Faculty Testimonials on the QM Official Course Review Process
Anshu Saxena Arora, Ph.D, PMP
Associate Professor, SBPA
Obtaining “Quality Matters” certification for my ‘Marketing Research’ course was a challenging yet rewarding journey. As a Marketing Professor and Robotics Researcher focused on examining consumer/user experience and behavior with emerging technologies like AI and robotics, I faced significant obstacles, particularly the lack of a suitable textbook since the course aimed to engage students in research within these cutting-edge fields.
Lauren Grimes
Professor, Community College
Teaching and instructing students is a great passion of mine. As an academic, it’s essential to continue to improve and develop my expertise by completing training and certifications. I had a wonderful experience with the Quality Matters (QM) official course review process. My advisors and support staff from the University of the District of Columbia—Dr. Dorothy Phaire, Dr. Julian King, Director Fatma Elshobokshy, Mr. David Serna—and the QM reviewers provided great insight along the way.
Yolandra Plummer, Ph.D.
Professor, SBPA
As I reflect on my experience with the Quality Matters official course review process, the revisions improved my course alignment and helped me to improve communication with students. The greatest enhancement for my course was ensuring that the assessments, learning activities and rubrics were clearly aligned with the module learning objectives. The Seventh edition of the Quality Matters rubric places greater emphasis on courses being warm and welcoming.
Brandon Schweitzer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Accounting
UDC Community College
“Participating in the QM rubric workshop course has significantly impacted my approach to course design within the realm of accounting. The workshop provided invaluable insights into the Quality Matters (QM) rubric, fostering a deeper understanding of the essential elements contributing to a high-quality online learning experience.
Annette Miles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
The Quality Matters Rubric Update and the Seventh Edition workshop influenced the course design of HMDV 410 Adaptive Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education. Although the QM official course review process is rigorous, the suggestions from peer reviewers were helpful in ensuring measurable course goals and objectives aligned with activities, assessments, and instructional materials. I provided a video course tour demonstrating student navigation, an instructor’s introduction, and an overview of the course.
Ahmad Wright, M.A.
Assistant Professor of English
UDC Community College
The Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) compressed online class that I took in November 2022 was very instrumental in preparing me for the task of restructuring our IGED 110 online classes for the 2023 QM peer review process. The APPQMR becomes much clearer when one is actively engaged in prepping a course for peer review!
Christian Aguiar, M.A.
Assistant Professor of English
UDC Community College
Going through the QM course review process was very much like a kinder, gentler peer review process. Our coach from CAL, Julian King, worked with my colleague and me over the summer to apply some of the core QM requirements to our courses. While our teaching practices already aligned with QM, Julian helped us ensure that we were applying these practices effectively to building an online shell.
Elizabeth Gearin, Ph.D., AICP
Assistant Professor, CAUSES
Through their guidance and the structured framework of the Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR), I’ve gained valuable insights into designing a course that truly resonates with students. This experience has not only deepened my understanding of effective course navigation but also introduced innovative ways to make content more interactive and engaging.
Jillian L. Wendt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science Education
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
“I am pleased to have had the opportunity to pursue and receive course certification from Quality Matters (QM). The experience forced me to stretch my professional limits and to continuously think outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar mindset. I can confidently say now that the course content, assignments, and learning objectives are clearly and intentionally aligned in ways that can now be easily understood by instructors and students alike–demonstrating the rigor and relevance of UDC’s courses offerings.”
Jasmine Yarish, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
Going through the QM course review process was very much like a kinder, gentler peer review process. Our coach from CAL, Julian King, worked with my colleague and me over the summer to apply some of the core QM requirements to our courses. While our teaching practices already aligned with QM, Julian helped us ensure that we were applying these practices effectively to building an online shell.
Craig Wynne, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
“Quality Matters has transformed my perspective on online instruction. It helped me to think more critically about what purpose my class activities serve and how they connect to larger learning goals for students. It also encouraged me to design my shells in a manner that is more user-friendly for students. I’ve even started applying these concepts to how I designed my in-person courses for the semester. I’m running my QM-certified ENGL515: Writing Proficiency course this fall and look forward to applying them and seeing the results.”
Helene Krauthamer, Ph.D.
Professor of English and Coordinator of the English BA Program
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
As an early pioneer of online teaching, as well as an early advocate of Quality Matters (QM), I was embarrassed that none of my courses had official QM certification. The CAL team had a remedy – enrollment in the APPQMR course, an experience as challenging as its name. It is, however, the perfect approach to developing a quality online course, combined with the perfect template developed by the CAL team and the perfect guide, Julian King, who met with me every two weeks over the spring and summer. The redesigned online Peer Tutoring course is now more structured and engaging thanks to this process, which I highly recommend.
Olive Vassell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Digital Media
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
The process of revising my course in Media Ethics for Quality Matters certification was an enriching journey that deepened my understanding of effective online education. Though I have taught the course since 2013, revisiting it allowed me to meticulously evaluate every aspect of the course’s design, from learning objectives to assessment alignment. With the assistance of Julian King, I reexamined my course’s clarity, accessibility, and engagement, with the goal of ensuring that all learners would have a robust learning experience and thrive. The process highlighted the importance of continuous improvement and peer review. Ultimately, achieving Quality Matters certification not only validated my efforts but also reinforced my commitment to delivering high-quality, student-centered learning experiences. This is a rewarding step toward enhancing educational excellence in my teaching.
Kristi Wilson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
University of the District of Columbia Community College
Creating a Quality Matters (QM) certified online course requires time, attention to detail, and a commitment to integrating key elements to ensure success on the first submission. One of the challenges I faced was finding time to work on edits during an already hectic work week. Fortunately, CAL was understanding and flexible, supporting me throughout the process.
Having access to workshops and a knowledgeable QM team at UDC was incredibly beneficial. Their expertise provided clarity on how to effectively incorporate examples that crystallized learning objectives and ensured alignment with the course framework. The incorporation of Hypothesis which allows for annotation of readings proved to be an excellent tool for peer learning, fostering deeper connections between course concepts.
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