Raising questions. Pursuing answers. Curating and categorizing. That’s how we support the QM system.
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 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 remains current with the research are also an important component of QM 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 the QM Standards by either keyword or the QM Standard number. References on teaching competencies can be found in the Online Instructor and Teaching Competencies Literature Review.
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.
FREE Webinar: July 31, 2018, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Research and the Rubric: The Role of Research in Developing the Sixth Edition of the QM Higher Education Rubric for Course Design
Presented by QM Staff, Research Colleagues, and Guest Experts, including Brenda Boyd, Barbra Burch, Dr. Yaping Gao, Wade Lee, Dr. Kay Shattuck, Dr. Bethany Simunich, and Dr. Whitney Zimmerman
The Sixth Edition of the QM Higher Education Rubric represents, in a very real sense, a fundamental outcome of the ongoing design-based research project at the core of Quality Matters. The work of the vast QM community, in putting educational theory and research into widely contextualized application, is at the heart of the validation process for QM’s quality Standards and tools. This webinar will provide an overview of the research conducted to assist with the Rubric update. It will include a presentation of the Rubric update process, the research included, the literature review process, and explanations of other important data collection and analysis.