Transform Your Curriculum with WIDS' Performance-Based Learning

While developing learning experiences, educators often ask themselves,

“What should students be able to do with what they’ve learned by the end of this lesson/course/program?”  

In response, they may create learning outcomes that focus on only basic comprehension, essentially missing out on incorporating the higher level cognitive skills, like applying, analyzing and evaluating.

WIDS bridges this gap by promoting Performance-Based Learning (PBL) to help educators design learning outcomes, learning plans, and performance standards that reflect the performance they expect of their learners.

What is performance-based learning?

PBL is a framework for designing learning and assessment that details:

• The targeted outcomes learners can perform as a result of the learning experience.
• Supporting skills and knowledge addressed as learners progress toward the outcome.
• What learners will do to learn the outcomes.
• How the learners will show they have achieved the outcomes.
• The criteria used to assess their performance.

Our software guides instructors to create learning outcomes that help students acquire basic comprehension and then apply advanced cognitive skills in meaningful ways.

Our software provides:

• A comprehensive library of Bloom's Taxonomy-aligned action verbs to help educators clearly define high-level learning outcomes.
• Guidance for writing precise learning outcomes that focus on application and challenge students to go beyond memorization.
• Tools for designing assessment tasks that align to learning outcomes and measure how well students can apply what they've learned.

Make meaningful learning plans

In addition, our software features help educators develop engaging learning plans that:

• Articulate the relevance of each lesson to real-world applications for the learner.
• Integrate supporting skills and knowledge that move learners toward competence.
• Provide learners with ample practice applying what they learned before being assessed.

Create clear performance standards

Educators can use WIDS software to clarify performance standards that align with the learning outcomes and practical skills needed for employment:

• Align performance standards with learning outcomes to ensure that every assessment measures progress toward competence.
• Define the criteria for competence to clarify how students will meet expectations.
• Encourage deeper learning by requiring learners to apply new knowledge and skills.

What should learners be able to do by the end of a learning experience?  They should be able to apply what they learned at high levels in meaningful ways. Ensure your learners are prepared to do so.  Contact us to learn more about using WIDS’ Performance-Based Learning model.

WIDS (Worldwide Instructional Design System) is a nonprofit organization that provides curriculum design software, consulting, and training services.  Download the free Learning Plan Checklist.

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