1. Quality Matters Overview
Becky Adams
Former Director, Course Development Group University of New Mexico

2. Agenda Our Journey Quality Matters Program Introduction
Why Important to UNM
UNM Online Course Advisory & Rubric
Academia vs. Training
Importance of Best Practice

3. Our Journey
Why Online?

4. Quality Matters Program
Program Introduction
Importance to UNM
Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric
Courses Reviews and Certification
Professional Development and Certification
Out three over arching goals are to…
Work collaboratively with academic units, faculty, UNM IT, OSET (Office and Services for Effective Teaching), and Student support units: UNM Advisement, Enrollment Management, UNM Libraries, Accessibility Resource Center, Center for Academic Program Services, UNM IT,

5. Quality Matters Program
Quality Assurance through Faculty
Development and Course Design

6. Academic & Non-Profit
Quality Matters is a not-for-profit subscription service providing tools and training for quality assurance of online courses
Developed by Maryland Online with funding from FIPSE (Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education), it was designed by faculty for faculty and focused on improving student learning.
Adopted by a large and broad user base, QM represents a shared understanding of quality in online course design

7. Academic & Non-Profit
A set of standards (Rubric) for the design of online and blended courses
A peer review process (faculty to faculty) for reviewing and improving online and hybrid courses
A faculty support tool used by instructional development staff
A professional development opportunity

8. QM as an International Standard
1000+ Member Institutions
48 states + D.C in the U.S.A.
2 U.S. Territories
8+ Countries
60,000+ faculty and instructional design staff
3,500+ QM-Certified Reviewers

9. Faculty-driven - Peer Review
Collaborative
Collegial
Continuous
Centered in academic research
- around student learning

10. QM’s Role in Quality Assurance
QM looks at course design - The harnessing of technology to deliver instruction and promote student learning.
QM provides a process for peer-to-peer feedback
QM is not the complete answer to quality assurance for online education, but can be a critical component

11. QM’s Role in Quality Assurance
Not about an individual instructor ….it’s about THE COURSE.
Not about faculty evaluation
…it’s about COURSE QUALITY
Not about judgment
…it’s about DIAGNOSIS AND IMPROVEMENT

12. QM Basics
More than the sum of it’s three parts

13. Rubric is the Core of QM 6th Edition Consists of:
8 key areas (general standards) of course quality
42 specific review standards essential standards
Detailed annotations and examples of good practice for all 42 standards

14. The QM Review
QM-Certified course reviewers and the Course Representative make up the course review team. Reviewers have access to the course site and review it compared to the QM Rubric Standards. All Reviewers have completed QM professional development pathways to attain their roles. Depending on the QM program, there are either two or three Reviewers assigned to the team. Every team includes at least one subject matter expert (SME) and an external reviewer. Teams are chaired by those who hold the Master Reviewer role. The Team Chair is responsible for the integrity of the review and is an experienced Reviewer. Since QM reviews are meant to be transparent, the Course Representative is a part of the process and should be provided with the Rubric prior to the course review. The CR is involved in a pre-review conference call and is available for the team to consult throughout the review, in case of questions or clarifications.

15. UNM Online Course Advisory & Rubric
UNM Next Steps
UNM Online Course Advisory & Rubric

16. UNM Online Course Advisory
Established 2012
Provost-sanctioned faculty advisory committee.
To establish online course standards from research based pedagogical best practices grounded in recognized online course quality standards, reflecting Higher Learning Commission and federal requirements for online distance learning.
This committee worked directly with CDG to develop and draft recommendations for Provost Office review.

17. UNM Online Course Advisory
Why?

18. UNM Online Course Advisory
Tasked with institutional online course standards for course development and instruction and recommendations for adherence/implementation to the standards.
Committee members may serve as reviewers of UNM online courses.
Help address institutional concerns related to how online courses compare to ‘on the ground courses’ in quality course development, effective teaching and learning, outcomes assessment, and academic integrity, providing UNM an opportunity to obtain evidence that student learning and achievement in an online environment can be equal to traditional face-to-face courses.
With this evidence UNM will be able to verify to accrediting bodies, institutional administrators, deans and faculty, that online teaching and learning can be as good as UNM traditional course offerings.

19. UNM Online Course Advisory
Who?

20. UNM Online Course Advisory
Representation from veteran online faculty that have a leadership role and/or have received recognition for their online teaching
UNM Presidential Teaching Fellow
Chair of the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee

21. UNM Online Course Advisory
Process

22. UNM Online Course Rubric

23. UNM Online Course Rubric

24. UNM Online Course Certification
Results:
Over 100 courses certified
TA Master Course Initiative
Managed Online Programs

25. Academia vs. Training Importance of Best Practice Credibility
Continuous Improvement …

26. Academia vs. Training
QM – Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEP) Rubric –
“The Continuing Education and Professional Development (CPE) Rubric may be used to evaluate and improve college-based, non-credit courses; massive open online courses (MOOCs); and professional training and personal development courses offered by various entities — businesses, professional and vocational organizations and associations, government agencies, and special-interest societies. There is no limit to the course-sponsoring organizations and courses to which this Rubric is applicable.”

27. Questions?

28. Quality Matters Information
Much of our Information is from the Quality Matters Program website. Visit at: For more information: Get their Facts sheet at
Quality Matters Information