Backward Design – An Innovative Instructional Model in Planning Higher Education Courses

Abstract

This study explores the application of Backward Design, an instructional framework focused on active learning, and on curriculum development and course planning for higher education. Developed by Jay Grant Wiggins and McTighe in 1998, Backward Design encourages instructors to establish student learning outcomes before developing course content and assessments. This framework is applied here to the initial training of pre-service English teachers at Ovidius University of Constanta, aiming to equip them with outcome-driven teaching strategies. The findings are relevant and demonstrate that Backward Design can create more engaging, measurable, and impactful learning experiences, highlighting its potential to reshape traditional teaching practices.