Mission
WIDS strives to enhance the quality of learning through the development, implementation, support, and continuous improvement of the WIDS Learning Design System, a comprehensive methodology, supported by application and professional development tools, for designing and planning performance-based assessment learning and teaching.
Philosophy
WIDS supports teachers and learners who believe:
- Learning is the central focus of education; instruction supports learning.
- Learners are the primary customers of education; they are also its primary products.
- Learning is a life-long process.
- Education must be relevant to the real demands of an individual's work and other life roles.
- Learning should emphasize application of knowledge and skills (doing something, not just knowing about something).
- Performance expectations and standards should be spelled out and communicated to learners in advance.
- Learning should be integrated so that learners enhance core abilities such as critical thinking, life-long learning, and communication at the same time they are developing concrete technical or content skills.
- Learner performance is measured according to established performance standards, not in comparison to the performance of other learners.
- Learning is a process in which learners take an active role and for which learners assume primary responsibility.
- Because learners have varied learning styles and processing preferences, educators enhance learner success when they employ a variety of teaching methods and media and when they encourage learners to use a variety of learning strategies.
- Teachers are integral to the learning process.
- Learning is enhanced when teachers are supported with excellent professional development opportunities and provided with quality systems and tools.