RESOURCES

5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning™

The 5D™ framework provides a shared language for instruction that grounds teaching and learning in classroom environment and culture, student engagement, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment for student learning and purpose.

This instructional framework provides a common language for teaching to help schools and districts successfully grow high-quality instructional practices.

Developed from multiyear research at the University of Washington, the 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning instructional framework combines vision statements and guiding questions to help you reflect on the core elements of effective teaching: purpose, student engagement, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment for student learning, and classroom environment and culture.

The 5D instructional framework is a research-based tool to help schools and districts create shared language for teaching and learning, scaffold the development of expertise and grow high-quality instructional practices.
 
Version 4.5 of the 5D instructional framework, released in 2020, is updated to reflect additional research on the science of learning and development and ways in which student experiences in school and classrooms influence their outcomes. With revisions and additions to vision statements and guiding questions, the updates emphasize research that supports the importance of:
 
  • Promoting mastery-oriented learning (driven by learning goals) as an approach to developing intrinsic motivation and productive mindsets
  • Engaging students’ long-term interests as a strategy to develop student ownership of learning
  • Valuing student identities and experiences to improve belonging, strengthen activation of prior knowledge and enrich whole-class learning
  • Targeted feedback for students throughout the learning process


To support the use of the 5D instructional framework, CEL offers contextualized professional learning for the 5D. CEL also offers the Measures of Instructional Leadership Expertise, which is aligned to the 5D, to assess and provide feedback on a leader’s capacity to analyze quality teaching and learning.

Learn more about the updates to the 5D Framework here. 

Download the 5D Version 4.0 for use with the 5D+ Rubric for Instructional Growth. 

 

Download your free copy