What is Quality Matters?
Online Faculty Support
Coastal Carolina University (CCU) is proud to announce that it is once again a Quality Matters (QM) Member Institution. QM is a global organization leading quality assurance initiatives in online and hybrid learning environments. QM’s internationally recognized faculty-centered peer review process is designed to certify the quality of online and hybrid courses and programs. The QM process and rubric have become an industry standard for online course design and have been recognized as critical components in quality assurance efforts in independent reports and peer-reviewed publications. The research-supported rubrics and standards provide objective, evidence-based ways to evaluate the components of online learning. QM also offers a wide variety of professional development opportunities and internationally recognized certification programs to help professionals learn the QM rubric, improve their effectiveness as online and hybrid instructors, and even attain various QM roles. CCU has invested in offering such professional development, and these opportunities will be available as part of this implementation plan.
"I have always stressed the importance of accessibility when it comes to promoting equity in education. Reviewing my online course through the QM process, not only showed me how inaccessible my course was, but more importantly gave me concrete recommendations on how to improve accessibility and subsequently create a more equitable learning environment."
~Dr. Lee Brown
Key Benefits:
As an internationally recognized non-profit, quality assurance organization, the “QM Certified” stamp on courses and programs offers one way to publicize our growing portfolio of online offerings and create added reputability and value to respective courses and degree programs. This inspires confidence in learners, family members, and other stakeholders that CCU puts quality first and foremost in our online courses just as we do for our traditional courses. For certified courses and programs, QM issues certificates, and badges, and assists with press releases to help publicize certified courses and programs. QM also has a Course Certification Database where certified courses can be seen along with their respective universities.
"Quality Matters offers an alignment perspective which helps course instructors with course design to support ease with student understanding of how the various tasks are pertinent components to attaining the overall course objectives."
~Dr. Nicole Arcuri-Sanders
Quality Results:
The implementation of QM at CCU is intended to signify our institution’s dedication to the quality assurance of online and hybrid courses and programs, as well as ensure both internal and external quality assurance measures while also supporting institutional accreditation and compliance. QM-certified courses tend to have significantly lower DWF rates than their counterparts. The implementation of QM promotes university-wide adherence to policy guidelines and rules set forth by state oversight bodies such as the SC Commission on Higher Education (SC-CHE), regional accreditation bodies such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), bodies of reciprocity oversight such as the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC); as well as relevant federal compliance.
"Going through the QM certification process has offered me the opportunity to think really strategically about making my online course as accessible and impactful as possible for all my students."
~Dr. Ina Seethaler
QM offers institutions the ability to strategize their online teaching methods focusing on the student learner and how the design of the course is delivered with direct alignment to content, communication, and accessibility. QM provides 8 Key Standards that guide faculty in the design of the course from Introductory methods to Course Alignment with Supporting Materials, Assessments, Learning Interactions, and Learning Tools while focusing on Accessibility for all learners. Through One-to-One Faculty and Instructional Design Support that enhance online learning and best practices, we will provide faculty with the tools to continue to increase student retention and create real connections within the online environment of teaching and enable faculty the opportunity to yield high-quality course recognition through the international Quality Matters program review completions.
"QM has helped me to analyze my courses in an organized and specific way that has helped them to be much better after the process."
~Dr. Suzanne Horn