Conference Presentations

This presentation showcases our attempt at Stevenson University to use Quality Matter rubric as a guide, a free, cloud-based Course Management System (CMS) as a structured supplementary channel, and emerging technologies as a model for the process of online course development. We hope this approach would help our instructors embrace both QM Rubric and emerging technologies, and build the collegial and collaborative relationship between faculties and instructional designers to improve the quality of our online courses.

The presentation will highlight the alignment of QM standards in an international, collaborative, and online learning context. It will center on the development and engagement of an international collabortion learning unit between two colleges and courses - The College of Westchester (New York) and Empire State college (Panama).

Course Developers and Instructors work together to create a course that best meets student needs, facilitates learning, and encourages communication.  Often, members of the team do not realize the full scope of each others role.  Switching roles affords a new appreciation for the contingencies and systems involved. This contributes to a better working relationship, as well as improves the quality of the course as a whole.

Five Learning Objectives:

This study explored how class size affects the quality of online language teaching and learning. The present study compared the experiences of instructors and students in two second semester Spanish language classes. There were 125 students enrolled in the large-scale class and 25 students enrolled in the small-scale class. Each class had one instructor and no teaching assistants. Two instruments were used to collect data, a Teacher Questionnaire and an anonymous Student Questionnaire.

This presentation shares the initial results of a QM funded research project empirically examing Texas A&M University-Central Texas' internal peer review processes and their associated training and faculty involvement, to determine their effectiveness and utility in improving the online components of online courses to meet nationally recognized QM standards.  The research also applied the "Theory of Planned Behavior" to examine the faculty's attitudes, beliefs and norms underlying their participation in the peer review process.

Quality Matters has recently created and piloted a new rubric for continuing education and professional development courses. As part of the pilot program, the Center for eLearning submitted an online professional development course for recognition. This course is called the eLearning Designer/Facilitator Certification (EDFC) course, and the faculty who take it are assisted by instructional designers in creating new online courses.

The QM RubricTM was developed and continues to be informed by independent and QM-funded research.  The QM Research Colleagues will lead an interactive session revealing the most recent research (2011-to date) that is emerging that might impact the next edition of the QM Rubric.   Each RC will briefly describe a most interesting research studies and explain why she thinks it is an exciting study.    A concluding general session will outline talking points about the most recent educational research.

Over the spring and summer of 2013, QM conducted reviews of 14 basic college and pre-college (developmental) MOOCs funded by the Gates Foundation. This session will provide an analysis of the outcomes and discuss the implications. As these are the first reviews QM has conducted on MOOCs, they offer the first insight on  whether such MOOCs can meet quality design standards, incorporate proven methods of effective online instruction, and be effective for different learners. 

The new QM Continuing and Professional Education Rubric, developed in collaboration with the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), sets design standards for online and blended, non-credit, continuing and professional education courses, including MOOCs. This session will describe the development process, identify differences between the CPE Rubric and the QM Higher Ed Rubric, discuss the major categories of online and blended courses for which it is intended and report the experience of early adopters.

Continuous improvements is a cornerstone of QM. If you've ever wondered how QM determines how and when to roll out new workshops, a new certification, recertify roles or update professional development workshops, come to this session for a "look behind the scenes" of how QM ensures quality. HOw does QM measure success when new ventures liek web conferencing workshops are created? Why does QM ask facilitators to recertifity?

This poster session displays the innovative resources developed at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing that has helped faculty and staff become more familiar with the Quality Matters rubric and standards. These initiatives support the overall goal of the institution that is to certify all of the online and blended courses offered. Two main aspects can be highlighted in the session: the use of templates that contain several of the Quality Matters standards and the development of an online tutorial for faculty and staff involved in online course design. 

In the late 1980s an industrial fabricator, 3D Systems, produced three-dimensional models that became working prototypes of final products. In the world of instructional design, Rapid Prototyping has given us insights into a faster course creation process while retaining a quality instructional design methodology. By using the Quality Matters Rubric as a guide for the prototype, quality course design can be “baked-in” the end result. With the research-based practices in the course prototype, it is easier to create a quality course.

The QM RubricTM was developed and continues to be informed by independent distance/online educational-focused research.  The QM Research Colleagues (QMRC) will lead the session by providing an overview of research literature that informs the QM standards.  After a brief introduction to the relationship of original research to the QM Rubric and a walkthrough of the QM research database, samples of research and talking points will be provided for each of the eight general standards.   

Using QM Standards as a foundation, the Student Success Seminar (a required course for all freshmen) was redesigned to include more student interaction, engagement, individualization, choice, and support. We created an online shell that all courses, on and off campus, face-to-face or online, use so that sections being taught across the state would be consistent. We enlisted faculty and staff members, part-time instructors, community members, and students to help develop modular content and share their expertise.

After engaging faculty in course redesign and evidence based teaching, the speaker has summarized models of implementing Quality Matters in faculty development. Multiple resources are shared based on experiences across multiple formats of faculty PD from two institutions.