UbD: Understanding by Design

Example of applying the UbD framework to a learning opportunity

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Scenario: Transactional Learning

• Goal: Your goal is to implement a new point of sale system at the restaurant you work.
• Role: You are a manager in charge of training the staff on the new POS system.
• Audience: The audience consists of teenagers and young adults working in the foodservice industry.
• Task: Develop a resolution to implement the POS system ASAP and enable features like order accuracy, inventory control, and sales tracking. Complete the template applying UbD standards to the information provided in this scenario.

UbD Model

Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goal

• Staff will be able to use the POS system with ease, speed, and confidence to accurately take orders, manage inventory, and track sales.

Transfer

• Staff will be able to independently use their learning to: effectively input and serve correct orders quickly to ensure business runs smoothly during their shift and that customers are happy and satisfied. They will be able to charge payments, issue change, and give refunds accurately as needed. They will be able to monitor inventory and let customers know during ordering if any items are out of stock and make suitable recommendations for substitutions.

Meaning

• Staff will understand that: the POS system is an essential part of streamlining customer service and experience as well as business operations including inventory tracking and calculating profits and losses.
• Essential Questions: How does the POS system make your job easier? How does the POS system improve the customer experience? How does the POS system facilitate operations in the store?

Acquisition

• Staff will know: how to navigate the POS system and what transactions require manager approval, accurately track inventory including samples and waste from incorrectly made/canceled items, and use sales data to strategically make recommendations and upsells.
• Staff will be skilled at: using a POS system to add/remove items from an order, make modifications, submit order, accept payment and issue change, and account for inventory that is sampled or wasted.

Stage 2: Evidence

Evaluative Criteria

• Staff will be tested on their speed and accuracy of taking and submitting orders, accepting payment and issuing change, canceling orders and issuing refunds, tracking samples and waste, and knowing which transactions require manager approval.

Assessment Evidence

• Performance Task: Manager will observe each staff member on their first shift using the new POS system until they are satisfied staff member can meet the evaluative criteria. If staff member cannot meet the evaluative criteria, they will need to review the training materials and shadow a staff member who does meet the evaluative criteria, and then the manager will observe again to re-evaluate.
• Other Evidence: Staff are able to maintain excellent customer service through conversation and attentiveness while accurately using POS system (i.e. staff member’s attention is not focused on navigating POS because they are comfortable and skilled enough with it to manage it and speaking with the customer(s) simultaneously), staff are able to look up sales trends and use data to make recommendations and upsells.

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

• Manager will explain why the store is implementing a new POS system and why accurately tracking orders, inventory, and sales is critical to the store’s success.
• The manager will show staff an overview of navigation at a POS system and give staff time to familiarize themselves with the layout of the buttons and functions.
• Staff will be given a worksheet with questions and activities such as circling what button is used for a specified action and ordering a series of buttons to perform a specified process.
• Staff will then pair up and take turns practicing using the POS system — one staff member will play a customer and the other will take their order, modify an order, issue a refund, offer a sample, etc. The staff members will get turns playing both roles.
• Staff will each take a turn practicing using the POS system while the manager plays the role of the customer to check their understanding and offer corrections/clarification as needed.