1. Quality Matters Building a Quality Online Course

2. Definition Toolset by which online courses are reviewed for quality (key elements shown by research to improve student success). Dietz-Uhler, B., Fisher, A., Han, A. (2007)

3. Primary Goals Promote student learning Guide continual quality improvement of online courses

4. Process Faculty-driven, collegial peer review Reviewed on eight general review standards: –Course overview and introduction –Learning objectives and competencies –Assessment and measurement –Resources and materials –Learner interaction –Course technology –Learner support –Accessibility

5. Standard 1 Course Overview and Introduction Did the course design help you understand how to get started in the course? –Focus should be on overall design, navigational information, general information about instructor and student, and course information, i.e. detailed course syllabus, introduction to online learning module.

6. Standard 2 Learning Objectives and Competencies Were the course and module learning objectives easy to understand and did they help you focus on what the course was about? –The course and unit learning objectives should describe outcomes that are measurable. –All learning objectives should be stated clearly and written from the students perspective and appropriately designed for the level of the course. –Instructions to students on how to meet the learning objectives should be adequate and stated clearly.

7. Standard 3 Assessment and Measurement Did assessment(s) measure the learning objectives and was it evident that they were an integral part of the learning process? –Assessment(s) should measure and document student progress and learning in meeting learning objectives through a variety of activities, multiple submission options, and detailed feedback.

8. Standard 4 Resources and Materials Were materials/resources prepared by qualified personnel and are they sufficient to cover the learning objectives? –There should be a clear explanation of the learning activities (tasks) and how to accomplish them, and it is clear that the instructional materials utilized are appropriate for the activities. –All resources and materials used in the course should be appropriately cited. –There should be a clear explanation distinguishing materials that are required and those that are optional.

9. Standard 5 Learner Interaction Does the course design encourage interaction between instructor and students, among students, and between students and the course materials? –The learning activities should promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives, provide meaningful instructor- student and student-student interaction, and provide opportunities for interaction that support active learning. –The instructor clearly states the requirements for student interaction and a plan for classroom response time.

10. Standard 6 Course Technology Is technology used to engage students in the learning process and does navigation in the course ensure student access to necessary materials/resources? –Technology should be interactive and enhance student learning.

11. Standard 7 Learner Support Is it evident that the course offers resources to institutional support services to ensure student success? –The Course should provide a clear description of support services offered to students, i.e., technical, academic, and student services.

12. Standard 8 Accessibility Is it evident that all students have access to the course components? –The course should be accessible to all students and provide instructions on how to obtain accommodations. –The activities should be designed to be accessible for students with visual or hearing impairments. –The course design should facilitate readability, minimize distractions, and accommodate the use of assistive technologies.

13. Peer Review Team & Scoring. An official review team consists of : -*3 QM Certified Peer Reviewers who have current online teaching experience - The chair is a Master Reviewer with additional experience and training - One reviewer must be a subject matter expert - At least one reviewer must be external to the institution sponsoring the course. Review Process All members of the team evaluate the online course according to the 41 specific standards within the rubric. At least 2 of the 3 members must agree that the standard is met in order for the points to be awarded for that particular standard. There is no partial credit. The standard is either met and all points are given, or the standard is not met and a score of zero is assigned. Scoring After the team has decided if each of the 41 standards has been met, a total score should be calculated by adding together the assigned point value for each standard that was met. Remember that there are no partial points awarded, the standard is either met or not based on the majority decision of the review team. There are 95 points possible on the QM Rubric. In order to receive QM certification, a course must receive a score of at least 81 points (85%). *For this workshop, you will be evaluating your assigned standards alone instead of in a peer review team of 3.

14. References. www.presentationmagazine.com Dietz-Uhler, B., Fisher, A., & Han, A. (2007). Designing online courses to promote student retention. J. Educational Technology Systems, 36(1), 105-112. Pollacia, L., & McCallister, T. (2009). Using Web 2.0 technologies to meet Quality Matters (QM) requirements. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 155-164. Quality Matters Web site (2011). Quality matters rubric standards 2011-2013 edition with assigned point values. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from www.qmprogram.org/files/QM_Standards_2011- 2013.pdf