The Resource You Asked For!

And a K-12 focused item from the folks at Quality Matters.

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Resources for Building Quality June 2021

We’ve heard from so many educators recently that want to incorporate choice boards or other option-based assignments into their courses. They want to give students voice and choice. But they have questions. How can they assess the different activities? Will they have to create a grading rubric for each one? QM K-12 Program Director Chris Voelker shares how you can address these potential challenges — and make things easier for everyone — by creating a rubric that works for all types of assignments. Watch Now >> FREE Printable Ready to create your own multi-functional grading rubric but not sure where to start? Check out our timely tips to help you support voice and choice in your courses no matter how much — or how little — time you have! Top 10 K-12 Organizations with QM-Certified Courses Pearson Online & Blended Learning: 127 Edmentum: 89 Edgenuity: 89 Michigan Virtual: 64 Strongmind: 41 North Carolina Virtual Public School: 38 Founders Education: 22 Odysseyware: 18 Brigham Young University Independent Study: 14 Florida Virtual School Global: 12 See More Certified Courses >> Learning Opportunities Ongoing: Teaching Online Certificate — Open up new career opportunities with this series of workshops designed to elevate your online teaching skills and gain the perspective of your students. Take one or all seven. A 10% discount is available when you register for all seven at once. August 9-12: QM Live! Summer Camp — Revitalize your online courses and tackle key topics such as assessments, alignment, setting expectations, and accessibility with this series of interactive workshops. Take one or all four. Package pricing is available. Check out all our professional development workshops and courses to find the ones that are right for you, including these upcoming options: 06/22: Flip the Switch: Motivate Learners with Course Tools and Tech 06/29: Introduction to Quality Matters 07/06: K-12 Applying the Quality Matters Rubric 07/07: K-12 Reviewer Course 07/20: Objectives and Alignment: The Framework for Student Success

Share Tweet Forward Share Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review criteria in a rigorous review process. Copyright © 2021 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

A Rare Professional Development Opportunity and More Higher Ed News!

A higher education item from the folks at Quality Matters.

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Higher Education News June 2021

