How can courses be prepared for an Official QM Course Review?

Preparing a course for an Official Review (for example, a QM-managed Review for Certification) means that all the course components that need to be examined by the review team can be accessed within an asynchronous course site and that the course can be experienced from the perspective of a learner.

To this end, please use the general tips for providing access to the review team below and follow the specific checklists for K-12 and higher ed courses.

What kind of course access does the review team need?

Team members should be provided student-level and instructor-level access (if the course is elementary-level) in a course clone or shell. If the course is elementary-level, learning coach access should also be provided. The most recent archive of the course under review, with steps taken to ensure student privacy rights, is a common way to provide access to the review team. For purposes of protecting the confidentiality of student information, the institution should provide a shell or clone, rather than access to a live course. QM only reviews the design of the course, and reviewers should not be provided the ability to review student activity or information or to have any contact with students in any course submitted for review. By submitting the application for a course review, the institution acknowledges Quality Matters bears no responsibility for any consequences of providing a live course for review or a course without anonymized student information.

If external or third-party material is used in a course, reviewers will also need login access for that content.

How can a K-12 course be prepared for an Official Review?

Quality Matters Course Reviews are recommended for mature courses that have been taught previously. QM Rubrics can be used to review the design of various course types, including asynchronous online, synchronous online, hybrid, and digital-first courses. However, courses submitted for an Official QM Course Review must have all design components visible to reviewers within an asynchronous course site. The following checklist can help you determine if a course is ready to be submitted for review:

  •   The Course Representative had time to review the fully-annotated Quality Matters Rubric and make modifications before the review. It is also helpful for the Course Representative to have taken the Applying the QM K-12 Rubric (K-12 APP) workshop. Organizations that are prepared for a Quality Matters review have better outcomes and get more out of the review process. Members have access to the Self-Review tool in the Course Review Management System (CRMS) which allows a user to conduct a review of his/her own course.
  •   Consult the QM Course Format Chart to identify the modality and that most accurately reflects the design of the course. 
  •   Decide on whether the course will be reviewed as distributed or locally delivered. A locally delivered course is to be used by the organization for use with its own instructors. A distributed course is intended for other organizations to use with their instructors.
  •   Provide a course alignment map that shows the organization of the course components related to alignment.
    • The course alignment map must include all of the following components mapped to one another so the connection between them is apparent: content standards (SRS 2.1 C), course-level learning objectives (SRS 2.2 C) with module/unit-level learning objectives (SRS 2.3 C), assessments (SRS 3.1 C), instructional materials (SRS 4.1 C), learning activities (SRS 5.1 C), and course tools (SRS 6.1 C).
    • Both the numbering and verbatim text of the content standards will need to be included in the course alignment map.
  •   The measurable course-level objectives are specified, and there are measurable module/unit-level objectives for each of the course modules/units. Measurable learning objectives use an action verb to describe behavior that can be observed and evaluated.
  •   Student access should have all release conditions or content restrictions removed so the team can view the entire course.
  •   All assessment tools are available for review by the team. The review team will need to be able to access quizzes, exams, and tests.
  •   Organizations that have developed courses based on a template may find it beneficial to have courses reviewed in two phases with a Template plus Content Reviews in order to get the most out of the course review process. Those interested in submitting five or more courses for Official Review will gain the most in cost savings.

How can a Higher Education course be prepared for an Official Review?

Quality Matters Course Reviews are designed for mature courses that have been taught previously and/or for courses that are fully developed online (including blended formats) such that reviewers can see all evaluated components. The following checklist can help you determine if a course is ready to be submitted for review: 

  •   The Course Representative had time to review the fully annotated Quality Matters Rubric and make modifications before the review. Faculty that are prepared for a Quality Matters review have better outcomes and get more out of the review process. Members have access to the Self-Review tool in the Course Review Management System (CRMS) which allows a user to conduct a review of his/her own course.
  •   The measurable course-level objectives are specified and there are measurable module/unit-level objectives for each of the course modules/units. The lack of course-level objectives and module/unit-level objectives is among the most frequently missed Specific Review Standards.
  •   All discussion board questions or topics are posted for review. Student responses (stripped of identifying information) and faculty responses/feedback are not necessary to provide as the QM review does not evaluate delivery of the course.
  •   If the course uses email in any part of the instruction, this information has been made available to the review team. Examples of such email exchanges should be provided to the review team during its review of the course.
  •   All course activities, including all audio-visual components, are available to the review team. Sometimes instructors make assignments "not available" after a specified "due date." All such assignments will need to be available to the review team.
  •   All assessment tools are available for review by the team. The review team will need to be able to access quizzes, exams, and tests, and it would be beneficial to the review team to also have access to the grade book as it is set-up for the "student view."
  •   The review team can see and experience the course as a student would.

Contact QM Staff to discuss your review needs.