Quality in Online Courses Barbara A. Frey, D.Ed. Eastern Psychological Association March 6, 2009 Quality Matters : Inter-Institutional Quality Assurance in Online Learning

Agenda About Quality Matters Quality Matters Rubric Examples of Course Revisions Other Assessment Tools Questions and Answers

About Quality Matters

Quality Matters Rubric

Examples of Course Revisions

Other Assessment Tools

Questions and Answers

About Quality Matters

Peer Course Review Feedback Course Instructional Designers Institutions Faculty Course Developers National Standards & Research Literature Rubric Faculty Reviewers Training Quality Matters: Peer Course Review Process Course Meets Quality Expectations Course Revision

Factors Affecting Course Quality Course design QM REVIEWS THIS Course delivery (i.e. teaching, faculty performance) Course content Course management system Institutional infrastructure Faculty training and readiness Student engagement and readiness

Course design QM REVIEWS THIS

Course delivery (i.e. teaching, faculty performance)

Course content

Course management system

Institutional infrastructure

Faculty training and readiness

Student engagement and readiness

What QM is NOT About…. Not about an individual instructor (it’s about the course ) Not about faculty evaluation (it’s about course quality ) Not about judgment (it’s about diagnosis and improvement) Not about “win/lose” or “pass/fail” (it’s about continuous improvement in a supportive environment)

Not about an individual instructor

(it’s about the course )

Not about faculty evaluation

(it’s about course quality )

Not about judgment (it’s about diagnosis and improvement)

Not about “win/lose” or “pass/fail”

(it’s about continuous improvement in a supportive environment)

The Rubric

The Rubric: Eight General Standards Course Overview and Introduction Learning Objectives Assessment and Measurement Resources and Materials Learner Interaction Course Technology Learner Support Accessibility

Course Overview and Introduction

Learning Objectives

Assessment and Measurement

Resources and Materials

Learner Interaction

Course Technology

Learner Support

Accessibility

Examples

Introduction Dr. Barbara Frey from Penn State World Campus 5-minute welcome video http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=BF_coursewelcome&search_pe=&aq=f Dr. Robert Schramm from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater has kindly agreed to share his introduction video for Business & Professional Communication. http://onlinemba.uww.edu/media/itbe740schramm/

Dr. Barbara Frey from Penn State World Campus 5-minute welcome video

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=BF_coursewelcome&search_pe=&aq=f

Dr. Robert Schramm from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater has kindly agreed to share his introduction video for Business & Professional Communication. http://onlinemba.uww.edu/media/itbe740schramm/

Course Objective Before Students will understand cognitive, behavioral, and humanistic theories of learning. After Students be able to compare and contrast the factors that cognitive, behavioral, and humanistic theorists believe influence the learning process.

Before

Students will understand cognitive, behavioral, and humanistic theories of learning.

After

Students be able to compare and contrast the factors that cognitive, behavioral, and humanistic theorists believe influence the learning process.

Grading Policy Participation = 25% of final grade Quizzes = 25% of final grade Exams = 50% of final grade _________________________________________________________________________________________ Participation = 100 points* 4 Quizzes = 10 points x 4 = 40 points* 3 Exams = 100 points x 3 = 300 points* _________________________________________________________________________________________ * All points are not equal.

Participation = 25% of final grade

Quizzes = 25% of final grade

Exams = 50% of final grade

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Participation = 100 points*

4 Quizzes = 10 points x 4 = 40 points*

3 Exams = 100 points x 3 = 300 points*

_________________________________________________________________________________________

* All points are not equal.

Other Assessment Tools Blackboard Greenhouse Award Penn State eLearning Standards CSU Chico Rubric for Online Instruction

Blackboard Greenhouse Award

Penn State eLearning Standards

CSU Chico Rubric for Online Instruction

Conclusion Course design process same as face-to-face Course design is continuous quality improvement process QM rubric based on national standards of best practice For more information visit qualitymatters.org

Course design process same as face-to-face

Course design is continuous quality improvement process

QM rubric based on national standards of best practice

For more information visit qualitymatters.org

Questions? Barbara A. Frey bafrey@pitt.edu