Online Course Review and Feedback
CITL consultants are available to assist with online course design, and we can provide feedback on your existing courses. This is a slightly different practice than with on-campus courses, since "observing" an online course involves talking to you about your goals and pedagogical practices, reviewing your course for the markers of effective online education, and examining student engagement and performance. Contact us to inquire about this service.
Quality Matters (QM) for Online Course Review
One tool we may use to provide online course design and review is Quality Matters. Quality Matters (QM) is 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 internal and official reviews, or as a guide for instructors as they design an online course.
QM Training
The introductory QM course is Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR), which provides an overview of the QM Rubric and the QM Peer Review process. This course gives participants the background needed to use the rubric informally to design an online course or review and give feedback on an existing one. While QM offers APPQMR itself (for a fee), IU is authorized to provide this same training locally. To find out about upcoming offerings of APPQMR, contact IUB's QM Coordinator, Maggie Gilchrist.
IU faculty and staff who have completed either version of 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 QM Course Reviews at IUB
IUB offers both internal reviews and official QM course reviews, with the latter leading to QM Certification.
- In an internal 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 APPQMR and conduct a self-review of the course before submitting it for an IUB Internal Review.
- The course must be taught online for at least one semester before it is submitted for an IUB Internal Review.
- The course must pass the IUB Internal Review and be taught for at least two semesters before being submitted for an Official QM Course Review.
For more information about Quality Matters, or about online course development or review in general, contact IUB's QM Coordinator and CITL's Distance Learning Specialist, Maggie Gilchrist.