The Challenge
Set up in 1969, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is the leader in global drinks education and offers courses in 70 plus countries in 15 languages. WSET offers a range of qualifications - from expert to beginner level - in wine, spirits, sake and, from early 2024, beer. Its courses can be taken in-person or online and are aimed at both drinks trade professionals and consumer enthusiasts.
Given the unique nature of their business, the Digital Education team at WSET recognised they had outgrown their previous VLE: technical administration had become unwieldy, and the platform was no longer fit for purpose. Something new was required to offer the functionality necessary to support their students in an online landscape whilst enabling future business growth.
WSET needed a system that would allow the flexibility for students to access learning via laptop or mobile device, matching their learning preference. It also needed to be a platform that allowed innovation with new kinds of courses, better supported their educators, whilst also demonstrating a more relaxed format. It was also crucial that this new platform enabled the delivery of content in multiple languages to cater for their growing global audience.
KEY FINDINGS
Canvas allows WSET to deliver a full range of courses to all types of students, globally.
The platform allows WSET to improve its internal training and professional development.
Students have benefitted from improved UX as well as improvements in interactivity and accessibility - a WSET business focus.
WSET’s network of online educators have expressed how much they appreciate having the ability to be part of a community on the platform.
Canvas enables WSET to deliver on its multi-lingual growth plan.
The Decision
WSET has its training delivered globally via their network of APPs (Approved Programme Providers) but created by WSET. Any prospective system had to facilitate this relationship but also aid the teacher as well as the end-user and, crucially, replicate the fun and social side of tasting from classroom classes to the online environment.
Conducting an evaluation of the top user-ranked VLEs, WSET quickly developed a shortlist, submitting a comprehensive RFP to these suppliers. It soon became evident that Canvas’s functionality met all the brief’s requirement and was the perfect choice for WSET’s needs.
During the pandemic, Canvas allowed WSET to continue supporting their students globally who otherwise would not have had access to classrooms and teaching.
By continuing their studies in a time of such global upheaval, WSET’s Canvas platform made an important contribution to the mental health and well-being of their students.
One immediate advantage of Canvas is the flexibility of different submission formats available for students.
It (Canvas) gives us the ability to change, adapt and deliver our courses quickly, as well as continuing to support and grow our courses globally
Amy Button
Head of Digital Education, WSET
For more serious scholars, the ability to submit tasting notes via written submission for Level 3 Awards or Level 4 Diploma courses, which replicates the exam format, but also enables them to submit videos for fun and personalised feedback. This perfectly demonstrates the blend of fun and academic rigour that is so important to WSET and its learners.
Canvas also helps WSET to provide their Educator Training Programme, delivering training for both face-to-face and online educators, at the same time as improving their own internal systems training. This adaptability really impressed the team at WSET, helping them administer courses quickly, easily and at a scale not previously possible
The Results
Canvas allows WSET to dramatically increase their Digital Education remit, develop the content of their main portfolio of courses, and benefit from all subsequent internal efficiencies.
In over 70 countries, hundreds of WSET’s Approved Programme Providers utilise this platform to deliver course content, whilst many more WSET staff also use this to successfully deliver their material and inspire learners, whether in person or online.
For the academic year 21/22, tens of thousands of students took their WSET courses via Canvas, with many thousands more also using the platform for support in face-to-face courses.
The format’s flexibility helps WSET develop a flipped-learning methodology - providing material ahead of study sessions for learners to prepare from.\
Whilst this ability to see class materials beforehand has advantages for all learners, it's an approach that works particularly well for those students who might require a bit more learning support.
Canvas is enabling WSET to deliver on its purpose to empower people through inspiring learning experiences all over the world, ensuring equity of experience and inclusivity of approach.
Canvas is the perfect vehicle to help WSET’s global network of students enrich their studies by learning from each other’s unique experiences and promote diversity of thought and opinion.
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