QM has become a standard for online course design and has been recognized as a critical component in quality assurance efforts in independent reports and publications. QM’s guiding principles are promoting a collegial, centered, and collaborative quality assurance process that focuses on continuous improvement.
The QM rubrics are research-based tools. The Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (Sixth Edition) consists of 8 general standards and 42 specific criteria that describe best practices in online and blended course design. The QM process is designed to be continuous, collegial, and collaborative.
Essential Standards (3-point Specific Review Standards) must be met during the review and an overall score of 85% of the points possible are required for a course to attain QM certification.
QM Rubric reflects current research finding and national standards of best practice in online learning. The rubric consists of a set of 8 general standards with 4 specific standards used to evaluate the design of online and blended courses.
There are eight General Standards and 43 Specific Review Standards in this Rubric used to evaluate the design of elementary, middle and high school online and blended courses. The Rubric scoring system is used by the Review Team to determine whether a course meets Standards.
8It is a set of 8 General Standards and 42 Specific Review Standards (23 of which are designated as Essential) by which to evaluate the design of online and blended courses.
4-6 weeksA typical Official Course Review takes 4-6 weeks. If the course does not initially meet QM Rubric Standards, you can submit an amended course within 14 weeks of the date the Final Report was submitted. The Team Chair will then review the amendments and confirm if the course meets QM review standards.
Once the Course Review application is submitted in the QM Course Review Management System (CRMS), you will receive a Course Review Worksheet to complete. The course worksheet contains a list of questions about how the course is designed. The QM Coordinator will review the worksheet.
Quality Matters professional development is designed to help educators deliver the promise of quality online learning opportunities to every level of learner — K-12, Higher Ed., Continuing & Professional Ed., and corporate training.
K-12 PublishersFeeFee with MembershipFull Review - Whole Year Course (K-12 Pub. Official Review)$1900$1500Full Review - One Semester Course (K-12 Pub. Official Review)$1600$1200Full Review with Correlation Verification - Whole Year Course (K-12 Pub. Official Review)$2100$170014 more rows
Our goal — as a non-profit, quality assurance organization — is to provide a system to help you deliver on that promise: with review, improvement and certification of quality.
A QM-Certified Course is an online or blended course that has met QM Standards for a QM Rubric in an Official Course Review. Once certified, organizations can display the QM Certification Mark to demonstrate their commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
The QM Program Certification process consists of four individual certifications that online Higher Education Programs may seek:Online Program Design.Online Teaching Support.Online Learner Support.Online Learner Success.