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Welcome to Quality Matters at ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ University - your one-stop shop for news, information, and professional development related to the Quality Matters program.

what is quality matters?

(QM) is a nationally recognized, faculty-centric non-profit that includes both a rubric and a peer review process designed to certify the quality of online course design. Foremost in QM principles are promoting a collegial, collaborative faculty experience centered on the idea of continuous quality improvement. QM does not evaluate online teaching, nor is it an evaluation of the online instructor; it is focused solely on the design of the course.

What is the research supporting Quality matters?

¾«¶«Ó°ÒµQuality Matters Rubric is centered on relevant research and was initially developed based on a literature review of online learning and instructional design research, as well as the expertise of experienced online faculty and existing standards and best practices for course design. Each of the Specific Rubric Standards is supported by research, and a new literature review is conducted every three years to guide and inform the regular revision of the QM Rubric. At any time, you can review existing research that supports rubric standards by searching either the standard or a keyword in the .

There are also research resources, however, that explore the use and impact of the QM rubric. These studies can be accessed on . ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ's own research, funded by a Quality Matters grant and published in ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµAmerican Journal of Distance Education, is also available on this page.

Additionally, QM-focused research highlights, including the current Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) report, are accessible on . This page also includes the QM Research Toolkit, which guides researchers in formulating a quality research project, taking into account the unique needs and considerations of online learning research. 

How does ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ utilize Quality Matters?

¾«¶«Ó°Òµ University is a member of the largest QM state consortium in the nation, the , and as such, can provide low-cost training for QM's foundational workshop, Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR), as well as Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) workshop. Learn more about ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ and Quality Matters.  

For additional Quality Matters resources, please visit:

• The  for descriptions and a calendar of offerings.
  • .
• ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµQM Recognized Courses page for all ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ QM-Recognized courses. 
• ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµQM Reviewers page for information on serving on a QM Review for QM Ohio Consortium and QM National

If you have any questions about QM training, please contact online@kent.edu.

INTERESTED IN QUALITY MATTERS RESEARCH?

If you are interested in pursuing an independent QM research project, please contact online@kent.edu.