Home > Public Services > eLearning > Faculty Services > Quality Matters
Quality Matters
Congratulations to Dr. Pat Miller whose ENGL 8300 Revision/Editing for Professionals was recently recognized as meeting Quality Matters standards.
Example of one of VSU's peer reviewed courses
The Quality Matters Process at VSU
 |
Quality Matters (QM)™ is a course review process that is currently being established at Valdosta State University. It allows for the continuous improvement of online and hybrid courses. It was developed by a MarylandOnline grant project with the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) and has been adopted by hundreds of higher education institutions across forty-two states, Canada, Bermuda and Australia. Courses that have been taught for at least one semesters are eligible for QM review. The goals of the program are to increase student retention, learning and satisfaction in online courses by implementing better course design. |
QM is not a faculty evaluation that will affect promotion and tenure. It focuses solely on course design, not faculty performance. QM provides the opportunity for faculty course developers to be an active part of a review process which provides feedback and recommendations for course design improvements to meet quality expectations based on National Standards and research literature. This is accomplished by aligning the course to a rubric that consists of the following general review standards that are based on eight national standards and instructional design principles which help students reach desired learning objectives:
- Course Overview and Introduction
- Learning Objectives
- Assessment and Measurement
- Resources and Materials
- Learner Engagement
- Course Technology
- Learner Support
- Accessibility
A set of forty specific elements distributed across these eight broad standards are used to evaluate the design of online and hybrid courses.
Example of one of VSU's peer reviewed courses:
Georgia ONmyLINE EDET 8010 Reflective Teaching Practices
The Quality Matters Process at Valdosta State University
1. If you are an instructor at VSU, request the Quality Matters Rubric Workbook (be sure to specifically ask for the QM Rubric Workbook as this is a multipurpose form).
2. Self Evaluate your course
- Use the Quality Matters Rubric to make content and design improvements to your course.
3. Contact the eLearning Department to continue the peer review process.