AI-generated with assistance from ChatGPT (OpenAI), 2025.

⚖️ Learning on Trial

Opening statment

Instructional design requires more than good intention. Before delivering a lesson, a designer must be ready to justify their decisions. Like building a courtroom case, a strong design needs clear reasoning and evidence tied to a central claim. The Understanding by Design (UbD) framework invites us to plan backward with purpose, clarity, and alignment.

This portfolio page frames UbD as a trial:

The Designer’s Code presents UbD’s core tenets as professional commitments.
Exhibit A weighs what matters most in the learning process.
The Cross-Examination walks through the three stages of UbD using questions and evidence.
The Closing Statements offer a balanced view of the model’s strengths and limitations in context.

Together, these pieces build a full case for learning; anchored in thoughtful planning, aligned outcomes, and real-world transfer.

The Designer's Code

Before building a learning experience, instructional designers must be clear about what they stand for.

Design should be grounded in long-term transfer goals (ASCD, 2015).

The Designer’s Code outlines instructional design implications derived from the Understanding by Design (UbD) Core Tenets. Each statement translates a UbD tenet into a concrete commitment; an actionable practice that guides how instruction is planned, aligned, and delivered. These implications demonstrate how UbD principles promote purposeful instructional planning.

Like an attorney opening a case, the designer begins with intent: to ensure every learning experience is clear in purpose, aligned to transfer goals, and structured for meaningful outcomes.

A parchment-textured poster titled “UbD Tenets as Commitments to Purposeful Planning – THE DESIGNER’S CODE.” Below, a block of body text explains that each statement translates a UbD design principle into an actionable planning commitment. Seven centered statements follow in elegant serif font, each on its own line: “Plan with purpose, always anchoring design in long-term goals.” “Design for transfer, not just recall.” “Collect evidence through what learners do, not just what they say.” “Start with the destination, not the textbook.” “Guide meaning-making, not just deliver content.” “Reflect on design choices to make sure learning sticks.” “Revise with intention to improve outcomes for every learner.” A small footer notes the concepts are adapted from Wiggins & McTighe’s Understanding by Design (1998, 2005). Decorative navy corner borders frame the page.

Bernard, L. (2025). The Designer's Code [Infographic]. Canva.

REFERENCES

ASCD. (2015, September 29). 7 key tenets of Understanding by Design® Framework infographic. E-Learning Infographics. https://elearninginfographics.com/7-key-tenets-understanding-design-framework-infographic/#google_vignette
AI and Design Tools:

Canva was used to create infographics.
ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025) and Gemini (Google, 2025) were used to support revision, grammar correction, content reorganization, clarity in writing, and citations with prompts such as "Please review this for clarity and organization and give me feedback on what I should revise."

A white graphic titled “What Carries More Weight In Learning? – Rooted in Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe).” Six colored cubes with icons and labels surround a central balance scale: Left side icons (lighter weight): • Yellow cube with binoculars labeled “Observation – watching passively.” • Coral cube with information icon labeled “Memorization – recalling facts.” • Lavender cube with checkmark labeled “Completion – completing tasks.” Right side icons (heavier weight): • Peach cube with brain labeled “Comprehension – making meaning.” • Blue cube with gears/brain labeled “Execution – performing skills.” • Green cube with lightbulb labeled “Application – applying knowledge.” A large black silhouette of a two-pan balance tilts heavily to the right (higher-weight side). Beneath, a caption reads, “Which side do your current lessons emphasize most?”

Exhibit A

Before implementing a design,

instructional designers should ask:
If this learning experience were put on trial for failing to promote true understanding, would there be enough evidence to defend it?

Understanding isn’t demonstrated by the completion of activities or memorization of facts alone. To carry instructional weight, a design must be anchored in:

🧠 Comprehension
Making meaning from ideas.
⚙️ Execution
Performing skills with purpose.
🌍 Application
Applying knowledge in real-world contexts.

The infographic to the left serves as a pre-trial guide; a visual reminder of what holds more weight in purposeful design.

Bernard, L. (2025). What Carries More Weight in Learning? [Infographic]. Canva.

