Quality Matters (QM) is a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components. MSU purchased a campus subscription to the QM Rubric to assist faculty and instructors in creating quality courses that will improve online education and student learning. The initial pilot of using the rubric to inform course design started as an MSU partnership between the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science, College of Arts & Letters, and MSU Information Technology. Currently, MSU maintains its full subscription status on a yearly basis. Additionally, MSU IT Academic Technology consults with faculty and instructors on applying QM standards to their courses and developing new approaches in online and blended learning.
Anyone at MSU can create an account through the Quality Matters website by using their msu.edu email address.
Quality Matters provides a fully annotated course standards rubric, different types of course reviews including a self-review, and discounted QM professional development through its website and MSU’s subscription.
Some of the Quality Matters resources involve added costs and official course reviews require MSU consultation first.
For help getting started, instructional designers through MSU IT can consult with faculty and instructors on:
Request an MSU Internal Consultation by contacting the MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200 or https://ithelp.msu.edu.
The consulting component through MSU instructional designers helps faculty and instructors implement QM best practices and develop courses in line with MSU’s commitment to excellence in teaching.
These support resources lay the groundwork for improving student learning outcomes and retention in online and blended courses.
Faculty and staff at MSU can join the “QM at MSU Community” D2L site to learn more about Quality Matters, discounted professional development, types of course reviews, and examples for meeting standards.
A Quality Matters (QM) account provides MSU faculty and instructors access to the fully annotated course rubric, review processes, and other QM professional development opportunities. The QM resources enable MSU to engage in benchmarking activities through a nationally recognized program used by peer institutions.
Along with the related Internal Consultation services through MSU, these tools can assist in the design, development and continual improvement of online and blended courses.
Faculty and instructors may want to include information about their QM participation in reports, teaching evaluations, and portfolios. Course certification through QM offers opportunities for national recognition.
The QM Rubric is a research-based peer review process that is widely adopted in higher education as a measure of online course quality. It offers weighted best practices in online instruction to improve course quality.
Visit the QM Higher Education Rubric to download the rubric.
The rubric is helpful as a tool to consider what elements might be missing from an online or blended course or to generate suggestions for new features.
Faculty and staff can use the fully annotated self review materials within the MyQM CRMS (Course Review Management System). Annotations explaining each standard in greater detail can be accessed within the Self Review tool after logging in to the QM site.
This unofficial self review is a way to become more familiar with QM standards or assess a course prior to an internal or official review. You can also do pre- and post- assessments of your courses to keep a record of improvements, and a private report can be emailed once completed.
QM-Managed Reviews require MSU consultation and a self review first. The external reviews are handled by QM staff or designees in compliance with the QM Course Review Process. A typical Official Course Review takes 4-6 weeks and costs $1,300 when managed externally by Quality Matters.
As part of external reviews, MSU faculty and staff can earn Quality Matters Standards Certification for their online or blended courses.
To enquire about a consultation or internal QM review, contact the MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200 or https://ithelp.msu.edu.
Note: The CTLI (Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation) offers MSU facilitated QM workshops at no additional cost. They can also be contacted for internal and official reviews.