CIQG Member Spotlight: Quality Matters
Quality Matters (QM) is a leading global organization committed to promoting and enhancing the quality of online and blended education. Begun as a grass-roots effort from a group of Maryland Institutions (MarylandOnline) with grant funding (FIPSE) from the U.S. Department of Education, QM has grown into an internationally recognized non-profit, providing a turnkey, scalable process for ensuring course and program quality and supporting a vibrant community of practice engaged in these efforts.
The inception of QM dates back to 2003 when the need for a consistent and replicable quality assurance process in online courses became evident. The solution was a set of quality standards (the QM Rubric), a peer-review process, and accompanying reviewer training and certification. This initiative was designed to empower faculty to evaluate courses against rigorous standards and certify their quality through a third-party review protocol.
Over the years, QM's influence has expanded beyond the initial grant period, with over 1,700 colleges and universities and 1,000 other educational organizations worldwide joining the QM community. The organization has trained more than 100,000 education professionals in the last 5 years alone and certified over 15,000 online and blended courses. QM's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in its research-based approach, with thousands of external studies informing the standards and process available in the annotated, searchable QM Research Library and ongoing research through the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) project.
At the heart of QM's methodology is the QM Rubric, a tool widely adopted as the gold standard for evaluating course quality. The Rubric is periodically updated by a Rubric Committee composed of practitioners from the education community to reflect the evolving landscape of online education.The seventh and latest edition was released in July of 2023. QM Rubrics emphasize engagement and alignment within courses to support student success and can be used in whole to review courses for certification or in part to support institutional needs for customization.
Professional development is a cornerstone of QM's offerings, providing educators with the knowledge and skills to enhance their online courses. Workshops and resources are tailored to various aspects of the QM quality assurance process and support the development of a broad and deep cadre of certified reviewers. The organization also hosts events that facilitate discussion and learning among education professionals, further fostering a community dedicated to quality in online learning.
Looking ahead, QM continues to champion quality assurance in online education specifically, and digital learning more broadly. It operates as an independent non-profit organization, broadening its reach, building partnerships, and taking on a leadership role in the field. Through member subscriptions and fee-for-service offerings, QM supports research, expands its offerings, and cultivates a professional community committed to excellence in online learning.
Quality Matters represents a significant movement towards improving and assuring the quality of online and blended education. Its comprehensive system of review, improvement, and certification serves as a north star for institutions striving to deliver on their promise of quality education. As online learning becomes increasingly prevalent, the role of organizations like QM in upholding educational standards becomes ever more crucial.
View the pre-conference video prepared by Quality Matters for the 2024 CHEA/CIQG Annual Conference.