Bow Valley College is working toward using WIDS college-wide in order to better manage and track curriculum. With 11,000 enrolled students and 300 instructors, the college offers a variety of business, health, ESL and academic upgrading courses and programs through both classroom and online delivery.
In fall 2007 we talked with Russ Wilde, Coordinator of eCampusAlberta/Learning Technologies at Bow Valley College, who filled us in on the status of WIDS use at his college.
Q: In terms of meeting your need for curricula consistency, how does WIDS benefit Bow Valley College?
A: We were looking for a common language and foundation to build upon. Using WIDS everyone will speak the same instructional design language. We were struggling with the same things most colleges struggle with – keeping up with and managing curriculum on a wide-scale.
Q: What are the reasons for Bow Valley College’s need to track and document curricula?
A: We have a mandate to track curriculum and match it up with college-wide outcomes. But, we had no way to see if curriculum was hitting the target. Now we have a way to track it. Ultimately, program coordinators will be able to line-up program outcomes, objectives and competencies. Program coordinators see the value in WIDS. It will help them prepare for accreditation.
Q: You hope to implement WIDS college-wide. Please describe your implementation plan.
A: We held our first WIDS training in-house with a group of 15 instructors and program coordinators. Each of them produced a course using WIDS during the four-day training. Several are using WIDS as their main instructional design tool. The plan is to continue to offer at least one WIDS workshop in-house each year. All programs and courses developed by our curriculum development group will be created using WIDS. Faculty are not mandated to use WIDS, but we hope they do.
Q: Are you making headway in terms of courses and programs developed?
A: Yes. We already have several programs developed using WIDS. Those I have worked with directly are happy with WIDS as an organizational tool. We are making good headway.