Quality Matters
What is Quality Matters?
The Quality Matters program is a faculty-centered, peer review process to certify the quality of online courses and online components. QM is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its faculty-centered approach to continuous improvement in online education. Elizabeth City State University became a member of Quality Matters in January 2015.
The QM rubrics are research-based tools. The Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (Sixth Edition) consists of 8 general standards and 42 specific criteria that describe best practices in online and blended course design. The QM process is designed to be continuous, collegial, and collaborative. The rubric and associated annotations are based on best practices that promote student learning and instructional design principles that are part of good design. The rubric is supported by a thorough review of the literature and is updated every three years to reflect new techniques and technologies that have become available.
The course review process involves a review of a course by a team of three trained, certified peer reviewers who are all experienced online faculty. This faculty driven process is intended to be diagnostic with the overall goal of course improvement. It does not involve pass/fail judgments but instead relies on the team members providing specific guidance for the course developer on what might be done to modify the course in order that it will eventually meet standards. There is a clear recognition throughout the process that there are many ways to meet each standard and that no course is perfect. For QM reviewed courses, the goal is to meet an 85% threshold to be certified as a quality course.
The Quality Matters process is designed to ensure that courses undergoing review will eventually meet expectations.
Why QM?
Professional Development Workshops
The Quality Matters Program offers the following workshops with no prerequisites to aid anyone interested in enhancing their online course design and online instructional practices.
- Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) – Schedule and Checklist
- Designing Your Online Course (DYOC) – Schedule and Checklist
- Designing Your Blended Course (DYBC) – Schedule and Checklist
- Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) – Schedule and Checklist
- Teaching Online-An Introduction to Online Delivery (TOL) – Schedule and Checklist
- Design That Welcomes Your Learners (ST1/7) – Schedule and Checklist
- Connecting Learning Objectives and Assessments (ST2/3) – Schedule and Checklist
- Using Instructional Materials and Technology to Promote Learner Engagement (ST4/5/6) – Schedule and Checklist
- Addressing Accessibility and Usability (ST8) – Schedule and Checklist
To schedule a Quality Matters Facilitated Workshop, please register by using the QR Code:
Quality Matters Certifications
The Quality Matters Program also offers online certifications through rigorous trainings. Please note that Quality Matters online certification courses are time intensive and lead to the acquisition of various roles within the Quality Matters program.
- Peer Reviewer Course (PRC)
- Master Reviewer Certification (MRC)
- Course Review Manager Certification (CRMC)
- Online Facilitator Certification (OFC)
- Face-to-Face Facilitator Certification (FFC)
- IYOC Face-to-Face Facilitator Certification (IFFC)
- IYOC Online Facilitator Certification (IOFC)
- Continuing and Professional Education Accelerated Peer Reviewer Course (CPE)
- K–12 Accelerated Reviewer Course for Higher Ed (K–12 RC ACCELLFY14)