Online Course Review and Feedback
Indiana University subscribes to the services of Quality Matters (QM), a non-profit, quality assurance organization aimed at improving and certifying the quality of online and blended (hybrid) courses. The QM Rubric, based on research-supported best practices, provides a set of 42 standards and a scoring system by which to evaluate online courses. The rubric can be used for both informal and official reviews, or as a guide for instructors as they design an online course.
Training
IUB offers a free introductory workshop called, Quality Matters: Applying the Standards at IU. (This workshop is the equivalent of the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) online course offered for $200 by QM on their website.) The workshop provides an overview of the QM Rubric and the QM Peer Review process. It gives participants the background needed to use the rubric informally to design an online course or review and give feedback on an existing one.
Participants who have completed either Quality Matters: Applying the Standards at IU or APPQMR are eligible to enroll in the QM Peer Reviewer Course (PRC), an online course offered through the QM website. Upon completion of the PRC, participants who have taught a for-credit course online within the past 18 months can apply to become certified QM Peer Reviewers and serve on teams for official reviews.
Online/Blended Course Reviews at IUB
IUB offers both informal reviews and Official QM Course Reviews.
- In an informal review, an on-campus reviewer who has completed the PRC determines whether the course meets the most important standards.
- In an official review, a team of three certified QM Peer Reviewers, at least one of whom is from outside of IU, determines whether the course meets all 42 standards.
These reviews are free to faculty. However, several limitations apply:
- The instructor must complete one of the introductory workshops (Quality Matters: Applying the Rubric at IU or APPQMR) and conduct a self-review of the course before submitting it for an IUB Informal Review.
- The course must be taught online for at least one semester before it is submitted for an IUB Informal Review.
- The course must pass the IUB Informal Review and be taught for at least two semesters before being submitted for an Official QM Course Review.
Quality Matters: Applying the Standards at IU is offered each semester and during the summer at IUB. To register for the next workshop, go to the CITL Events page.