QM January HE Newsletter: Free masterclass, demonstrating value, a #QMquicktip, and more

The first of two items from the folks at QM.

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Higher Education News January 2024

What Does the Future Look Like for Quality? Is higher education losing the public trust? If so, how can we earn it back? QM’s CEO Dr. Deb Adair looks at what QM and its members can — and must — do in the new year: demonstrate the value of our work to help pave a sustainable path forward. Read more >> Putting Research Into Practice Feb. 16, 2024 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. ETRegistration: $75Recordings of all 12 sessions will be available to registrants for 90 days QM’s Research Online Conference is back for another year to bring fresh insights into the topics that matter most to you! If you’ve never attended before, the Research Online Conference is a unique event offering perspectives and findings on quality and best practices — directly from the researchers uncovering them. You’ll learn about: Recent research and evidence to support quality online learning Fresh ideas and insights into digital learning best practices based in research Techniques for gathering data on quality assurance efforts in order to inform your future work “If you’re interested in research-based recommendations for practice, this is the way to go!” — Maia Smith, South Louisiana Community College, 2022 participant Join us for this virtual, one-day event and get the inspiration you need to put research into practice. Register Now Your First Step on the Road to Quality Upcoming Creating Course Alignment Maps sessions: March 15 April 12 May 17 June 7 Getting started with quality practices just got easier. Try the newly updated Bridge to Quality: QM Online Course Design Guide — now aligned with the changes and improvements in the QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition! The Bridge to Quality is a free, community-inspired resource for faculty and course designers who want to create learner-centered courses using best practices. Get access and share with your colleagues today! Looking for more resources to help you meet the updated standards in the Seventh Edition? Try QM’s new workshop, Creating Course Alignment Maps. Participants will explore the concept and elements of alignment through the Specific Review Standards that address them in the QM Higher Education Rubric. Then you’ll create an alignment map for one of your courses that can be used to identify gaps and strengthen alignment. Register now to ensure your courses are built on a strong quality foundation. Lay the Foundation for Success Using a well-crafted LMS template can have a major impact on your course design. But where can you look for best practices for designing (and refining) your template? QM recently partnered with D2L to create a FREE masterclass, Quality Learning With Quality Matters, to help you develop a quality template for your courses. You’ll get the chance to hear how LMS templates can be a vital support tool for your faculty, instructional designers and online students alike, with the power to positively influence student retention and learning, faculty satisfaction, institutional ROI and more. Want a taste of what you’ll experience in the masterclass? Join QM’s Bethany Simunich and D2L’s Cristi Ford for a special webinar, Integrating Quality from the Start, Jan. 24 from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET. Participants will explore the “what, why and how” of leveraging quality to build an optimized LMS template. Register today! Practice Effective Communication Establishing regular patterns of communication can help courses go smoother for both you and your learners. Consider the following policies and actions you might take to lay the groundwork for effective communication: Choose a regular time to provide learner feedback and let your learners know when they can anticipate receiving your input. This consistency and transparency can help you maintain class structure and work/life balance by setting the expectation that you won’t be able to respond at all hours. Communicate your typical turn-around time for emails to your learners (e.g., 1-2 business days). Consider letting them know that if they haven’t heard back from you by the end of the prescribed time frame, they are welcome to send you a follow-up email. Communicate how often you expect learners to check their email (or LMS messaging system) and respond to messages. If you are teaching multiple courses, be sure to ask learners to include the course title in their email subject line to maintain efficiency in addressing their questions or concerns. All of these tips help you meet QM Specific Review Standard 5.3, “The instructor’s plan for regular interaction with learners in substantive ways during the course is clearly stated” from the QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition. Congratulations! Please join us in congratulating the following Higher Education, Publisher and Continuing & Professional Education members for having one or more courses recently QM-Certified. View More QM-Certified Courses >> Austin Community College District Cameron University Clark College Clayton State University Cleveland Community College Coastal Carolina Community College Florida International University Florida SouthWestern State College Indian River State College North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Park University Northeastern State University South Florida State College Southern Union State Community College Stark State College Texas A & M International University The University of Alabama University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Cincinnati University of Florida University of Kentucky University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Florida University of Southern Indiana University of the District of Columbia University of Toledo West Chester University of Pennsylvania 240 Certification Rice University, Glasscock School of Continuing Education Welcome New Members Butler University College of Menominee Nation Highland Community College-IL Jacksonville State University Rasmussen University Sheffield Hallam University Universidad Gabriela Mistral Learn More About QM Membership >>

Have an idea or process worth sharing? Submit a proposal to present at QM Connect 2024! Save the date — the call for proposals opens Feb. 1. Tweet Share Forward Share Copyright © 2024 Quality Matters, All rights reserved. Our email marketing is permission-based. If you received a mailing from us, our records indicate that (a) you have expressly shared this address for the purpose of receiving information in the future (“opt-in”), or (b) you have registered or purchased or otherwise have an existing relationship with us. We respect your time and attention by controlling the frequency of our mailings.Our mailing address is: Quality Matters 1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway Suite 300 Annapolis, MD 21401