Using Understanding by Design (UbD) to plan sport teaching in physical education

 

Understanding by Design (UbD) was developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (1998). It is a curriculum planning framework that encourages teachers to start with the learning outcomes they want students to achieve and then design instruction and assessment to support those outcomes. This is why it is sometimes referred to as “backwards by design”. Rather than beginning with activities, teachers begin with the question: "What should students understand and be able to do?"

In physical education (PE), this approach shifts teaching towards developing deep understanding and transferable skills.

The Three Stages of UbD applied to Physical Education

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Teachers first determine the "big ideas”, and the enduring understandings students should retain long after the unit is completed.

Key questions include:

• What should students understand?
• What knowledge and skills should they develop?
• What essential questions will guide learning?

Example: Basketball Unit

Instead of focusing solely on teaching dribbling and shooting techniques, the teacher identifies broader understandings such as:

Enduring Understandings

• Effective game play requires creating and using space.
• Decision-making is as important as technical skill.
• Team success depends on communication and cooperation.

Essential Questions

• How do players create scoring opportunities?
• Why do teams use different offensive and defensive strategies?
• How does communication influence team performance?

Knowledge and Skills Students will:

• Understand principles of attack and defence.
• Apply movement concepts to game situations.
• Demonstrate passing, dribbling, and shooting skills.
• Evaluate tactical decisions during play.

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

In UbD, assessment is planned before instruction. Teachers consider how students will demonstrate their understanding.

Assessment should evaluate both:

• Physical performance
• Conceptual understanding

PE Assessment Examples

• Participate in a modified basketball game and justify tactical decisions.
• Design an offensive strategy for a small-sided game.

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Only after clarifying outcomes and assessments does the teacher select activities.

The question becomes:

"What learning experiences will prepare students to succeed on the assessments and achieve the desired understandings?"

Basketball Unit Example

Learning sequence:

1. Explore principles of creating space.
2. Practise movement off the ball.
3. Learn passing techniques.
4. Engage in small-sided games.

Jarrett (2022) linked UbD to a game-based approach https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08924562.2022.2052774#abstract

Below, I show how UbD works with a Play with Purpose framework.  The Play with Purpose framework aligns very well with the Understanding by Design framework because both approaches begin with clear learning intentions.

 

UbD + Play with Purpose Cricket Lesson Example

 Unit Context - Year Level: 5–6

Sport: Cricket (Striking and Fielding Games Category)

Lesson Duration: 60 minutes

Lesson Focus: Creating and using space when batting

 Stage 1: Desired Results (UbD)

Enduring Understanding

·       Effective batters do not simply hit the ball hard; they make tactical decisions about where and when to place the ball to create scoring opportunities.

Essential Questions

• How can a batter create scoring opportunities?
• Where is the best space to hit the ball?
• How do field placements affect batting decisions?

Knowledge

Students will understand:

• The concept of open and defended space.
• Cricket scoring opportunities.
• How field positions influence shot selection.

Skills

Students will be able to:

• Strike a ball into space.
• Observe field positioning.
• Make tactical batting decisions.
• Communicate strategies with teammates.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence (UbD)

During a modified cricket game, students will:

1. Identify open space before batting.
2. Attempt to hit into open space.
3. Explain their decision-making after play.

Success Criteria. Students can:

·       Recognise gaps in the field.

·       Intentionally place the ball into space.

·       Explain why they chose a particular shot.

·       Adapt when fielders change positions.

Stage 3: Learning Plan Using Play with Purpose

Play 1: Purposeful Game (15 minutes)

Game: Four-Zone Cricket

• Small teams of 4–5.
• Batters score:
• 1 run = Front zone
• 2 runs = Side zones
• 4 runs = Back zone
• Fielders spread across zones.

Students experience the tactical problem: “Where can I hit to score most effectively?"

Teacher Questions

• Where were most runs scored?
• Which areas were hardest to defend?
• What spaces could you see?

The objective is to expose students to the tactical challenge before teaching technique.

Reflect and Connect to the learning intention (5 minutes)

Students gather briefly.

Guided Inquiry Questions

• What helped you score runs?
• What did successful batters do?
• What made fielding difficult?

Students begin identifying the principle of: "Hit into space, not at fielders."

Skill Development Episode [if needed] (15 minutes)

Activity - Target Batting Challenge

Students work in pairs.

• Cones are placed in open spaces.
• Batters receive underarm deliveries.
• Points awarded for striking into specific gaps.

Explicit Teaching

The technical instruction is linked directly to solving the tactical problem identified in Play 1.

Teacher asks: "How does controlling the bat help us use space more effectively?"

Play 2: Return to the Game (20 minutes)

Modified Cricket Game. Same Four-Zone Cricket game.

However:

• Fielders can now move strategically.
• Batters must adapt to changing field positions.

Teacher Observations

Look for:

• Scanning behaviour before batting.
• Intentional shot selection.
• Tactical adaptation.

Freeze Moments. Occasionally stop play and ask:

• Where is the space now?
• What shot would be most effective?
• Why?

Reflection and Review (5 minutes)

Students complete an exit reflection:

Sentence Starters

• "I scored most runs when ..."
• "The best space to hit into was ..."
• "Next time I will ..."

Final Essential Question: "How can understanding space improve batting performance?"

Alignment Between UbD and Play with Purpose

UbD Component	Cricket Example	Play with Purpose Element
Desired Results	Understanding how to create scoring opportunities	Tactical focus established before lesson
Assessment Evidence	Students place shots into space and explain decisions	Observation and questioning during games
Learning Experiences	Modified game → skill learning → game application	Play 1 → Reflect → Skill Development → Play 2
Enduring Understanding	Batting success depends on tactical decision-making	Game Sense emphasis
Essential Question	How can I create scoring opportunities?	Inquiry throughout lesson

How This Example Works

A traditional cricket lesson might begin with 20 minutes of batting drills followed by a game. In contrast, a UbD and Play with Purpose lesson begins with the tactical problem, helping students understand why the skill matters before practising it. The game becomes both the learning context and the assessment context, allowing students to develop game sense - decision-making with skill execution and tactical awareness simultaneously.

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