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Quality Matters (QM)

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Quality Matters (QM) is based on nationally recognized best practices and built on the expertise of instructional designers and experienced online teachers. QM consists of three primary components:

    • The QM Rubric
    • The Course Review Process
    • QM Professional Development Opportunities for Faculty – Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Workshop (APPQMR) is available for all ACC Faculty teaching online and hybrid courses.

The materials found on this website are used with the express consent of MarylandOnline@2014. All rights reserved.

QM Benefits

Quality Matters processes benefit both individual faculty and their institutions. Austin Community College (ACC) and faculty will benefit greatly from implementing Quality Matters in the following ways:

    • Improved student learning outcomes and retention
    • Adoption of a systematic and comprehensive continuous quality assurance process that includes faculty training, course development, and course revisions that are aligned with accreditation standards
    • Incorporation of new technologies and research findings

    • Opportunity to engage in benchmarking activities with peer institutions
    • Ongoing faculty professional development
    • Increased flexibility, creativity, and divergent thinking
    • Increased efficiency in using institutional resources

Read the QM FAQ

QM Trainings

  • OCRA (Online Course Redesign Academy) – This is a two-part training to help ACC distance education courses meet Quality Matters standards: A) Learning to apply the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) by attending this training and B) Completion of the course (re)design, development, and QM Review Process with DE Instructional Designers. After OCRA, faculty may continue to work with their DE Instructional Designer for any other online course design and review projects. (APPQMR is the prerequisite training for all other QM trainings. Synchronous and Asynchronous options are available. Check the Faculty Events Calendar for offerings.) Stipend: $1000 paid in two installments – After completing the Applying the Quality Matter Rubric (APPQMR) training, faculty will work with a Distance Education Instructional Designer to design one online or hybrid course. The first $500 stipend will be paid when the course alignment table is completed. The second $500 stipend will be paid when the course meets QM standards.
  • National QM Peer Reviewer Training – Available for faculty who have completed APPQMR training to take from QM website. After completion, faculty can serve as the Peer Reviewer for both QM subscriber-managed course reviews and internal ACC course reviews. (3-week time commitment with firm deadlines.)
  • Internal QM Peer Reviewer Training (includes Internal Master Reviewer) – Available for faculty who have completed APPQMR training to take it from ACC DE. After completion, faculty can serve as the Peer Reviewer for internal ACC course reviews. (1-week commitment minimum; maximum 3 months. Check the Faculty Events Calendar for offerings.)
Faculty completing either of the Peer Reviewer or Internal Peer Reviewer trainings will receive a $500 stipend, but we will only pay the stipend for one of the trainings, not both.

 

Training

For the latest events and training, please visit the TLED Calendar and choose the “QualityMatters” tag to view a list of available offerings.

Quality Matters Internal Certified ACC Faculty

Over 900 ACC faculty and counting from across every Area of Study have completed the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) Certification.

View List of Completed Internally Certified Courses

View List of Courses Under Review

Note: You must be logged in to your ACC email account to view the list.

ACC Faculty Peer Reviewers List

View List

 

ACC Degree Programs – All Courses Nationally QM Certified

Allied Health Sciences

Quality Matters
3-Year Internal QM Review

Quality Matters
5-Year National QM Review

QM Point of Contacts

Kathleen Serra | QM Coordinator
(512) 223-9344
kathleen.serra@austincc.edu

Questions about Quality Matters?

Please email dlstaff@austincc.edu.