In this module you will learn about the BOPPPS model of lesson planning which consists of 6 elements, designed around the intended learning outcome for the lesson. These elements provide educators with a guide to structuring and delivering education interactions. The BOPPPS model can be utilized once or multiple times within a single lesson.
Throughout this module, you will gain in-depth insight into each component of the model, but first, begin by reviewing this overview of the model.
The Bridge (or Bridge-In) is an introduction to your lesson that gains the learner’s attention and provides them with motivation to learn. Its purpose is to build connections between the lesson content and its real-world applicability or to make the content interesting and relatable to the learner through a narrative approach.
Example: For the topic of ‘Networking’, learners watch two videos of real stories to introduce the positive impact networking can have on job searching and collaborative workspaces.
Learning Outcomes (LOs), often referred to as intended learning outcomes (ILOs), are used to provide the learner with an understanding of what they will experience in the lesson and what your expectations are for their learning. The ILOs state what the learner should know, be able to do, or value by the end of the lesson.
Example: By the end of this lesson the learner will be able to identify and connect with a networking contact in their field of interest through LinkedIn.
The pre-assessment can help you to determine the extent of the learner’s existing knowledge and / or what they are already capable of doing in relation to the desired intended learning outcomes. It enables you to better align the complexity of the material delivered during the lesson to the learner’s current understanding.
Example: Learners are asked to discuss their general knowledge of networking and any existing experience they have with LinkedIn as a whole class.
Participatory learning (active learning) engages the learner directly and actively in their own learning. Educators are encouraged to combine traditional lecture structures with solo, group, and whole-class activities to enable students to engage with the content and required activities.
Example: The learners will see a demonstration of how to use the employer ‘People’ page on LinkedIn to find and connect with new contacts. They will be given 15 minutes to repeat the process for a company of their choice.
Post-assessments can be designed to formally or informally determine what the learner has learned and to what degree the learning has occurred in relation to the intended learning outcome(s). They typically require the learner to demonstrate the extent of their gained knowledge or their ability to perform a skill. This may be a direct replication of the pre-assessment, or be a different type of assessment entirely.
Example: Each learner is given 10 minutes to write a set of instructions on how to complete this process, which will be formatively assessed with feedback by one of their peers.
The Summary repeats the main takeaway(s) from the lesson or what the learners should now know, be able to do, or value in relation to the intended learning outcomes.
Example: The educator draws connections between the original videos demonstrating the usefulness of networking and the method that the class has just learned.
While it is recommended to deliver a lesson in the order of the BOPPPS model, you can vary the order in which you develop the lesson plan. In the next section of this module, you will learn about constructive alignment and backward design, approaches which recommend the development of Learning Outcomes as the first step in lesson planning.
As indicated by the first intended learning outcome, during the remainder of this module you will “Create a one-page lesson plan that includes each component of the BOPPPS model”.
Please download the BOPPPS Lesson Planning Template and save it to your computer. Take one to two minutes to choose a lesson topic you would like to engage with and then record that topic on the worksheet. Remember, you can choose any topic that interests you and enables you to be creative in your design. At this stage, learning and applying the model is more important that the specific topic.
Optional: Examples of completed lesson plans that use the BOPPPS model are available for reference.
The BOPPPS Model, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Saskatchewan: https://libguides.usask.ca/c.php?g=696596&p=4941308
BOPPPS Lesson Planning Tool, eCampusOntario H5P Studio: https://h5pstudio.ecampusontario.ca/content/52489
Macpherson, A. (2011). The instructional skills workshop as a transformative learning process. [Doctoral dissertation, Simon Fraser University]. Retrieved from: https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/1/17/ISWasTransformativeThesis111117.pdf
ISW Handbook. Instructional Skills Workshop Network. (2021). https://www.iswnetwork.ca/resources/isw-and-fdw-handbooks/