Enduring Understandings

Enduring Understandings: Building Courses with Lasting Impact

In the world of education, designing a course that resonates with students long after they complete it is a top goal. But how do we move beyond immediate learning outcomes to something more lasting? Enter enduring understandings, a core concept in curriculum design that focuses on ideas students will remember, connect to, and use in the future.

In this post, we’ll explore what enduring understandings are, why they’re crucial in course design, and how to create and integrate them into your courses.

What Are Enduring Understandings?

Enduring understandings are the big ideas, core concepts, or principles that go beyond specific facts or skills. They represent the knowledge and insights students should retain and apply long after they’ve completed the course. Think of them as the “sticky” knowledge that will help students understand and navigate the world.

For example, in a history course, an enduring understanding might be: Historical events are shaped by multiple perspectives and interpretations. This idea is broader and more lasting than remembering specific dates and figures. It equips students with a mindset to analyze and interpret events critically—a skill that applies far beyond the classroom.

Why Are Enduring Understandings Important in Course Design?

They Make Learning Relevant and Meaningful:

Enduring understandings are designed to relate to students’ lives and experiences. They focus on ideas that are universally applicable, which helps students see the relevance of what they’re learning.

They Promote Deeper Learning:

By emphasizing overarching themes, enduring understandings encourage students to engage in critical thinking, analysis, and reflection. Instead of focusing only on surface-level knowledge, students explore ideas in depth, making connections across content areas.

They Guide Course Structure and Assessments:

Enduring understandings serve as the “backbone” of the course, guiding the selection of content, activities, and assessments. They help educators design courses that are coherent and focused on lasting goals rather than short-term retention.

They Encourage Lifelong Learning:

Because enduring understandings focus on broader ideas, they encourage students to continue exploring and applying these concepts long after the course ends. This lifelong relevance fosters intellectual curiosity and adaptability.

How to Create Enduring Understandings

Developing enduring understandings takes thoughtful planning. Here are a few steps to help you create impactful, lasting ideas for your course:

Identify Core Concepts and Themes

Start by identifying the central ideas that define your subject. Think about what makes this subject important and how it connects to the world beyond the classroom. For instance, in a science course, a core theme might be: Scientific knowledge evolves based on new evidence and perspectives.

Focus on Transferable Ideas

Enduring understandings should be transferable—that is, applicable across different contexts and disciplines. Ask yourself, Will students use this understanding in other areas of their lives? A literature course, for instance, might focus on the idea: Stories reflect and shape cultural values.

Make Them Thought-Provoking

Good enduring understandings spark inquiry, discussion, and critical thinking. They should lead students to ask questions and consider different viewpoints. For example, in a business course, an enduring understanding could be: Ethical decision-making is essential in a globalized economy.

Use Clear and Student-Friendly Language

Write enduring understandings in a way that is accessible to students. They should be able to grasp the big idea without needing jargon or complex phrasing. For example, rather than saying, “Cognitive dissonance impacts personal beliefs,” say, “Our beliefs and actions don’t always match, which can lead to personal conflict.”

Incorporating Enduring Understandings into Your Course

Once you’ve developed enduring understandings, it’s time to bring them to life in your course design. Here are some strategies:

Build Lessons and Activities Around Enduring Understandings

Use enduring understandings as a foundation for lessons and activities. Each unit or module can revolve around an enduring understanding, with assignments and discussions that encourage students to explore the idea from various angles. In a course on environmental science, for example, you could build a unit around: Human actions have long-term effects on ecosystems.

Design Assessments to Reflect Enduring Understandings

To assess whether students have grasped these big ideas, design assessments that ask them to apply, analyze, or reflect on enduring understandings. For example, rather than a quiz on individual facts, ask students to write an essay exploring how different historical events are interconnected, reflecting on the enduring understanding that history is influenced by multiple perspectives.

Revisit Enduring Understandings Regularly

Encourage students to revisit these big ideas throughout the course. As they acquire new information, prompt them to reflect on how it connects to the enduring understanding. This regular reflection deepens comprehension and reinforces the importance of the concepts.

Encourage Students to Connect Enduring Understandings to Their Lives

Challenge students to relate the enduring understandings to their own experiences, communities, or future goals. This personal connection strengthens understanding and shows students how the course content applies to real life. For example, in a health course, students might consider how lifestyle choices impact long-term well-being and reflect on how this applies to their own lives.

Examples of Enduring Understandings in Different Subjects

To illustrate how enduring understandings can shape a course, here are some examples across various disciplines:

Mathematics: Mathematical patterns and structures provide frameworks for analyzing, modeling, and solving complex, real-world problems across diverse fields.
Literature: Literature serves as a lens through which we explore and critique human experience, offering insights into the complexities of societal values, cultural identities, and ethical dilemmas.
Social Studies: Societal development is shaped by the dynamic interplay of political, economic, and cultural forces, which interact to create both stability and change in social structures and norms.
Biology: The interdependence and adaptability of living organisms and their environments highlight the principles of evolution and ecological balance, underscoring the impact of human actions on biological systems.
Art: Art functions as a powerful medium for critique and expression, facilitating discourse on personal identity and societal issues, and challenging conventional values and perspectives.

Each of these enduring understandings points to a larger, lasting idea that students can carry with them beyond a single course.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating enduring understandings into course design is a powerful way to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences. By focusing on big ideas that matter, we can help students move beyond memorization to deeper understanding and application. Enduring understandings offer students tools for lifelong learning, helping them think critically and engage with the world in thoughtful ways.

Ready to start designing your course around these big ideas? Remember, enduring understandings are the “why” behind your subject—the knowledge and insights you hope your students will carry with them for years to come. Let these big ideas guide your course design, and watch as students connect, reflect, and grow in ways that last.

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