Quality Matters at St. Edward's University

Quality Matters OverviewMichael Weston, Instructional Designer

Instructional Technology

What is QM?

• Not-for-Profit Subscription-based service• Provides tools and training for Quality Assurance

of Online and Blended Courses• Originally developed at MarylandOnline via grant

funding• Used by hundreds of Universities in 45 states

What is QM?

• QM is a set of Rubric-based standards for the design and structure of online and blended courses

• Can be used by individual Instructors or as part of a committee-based review process

• Campus QM programs are Faculty led• The QM organization provides training and

professional certifications

The QM Process

• Collaborative• Collegial• Continuous• Centered

What this Process means:

• It’s about the course, not the individual Instructor• It’s about course quality, not faculty evaluation• It’s about diagnosis and improvement, not

judgment• It’s an iterative process of improvement, not a

“win/lose” or “pass/fail”

Eight General Standards:

The QM Peer Review Process

Course

Peer Course Review

Initial Feedback

Course Revision

Course Meets

Standards

Three Methods• Individual Instructor uses QM Rubric to evaluate

and improve her course• Individual Instructor works with SEU QM Peer

Reviewer to follow prescribed QM review process

• Individual Instructor works with SEU QM Committee to complete formal course review and certification

Quality Matters at St. Edward’s

• SEU has been a QM subscriber since 2014• Currently two Faculty have taken certificate

courses• One Instructional Designer is a certified reviewer• Next step is to begin informal course reviews• If a formalized review and certification process is

desired a QM committee could be formed