TEACH WITH NEXUS
Quality Matters @ Michigan
Quality Matters (QM) is a quality assurance framework that focuses on online course design. The QM framework consists of professional development resources, a set of rubrics, and a course peer review process. The QM rubric draws on a research-based, faculty-centered approach to online course design and is used by hundreds of universities around the world.
Currently, the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (Seventh Edition) consists of eight general standards and 44 specific criteria that describe best practices in online and blended course design.
Who Benefits from QM
Whether you are a faculty member, graduate student instructor, or instructional designer, Quality Matters will support all that you do to improve student success within online learning.
Faculty
Use QM to guide the review of an existing online or blended course to suggest improvements for optimizing student learning.
Apply QM to the development of a new course to ensure that the course is designed according to best practices in online and blended learning.
GRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUCTORS (GSIs)
Use QM to assist you in developing learning objectives, assessments, learning activities, and instructional materials for your online and blended learning sessions.
Refer to QM for research-based best practices as well as their effects and impact on instructors and students.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNERS
Use QM to inform the design of a new online course from start to finish, ensuring that all aspects of a course (learning objectives, assessments, activities, and instructional materials) are aligned to optimize student learning.
Refer to QM to structure the review conversation for existing online or blended content to determine places that can be improved and where strengths currently exist.
How Nexus Supports You With QM
At Nexus, we are eager to help you elevate the quality of your online course using the Quality Matters framework. The design of high-quality, engaging online courses requires a team approach that considers best practices and research in the areas of educational technology, accessibility, UX/UI, instructional design, educational psychology, and learning management system design. Whether you are designing a new course, revising an existing one, or planning an online or blended learning session, Nexus instructional designers and our production team are here to support you from concept to launch.
Our instructional design team can assist you with the following:
- Develop an instructional design plan for new or existing online courses
- Apply the QM Rubric to course design across each phase of the instructional design process
- Structure and conduct QM course reviews
- Revise existing online content to better align with QM Rubric standards
Where To Get QM Resources
Login to the MYQM Portal to find QM-related resources and information about the QM framework. Anyone from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Michigan Medicine can set up an account to gain access to the QM Reference Library, Self Review Tool and the QM Rubric.
To create a free account:
- Navigate to the MyQM portal login page
- Select the password option the first time of “No, I am new here”
- Click the Sign-In button to go to the User Account Creation form
- Fill in the form using your University of Michigan email address
- Click the Create Account button and follow the instructions
Another free resource is a self-paced, 1-2 hour course on the Elements of Quality Matters. This is a QM created and managed resource provides context for:
- QM’s origin, evolution, and scope
- Factors that affect the quality of online learning
- What it takes for a course to be QM-Certified
- How QM certifies online programs
- QM professional development and tools to support online teaching
Additional Information
Use the content below to locate additional materials from Nexus as well as Quality Matters. For any questions or additional information please contact [email protected].
Nexus
- Faculty Resources
- Services and Support
Quality Matters
Upcoming QM Workshops
- QM Overview: Winter 2023
- Conducting Self-Reviews: Winter 2023
For more information including receiving a copy of the rubric or to set up an appointment please contact [email protected].