REFERENCES

Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/Understanding-by-Design.docx

Hawker Brownlow Education. (2013, July 17). What is understanding by design? Author Jay McTighe explains [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8F1SnWaIfE

Poston, L. (2016, November 1). UbD stage 1 final [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5WR8yXB1GI&t=10s

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #1: Defining goals. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-1/

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #2: Assessments. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-2/

Poston, L. (2016, November 8). UbD stage 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuXwoxDpj0Y

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #3: The Learning Plan. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-3/

Poston, L. (2016, November 19). UbD stage 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DHnjndoG9U

AI and Design Tools:

Canva was used to create infographics.
ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025) and Gemini (Google, 2025) were used to support revision, grammar correction, content reorganization, clarity in writing, and citations with prompts such as "Please review this for clarity and organization and give me feedback on what I should revise."

Cross Examining the design

This visual serves as a quick-reference tool for applying the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. Instead of a traditional summary, it presents each stage as a cross-examination, using critical questions and evidence sentence frames to guide purposeful instructional planning. The format encourages designers to think like evaluators; ensuring clarity, alignment, and transfer at every stage.

A two-column infographic titled “UbD MODEL: CROSS EXAMINATION.” Left column (“Lines of Questioning”) shows three stacked colored boxes with headings, icons, and guiding questions: Stage 1 (orange): gear icon; “Desired Outcomes and Goals” followed by the question: “Have you clearly identified the intended results, including transfer goals, meaningful understandings, and essential skills, that students must demonstrate?” Stage 2 (blue): interlocking gears icon; “Valid and Aligned Evidence” with: “Have you identified specific, valid evidence to clearly demonstrate students’ understanding and ability to transfer learning?” Stage 3 (green): wrench-and-gear icon; “Intentional Learning Design” with: “Have you intentionally planned instructional strategies, resources, and learning experiences that equip students to achieve the identified goals?” Right column (“Designer’s Evidence Statements”) pairs each stage with three fill-in-the-blank sentence frames in matching highlight colors: Orange frames for Stage 1: statements to articulate transfer goals, essential questions, and enduring understandings. Blue frames for Stage 2: statements to align assessments, demonstrate understanding through tasks, and confirm success criteria. Green frames for Stage 3: statements to describe how activities help practice and transfer learning, select materials to meet needs, and scaffold step-by-step application. A footer cites Wiggins & McTighe’s Understanding by Design (1998, 2005).

Bernard, L. (2025). UbD Model: Cross Examination [Infographic]. Canva.

REFERENCES

Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/Understanding-by-Design.docx

Hawker Brownlow Education. (2013, July 17). What is understanding by design? Author Jay McTighe explains [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8F1SnWaIfE

Poston, L. (2016, November 1). UbD stage 1 final [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5WR8yXB1GI&t=10s

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #1: Defining goals. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-1/

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #2: Assessments. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-2/

Poston, L. (2016, November 8). UbD stage 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuXwoxDpj0Y

Poston, L. (n.d.). UBD Stage #3: The Learning Plan. LTP Creative Design, LLC. https://ltpcreativedesignllc.com/2020/02/21/understanding-by-design-stage-3/

Poston, L. (2016, November 19). UbD stage 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DHnjndoG9U
AI and Design Tools:

Canva was used to create infographics.
ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025) and Gemini (Google, 2025) were used to support revision, grammar correction, content reorganization, clarity in writing, and citations with prompts such as "Please review this for clarity and organization and give me feedback on what I should revise."

CLOSING Statements

💪🏽 Strengths of the Understanding by Design Model

🛠️ Aligns learning tasks to goals
UbD supports alignment between activities and stated outcomes, reducing instructional misalignment.

📚 Connects instruction to standards
The model provides a framework to organize instruction in accordance with curriculum standards.

📊 Clarifies assessment criteria
UbD encourages the use of defined success criteria, which can be used to monitor learner progress and adjust instruction.

🧠 Includes cognitive processes from Bloom’s Taxonomy
The model prompts the integration of knowledge recall, application, and transfer without requiring a separate taxonomy.

⚠️ Limitations of the Understanding by Design Model

👁️ Limited focus on early-stage learning behaviors
The framework prioritizes application and transfer but provides limited guidance on instructional planning for observation, repetition, or modeling, which may be necessary for some learners.

🕒 Time-intensive planning
UbD involves multiple stages and detailed templates. It cannot be completed in a single planning session, which may present challenges for practitioners with limited time.

❓ No explicit step for misconceptions
While UbD supports adjusting for learning gaps, it does not include a stage for proactively identifying and addressing common misconceptions during the design process.

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