Raising questions. Pursuing answers. Curating and categorizing. That’s how we support QM quality assurance.
A founding principle that continues to drive Quality Matters is the need for QM Standards to reflect current academic research on effective learning. The initial standards and subsequent modifications have been based on the insights of teams of experienced online instructors and instructional designers and on the best practices standards promulgated by accrediting bodies and national and international organizations. In addition, the QM Standards have been examined for consistency with the conclusions of the educational research literature regarding factors that increase learning and engagement and that improve learner retention rates.
QM's Department of Innovation & Research is focused on curating and supporting research studies related to the impact and use of the Quality Matters model. Literature reviews to inform members of the Rubric Committees in their effort to assure that the Rubrics remain current with the research are also an important component of QM Innovation & Research activities. If you are looking for guidance on conducting QM-focused research or finding studies to support the use of QM, we recommend starting with the resources listed in this section.
qm research library
Search our curated selection of literature bearing a relationship to quality assurance in online learning, as well as the QM Standards, by either keyword or the QM Standard number.
See instructions for submitting references to the library.
research toolkit
Get guidance on developing a research question that will make for a solid study and facilitate attaining information significant to online learning stakeholders.
qm-related research resources
See a curated list of studies and publications related to the primary categories of QM Research.
Need help with your search? Contact QM Research with your questions.
Looking for a recording or miss a session?
See a list of all archived recordings.
Have an idea for a Research Webinar? Contact the Innovation & Research team.
Research Webinars
May 15, 2025 — 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern
From Automation to Transformation: AI Strategies for Personalized, Engaging and Inclusive Online Course Design
Presented by Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research and Assistant Professor & Program Director of Information Science at North Carolina Central University and Dr. Racheal Brooks, Ph.D., Director of Quality Assurance Implementation Solutions at QM.
Join Dr. Grady and Dr. Brooks for an interactive webinar celebrating the release of the latest Quality Matters white paper, From Automation to Transformation: AI Strategies for Personalized, Engaging, and Inclusive Online Course Design. In this session, participants will explore how AI can be used not only to streamline online learning — but to elevate it. Designed for educators, instructional designers and academic leaders, this conversation will highlight key insights from the paper and offer practical strategies for using AI to support learner success, fairness and innovation.
Webinar begins at 1:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. CT, 11:00 a.m. MT, 10:00 a.m. PT
