Quality Matters

Quality Matters Logo

Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components. Sponsored by MarylandOnline, Inc, Quality Matters has generated widespread interest and received national recognition for its peer-based approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement in online education. Originating from a FIPSE grant, Quality Matters is now a self-supporting organization offering institutional subscriptions and a range of fee-based services including Quality Matters-managed course reviews and an array of trainings.

Website: http://www.qualitymatters.org

BCCC is a member of the Quality Matters organization. The QM team at Bucks can review your course and offer guidance to ensure effective online teaching. They also can help prepare courses for formal review.Quality Matters Rubric Image

The Quality Matters Rubric is a set of forty specific elements, distributed across eight broad standards, by which to evaluate the design of online and hybrid courses. The web-based, fully interactive rubric is complete with annotations that explain the application of the standards and relationship between them. The eight broad standards include:

  1. Course Overview and Introduction
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Assessment and Measurement
  4. Resources and Materials
  5. Learner Engagement
  6. Course Technology
  7. Learner Support
  8. Accessibility

What is Alignment?

Critical course components - Learning Objectives (2), Assessment and Measurement (3), Resources and Materials (4), Learner Engagement (5), and Course Technology (6) - work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes. When aligned, each of these course components is directly tied to and supports the learning objectives. Specific standards included in Alignment are indicated in the rubric annotations.

Quality Matters at Bucks

The Quality Matters team at BCCC assists faculty in online course design through research-based standards and best practices.  The team provides individual and group professional development opportunities to help faculty create accessible and effective course sites that enhance learning and facilitate student academic success.

The QM Bucks team consists of faculty members, Michael Hennessey, Mary Ellen Bornak and Georglyn Davidson. Any Bucks faculty can have their couses reviewed by Michael or Mary Ellen.

This QM at Bucks PowerPoint presentation explains why and how we use the review process at Bucks.

The QM team maintains a course space in BbVista that contains a Standards Workshop, the QM rubric, and links to Bucks courses that have been reviewed and approved.

Contact any of the QM team members if you would like a course reviewed by the QM organization or by the Bucks team. Team members will preview and help prepare your course for review.

What the QM Team can do for you:

  • Provide more information about QM standards
  • Help apply QM standards to your course
  • Guide you through a QM formal course review
  • Help you get a QM seal of approval
  • Help apply QM standards to your course 

Bucks Faculty Who Have Achieved QM Approval for Their Courses

Feel free to contact them about the review process.