities designed to simulate or replicate important real-world challenges. GRASPS tips can be used to construct an assessment item in Backward design.
Essential Question: A question that lies at the heart of a subject or a curriculum and promotes inquiry and the uncovering of a subject. The essential question thus does not yield a single straightforward answer but produces different plausible responses, about which thoughtful and knowledgeable people may disagree.
Backward Design: An approach to designing a curriculum or unit begins with the end in mind and designs toward that end. The procedure consists of three steps: Identify desired results; Determine acceptable evidence; Plan learning experience and instruction. This stance is similar to Tyler’s view (1949).
Korean National Curriculum: The curriculum designed to impose time allocation and framework of the subject to all students and schools in South Korea. The obligatory (mandatory) curriculum is composed of objectives, content framework, teaching-learning, and evaluation at a subject level.