Quality Matters

2. Five Characteristics of an Effective Recommendation

3. • Offer constructive solutions
to identifiable issues that
will help the course meet
the QM standards
Example:
“It might be very helpful to include a prominent link and
directions about what students should do next to actually
begin the first lesson of the course.”

4. • Include a specific example
of the recommendation
based on evidence from
the course
Example:
“The Start Here button was a great
idea, but it seemed to contain mostly
course information and I still couldn’t tell
exactly how to begin the course once I
finished reading it.”

5. • Offer recommendations
that provide indicators
or measures so the
designer will know
when an improvement
has been implemented
Example:
“It might be very helpful to include a prominent link and
directions about what students should do next to
actually begin the first lesson of the course.”

6. • Be sensitive to how your
message will be received.
Keep comments on a
positive note.
Examples:
“You may want to consider…”
“It would be helpful if…”
“You might indicate…”
“It might be useful to…”
“I’d like to suggest…”

7. • Point out strengths as
well as areas of
improvement.
Example:
“The Start Here button was a great
idea…but here are some ways it
might be improved…”

8. WRITE!
FEEDBACK IS THE KEY TO QUALITY COURSES!
• “WHEN A COURSE DOES NOT MEET A STANDARD, YOU MUST
WRITE A RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THAT
STANDARD.”
• “EVEN WHEN COURSES MEET EXPECTATIONS, THERE MAY STILL
BE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND AS THE
COURSE REVIEWER,YOU SHOULD STRIVE TO OFFER
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.”
THE FACULTY DEVELOPERS & INSTRUCTORS
NEED THE HELP OF THE REVIEW TEAM TO MAKE
EFFECTIVE MODIFICATIONS

9. • QM: Quality Matters Workbook & Handouts. (1997)
www.qmprogram.org
• Images retrieved from Google Images