Organizations around the world use our software to design performance-based courses and programs. The software gives educators and trainers a centralized curriculum development tool that:
- provides a consistent framework for developing curriculum and training in any discipline or delivery mode
- links curriculum to external or college-wide standards
- creates syllabi, performance assessments, learning plans, teaching plans, program designs, and DACUM charts and surveys
- builds learning outcome matrices
- uses a proven instructional design model
In use since 1994, this software is robust, unique and tested. Learners have benefited from the clear learning expectations detailed in the software output. Designers have benefited from increased ease and efficiency in their everyday work.
Overview
WIDS software provides a framework for the design of measurable concrete learner outcomes and performance indicators for those outcomes. It is the starting point for the design of learning and assessment that produces performance results. Backed by a performance-based model, teachers and designers easily create curriculum and training documents for use on the frontlines of learning.
Features
Loaded with libraries of reusable elements, the software helps you build consistency as you design curricular components. Related curricular objects are linked throughout the design process, yet users have flexibility when designing individualized teaching, learning and assessment strategies. With context-specific coaching on each screen, help is only a click away!
Use the software to create comprehensive courses, programs, DACUMs and learning outcome matrices. The unique database interface allows you to:
- Follow a proven process for performance-based design
- Develop locally-designed learning outcomes and link them to external standards
- Infuse broad, transferable skills such as critical thinking into learning and assessment
- Access core abilities and indicators in the Core Ability Library; design curriculum to address them
- Set performance expectations, borrowing from the Performance Standard Library if needed
- Create performance assessments with scoring guides (rubrics and checklists)
- Access over 400 learning activities, searchable by cycle, learning style, delivery mode and more
- Develop course syllabi, outlines, learning and teaching plans, assessments (rubrics and checklists)
- Configure programs, including program outcomes, criteria for those outcomes, direct measures of learning (such as clinical evaluations, portfolio artifacts and performance assessment tasks), and indirect measures of learning for an entire program
- Design for online, hybrid and traditional learning environments
Modules
The software contains three design modules and one analysis module.
Learning (Course) Design - Getting to the Heart of Course Design
It stores course information, such as title, description, credits and goes beyond competencies to specification of performance standards and learning objectives, design of assessment tasks with scoring guides and design of learning plans and syllabi. Course design in this module can be linked to program design, external standards and occupational analysis. "Wizards" are the main mode of navigation.
Program Design - Bringing Multiple Courses into a Program
This feature brings multiple courses together into one program by linking outcomes and direct/indirect measures, related DACUMs and external standards. Program Design shows how everything within a program is aligned. In doing so, this feature helps facilitate accreditation processes by showing how outcomes are measured and how standards are met within a program.
DACUM - Validating Learning with Occupational Analysis
The DACUM module serves as a database for capturing, charting and printing DACUM occupational analysis data. More importantly, the software helps users develop learner-centered curricula driven by DACUM information. No other software allows users to integrate DACUM data with curriculum design.
Analyzer - Looking at the Bigger Picture
Analyzer performs a variety of analyses on curriculum designed in WIDS. It documents how outcomes are addressed and assessed within programs and across courses. For example, show which of your courses address chosen program outcomes. Use it to create a matrix showing where selected outcomes are addressed, and much more!