How Digital Resource Curation Supports ‘Backward Planning’
20, February 2025
For more intentional and student-focused teaching.
Did you know that digital resource curation goes hand-in-hand with the ‘backward planning method’ (also called the ‘backward design model’) for planning curriculum, instruction and assessment?
Backward design thrives on high-quality and well-organised learning materials. By integrating digital resource curation into this model, teachers can further enhance their students’ learning experience.
Understanding Backward Design
You may already practice backward design, even if you don’t call it that. Popularised by educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, backward design essentially involves three stages:
1. Identify desired learning goals from the beginning
Determine what students should know, understand and be able to do by the end of a lesson, unit or course.
2. Determine acceptable evidence
Decide what assessments and proofs will demonstrate that students have achieved the desired learning outcomes.
3. Plan learning experiences and instruction
Design engaging activities and select quality resources that will lead students to achieve these goals.
Contrast this method with traditional lesson planning, which often starts with selecting a topic or activity, and then designing lessons and assessments afterwards.
Backward planning ensures that all your instructional components align with your end goals, promoting coherent and effective teaching.
The New South Wales Department of Education supports this approach, noting that backward design results in “more clearly defined goals, more appropriate assessments and more tightly aligned lessons.”1
Digital Resource Curation in Backward Design
A digital resource curation platform, like LibPaths, empowers teachers to deliberately select, organise and share high-quality instructional materials – essential for the third stage of backward planning.
With access to a shared hub of curated videos, readings and interactive tools, you can make sure all content in your lesson plan is purposeful and relevant.
When integrated within the backward design model, it can help you:
Match content with learning goals and assessments
Curate targeted materials that align with assessment criteria, directly support identified learning outcomes and prepare students for evaluation.
Focus on student learning and comprehension
Strengthen your role as a ‘coach of understanding’, not just a ‘provider of content’, by enabling you to spend more time teaching than planning.
Personalise learning experiences for each student
Facilitate differentiated learning to address diverse student needs and learning styles, so no student gets left behind in your classroom.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) highlights that backward planning, complemented by appropriate resources, “makes teaching more intentional and student-centred.”2
Practical Implementation in Classrooms
Combining backward design and digital resource curation into everyday teaching can be simple! With the right tools, you can ensure content relevance and streamline resource management during the planning stage. Here’s how:
Create smart resource banks
Instead of sourcing materials lesson by lesson, pre-curate collections of high-quality and curriculum-aligned content using LibPaths.
Integrate with lesson timelines
Schedule content in LibPaths to appear when it’s most relevant – whether that’s timed with assessments, units of work or specific student needs.
Use data to improve outcomes
Get insights into how students interact with materials in LibPaths to identify where gaps exist and refine your instructional strategies.
Support independent learning
Allow students to explore content on LibPaths at their own pace – while ensuring they only access credible, relevant and age-appropriate materials.
Want to see how LibPaths can help support backward planning and create a cohesive learning environment?
Talk to the team at Concord for a demo.
References:
New South Wales Department of Education. (2025, January 6). Backward design model. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/teacher-quality-and-accreditation/strong-start-great-teachers/refining-practice/planning-a-sequence-of-lessons/backward-design-model
Australian Council for Educational Research. (2021, September 17). Backward planning for better learning. https://www.acer.org/ae/discover/article/backward-planning-for-better-learning