Their tag line is “inter-institutional quality assurance in online learning.” Originally developed by the MarylandOnline, the 41 elements assessed have been identified and detailed by subject-matter experts (SMEs), faculty, and education experts based on current research in the field. Courses submitted for Quality Matters will first go through a formal Course Development cycle working with one of EP’s Instructional Designers and the EP Online Team, and then will go through the review process with an independent team assembled by the Quality Matters organization.
Click here to view JH EP’s current Quality Matters Recognized Courses.
The 41 elements are broken down into eight broad standards listed below.
- Course Overview and Introduction
- Learning Objectives (Competencies)
- Assessment and Measurement
- Instructional Material
- Learner Interaction and Engagement
- Course Technology
- Learner Support
- Accessibility
You must achieve minimum competency in all eight categories to achieve a “Quality Matters” standard for courses. Overall an 85% is required. (See Principles of Quality Matters, below.)
In order to help facilitate successful implementation of the Quality Matters standards during the initial development cycle EP Online has designed templates for the syllabus, course outline, and modules that are used to ensure 41 elements of the Rubric are met. View and download the templates here.
See QualityMatters.org for more information.