Understanding by Design, Moodle, and Blended Learning: A Secondary School Case Study

In a 2013 report, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) discussed the need to develop skills for the knowledge society. Education institutions must develop opportunities for students to gain the skills needed to participate in an increasingly global economy. The OECD uses knowledge intensity to identify economically successful countries. All countries that have high knowledge intensity are innovative, have good education systems, economic incentives, and current information and communication technology available for their citizens. This increase in knowledge intensity has precipitated the need for a more skilled workforce. Starting learners on the path to knowledge intensity cannot wait for postsecondary education institutions. Secondary schools need to start the process of integrating the skills necessary to succeed in a knowledge society. Skills that enable students to succeed globally promote critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and the ability to connect one learning situation to another. The researched institution was guided by the development of the aforementioned skills in an effort to give teachers a focus for their courses. The use of the understanding by design (UbD), Moodle, and blended learning (BL) models has provided opportunities for students to develop the skills in knowledge intensity that they will need to compete globally.