Abstract
The Quality Matters (QM) project funded by FIPSE and administered by MarylandOnline (MOL) is creating a replicable inter-institutional continuous improvement model to assess, assure, and improve the quality of online courses. Designed to address statewide and national needs for credible quality assurance in online learning, the inter-institutional collaboration is an integral and essential feature of QM project organization, implementation, and impact. The project uses inter-institutional, intersegmental peer review teams as an integral part of the quality improvement process; the expansion of the peer reviewer pool to involve faculty from two- and four-year institutions beyond MOL members in peer reviews of courses is also particularly noteworthy. The QM project’s success to date indicates the viability of creating an interinstitutional collaborative process for quality improvement in online courses. Future efforts will focus on determining whether the project can build and maintain a sustainable model for the long term.
Highlights
The Quality Matters (QM) project is creating a replicable inter-institutional continuous improvement model to assess, assure, and improve the quality of online courses [1]
The QM Tool Set Committee refined the pilot project rubric into the QM rubric, which consists of 40 Specific Review Standards grouped into eight General Review Standard areas corresponding to critical aspects of online course design and supported by the research literature and recognized quality standards
Perhaps the most groundbreaking innovation of the QM project is its use of inter-institutional peer review teams, which consist of three members with one member designated as review team chair
Summary
The Quality Matters (QM) project is creating a replicable inter-institutional continuous improvement model to assess, assure, and improve the quality of online courses [1]. MOL relies heavily on the ability of its member institutions to collaborate effectively, as evidenced by its prior success with implementing the Faculty Online Technology Training Consortium (FOTTC) and Project Synergy (http://www.mdfaconline.org) grant-funded initiatives. In Fall 2002, an MOL subcommittee on Quality Assurance, consisting of faculty from three Maryland community colleges (Frederick, Carroll, and Chesapeake) conducted a “proof of concept” pilot peer course review project. The subcommittee developed a set of quality assurance instruments and conducted a pilot review of an online Frederick Community College course. These instruments were designed to assist the instructor in improving the design of the course. Based on the success of this pilot project, a team of representatives from eight MOL members (Baltimore City, Carroll, Chesapeake, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s CCs, and University of Maryland University College) prepared a grant proposal which MOL submitted to FIPSE
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