Questionmark and WIDS partner for outcome-driven assessments

For Immediate Release

Questionmark and WIDS partner for outcome-driven assessments

STAMFORD, CT – March 7, 2005 -- Testing and assessment software provider Questionmark and the Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS), a non-profit organization that offers learner-centered, curriculum-design software, training and consulting, are working together to help educators build assessments that target learning outcomes.

Through a new partnership, educators can draw on the instructional-design expertise, tools and methodologies of WIDS while utilizing the Questionmark™ Perception™ assessment management system to create, deliver and report on surveys, quizzes, tests and exams.

WIDS offers a suite of instructional design tools for higher education, K-12 schools and industry training departments, including instructional design software, professional development, and instructional design consulting services. The organization provides software and the methodology to develop measurable learning outcomes at the organizational, degree, program, and course levels. WIDS also supports the design, documentation and continual improvement of learning, teaching, and assessment strategies.

By working together, WIDS and Questionmark will provide the following benefits to educators:

• The use of WIDS’ tools to achieve a higher level of alignment among outcomes, learning, and assessment;
• Assessments that map directly to the outcomes outlined in their curriculum;
• Help from WIDS in constructing learning materials and assessments;
• Easy-to-use testing and assessment software;
• Support for online deployment of surveys validating occupational and performance analysis such as DACUM

“We are very impressed with Questionmark Perception and its emphasis on higher-level thinking,” commented WIDS Director Judy Neill. “It is an effective tool for creating assessments that connect with learning outcomes developed during the instructional-design process. By combining the benefits of WIDS and Perception software applications, educators and trainers can use the competencies and learning objectives developed in WIDS Software to populate Perception’s topic structure. In doing so, quiz and test questions are aligned with the desired learning outcomes of each course.”

“For many of our customers, learning content and assessments are developed separately, with some resultant gaps and inefficiencies,” said Questionmark President Eric Shepherd. “We believe that WIDS offers the methodology, software tools, and top-notch assistance to help customers get their learning and assessments working together smoothly and effectively.”

About WIDS:
Developed as a collaborative venture that began in 1992 among the 16 Wisconsin Technical Colleges, WIDS provides advanced tools and personal support to help clients develop effective learner-centered curriculum. More than 200 learning organizations nationally and internally use WIDS Software for curriculum design. WIDS helps educators and trainers create performance-based curricula for any discipline or delivery mode. The system is equally helpful in the design of online learning. WIDS is a division of the Wisconsin Technical College System Foundation Inc. (WTCSF), a not-for-profit corporation. Further information is available at http://www.wids.org.

About Questionmark:
Questionmark has produced testing and assessment software since 1988. Questionmark Perception allows people to create question files without programming experience or knowledge of HTML. Powerful reports help instructors track individual and class performance and provide diagnostic information that can be used to improve both instruction and assessments. Some 2,000 businesses, government agencies and educational institutions in more than 50 countries use Perception.

Top of page