backward design

noun

A method of designing an educational curriculum by setting goals before choosing instructional methods and forms of assessment.

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Meanings

nounbackward design (uncountable)
  1. uncountableeducationA method of designing an educational curriculum by setting goals before choosing instructional methods and forms of assessment.

    Backward design can be applied to medical education by beginning with the national standards or competencies for medical education, defining outcomes and assessment methods, and then defining curricular content.

    2016, Jill Stefaniak, Advancing Medical Education Through Strategic Instructional Design
Cite this entry
APA

backward design. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backward%20design

MLA

“backward design.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backward%20design. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backward design,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backward%20design.

Source: backward design on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.