WIDA Early Years eLearning is on the move!

WIDA Early Years eLearning courses, formerly referred to as modules, are moving into the WIDA Secure Portal, a members-only hub for WIDA professional learning courses and resources. Learn more below about WIDA Early Years eLearning, what’s changing, and what you can do to get ready. WIDA Early Years eLearning courses will go live in the WIDA Secure Portal on October 1, 2021.

What is WIDA Early Years eLearning?

• WIDA Early Years eLearning provides free, online professional learning courses to early care and education (ECE) professionals in WIDA Early Years member states. These online professional learning resources focus on supporting young multilingual children in ECE settings.
• WIDA Early Years eLearning is intended for ECE professionals, teachers, teacher educators, coaches, trainers and leaders/administrators.

What’s changing?

• WIDA Early Years eLearning courses will move from their current learning management system (LMS), Moodle, to a new LMS, Canvas, which is housed within the WIDA Secure Portal. Canvas is a simplified LMS focused on active learning with streamlined navigation, clean page design and webinar platform integration. Canvas is the same LMS that is used by the WIDA Consortium.
• WIDA Early Years members will access eLearning courses via the newly redesigned WIDA Secure Portal (launched for K-12 WIDA Consortium members on September 1st, WIDA Early Years members will have access starting October 1st). The redesigned portal will look and feel like the main WIDA website with professional learning and resources available to users.
• Existing eLearning courses will be migrated to the new LMS.
• Users will have access to one new eLearning offering called Introduction to Making Connections: Using Early Learning and Development Standards and WIDA Early Years Resources to Plan Instruction for Young Multilingual Children. This new offering introduces users to the new Making Connections documents published for all WIDA Early Years member states.

What do I need to do to get ready?

Current WIDA Early Years Moodle users must complete all in-progress modules and print/download certificates of completion by September 30, 2021.

How do I create a WIDA Secure Portal account?

• Starting October 1, WIDA Early Years member states will distribute a link to ECE professionals in their state that allows users to set up a WIDA Secure Portal account and access WIDA Early Years eLearning offerings. After October 1, questions about account creation can be directed to your Early Years member state representative.
• Current Moodle user accounts will not automatically be migrated to the WIDA Secure Portal, so users will need to create new accounts in the WIDA Secure Portal.

Can users earn certificates of completion?

Yes! Each self-paced, online course concludes with a brief quiz. Users must pass the quiz in order to obtain a certificate of completion. Users may take the quiz more than once if needed. Users can save or print a copy of their certificate for their own records.

Who can I contact for help?

• The newly redesigned WIDA Secure Portal offers a “Get Help” section that will include a video tutorial and other resources to support new users.
• If you encounter any technical issues, or have trouble creating your account or registering, please contact EarlyYears@wida.us or call the WIDA Client Services Center at 866-276-7735.