Congratulations To… QM member San Antonio College (SAC) — winner of the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence! The biennial prize is awarded to community colleges that excel in six key areas, including teaching and learning, equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, and leadership and institutional culture. SAC’s dedication to excellence is embedded throughout the institution. In 2019, SAC earned QM’s Online Learner Support Certification for all online programs — demonstrating its commitment to providing the student and academic services needed for online learner success. To date, SAC is one of only 10 institutions to earn this recognition, which is obtained through a rigorous review process. The Aspen Prize also recognized several other QM members for their outstanding achievements. Please join us in congratulating: Broward College — Finalist with Distinction San Jacinto College — Finalist with Distinction Amarillo College — Rising Star Tallahassee Community College — Finalist Rare Professional Development Opportunity: July 19-22 “Very robust,” “well done” and “terrific” — those are just some of the words used to describe QM’s interactive web-conferencing workshops. These workshops are usually only offered as dedicated sessions for groups of 10 or more, but this summer you have the chance to participate in several of them! Make plans now to join your peers for QM Live! Summer Camp — July 19 – 22, 2021 (Mon. – Thurs. from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern). This series of 2-hour, synchronous workshops is designed to help you make your course content shine. Topics include: Rethinking Content for the Online Classroom Rethinking Assessments for Application & Engagement Active Learning Strategies Developing Activities to Engage Your Learners The workshops are available as a series of two, three or four — pick what works for you! Registration for at least two workshops is required. Members pay only $175 for two workshops and just $300 for all four. Explore all your options and register today. ICYMI: CHLOE 6 is Now Available Download the Report Attend a Free Overview Webinar — June 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Register Today Earlier this month, Quality Matters and Eduventures® Research released the findings from the latest Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey — an annual survey of Chief Online Officers. The results — available in “CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World” — provide insight into how institutions are shifting their priorities and preparing for the future growth of online learning. That’s encouraging news to Jennifer Mathes, CEO of the Online Learning Consortium — a sponsor of the CHLOE 6 report. “While no one could have imagined the changes required to successfully teach and learn over the past year, CHLOE 6 provides a clear picture of the challenges faced in higher education and how institutions and students alike have done what was needed to keep moving forward,” said Jennifer. “It is up to us to learn from these shared experiences. If we do, we will achieve a much more advanced higher education ecosystem capable of reaching more students in more places, setting us up for success for generations to come.” Discover What’s New at QM ConnectLX! Workshops: Oct. 28 & 29 Sessions: Nov. 3-5 Register Now This year we are excited to offer several new pre-conference workshops — designed to meet the current needs of educators at all levels. Some highlights: Using QM Implementation as Evidence for Institutional Accreditation — Learn about a new initiative to align QM with accreditation and how QM Standards, tools and services provide data that can be used to meet criteria in US-based regional accreditation guidelines. Improve Your SRS 8.3 Review Skills — Dive into SRS 8.3 and discover what reviewers should look for when determining whether or not a course meets this Standard. Teaching Remotely in Real Time — Explore best practices for synchronous online delivery to help both you and your students have a better online experience. The full agenda  — including all of the informative, interactive sessions you have come to expect from a QM conference  — will be available soon. But don’t wait to register! To secure your spot at QM ConnectLX — and get the best rate — register for the conference today. Pricing starts at $300 for full conference registration. Single-day and group pricing is also available. Pre-conference workshops can be added for an additional fee. Creating Alternative Text In the third and final white paper in their three-part series on digital accessibility, Drs. Barbara Frey and Rae Mancilla focus on professional development. While many institutions are providing accessibility-related professional development, there are still many areas that need to be addressed, including plain language, table design and alternative text. Chris Smith spoke about many of these issues during his 2020 QM ConnectLX presentation — Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes: The True Impact of Digital Accessibility — and offered several specific tips, including some for alternative text: When creating alternative text for a picture, do not start with the words “A picture of…” This creates redundancy as screen readers alert users that they have come across an image. Do use words to describe the specific type of medium the image is. For example, if it is a sketch, say “Sketch of… .” If you use a decorative divider between sections of text, insert open quotes (quotation marks – space – quotation marks) in the alternative text box to alert the screen reader that it is a decorative image and can be skipped. For even more resources and information, please visit QM’s free, community-led Accessibility and Usability Resource Site. 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: Appalachian State University Athens State University Austin Peay State University Bemidji State University Bucks County Community College California State University-Dominguez Hills California State University-East Bay Cecil College Chamberlain University Clark College Columbia Southern University Delaware County Community College Emporia State University Florida SouthWestern State College Germanna Community College Indiana University-East Indiana University-Southeast John Carroll University Joliet Junior College Keene State College Kent State University System Laredo College Metropolitan Community College Area New Mexico State University-Alamogordo North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Park University Northwest-Shoals Community College Oregon State University Plymouth State University Research College of Nursing ResponsiveEd Rogers State University Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Saint Paul College Salve Regina University Sinclair Community College South Texas College Southeastern Community College (NC) Southwest Virginia Community College St. Louis Community College Texas A & M International University The University of Texas at Arlington University of Alaska Anchorage University of Florida University of Southern Indiana University of Southern Mississippi University of West Georgia Walsh University West Chester University of Pennsylvania View QM-Certified Courses >> Welcome New Members Belhaven University Claflin University College of Southern Maryland Emeritus Institute of Management Fundación Universitaria San Antonio Hurix Systems Lehigh University College of Education LearningMate Solutions University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville University of Tennessee-Knoxville Learn More About QM Membership >>

Jumpstart your online learning research. During the ABCs of Online Learning Research workshop, you’ll get the tools, resources and personal coaching you need to bring your online learning research ideas to life. The next session begins July 7, 2021 — register now. Share Copyright © 2021 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

Survey Reveals Online Learning Set for Future Growth

An item from the folks at QM.

CHLOE 6 Highlights Plans to Further Integrate Online Learning to Meet Student Needs

The pandemic upended higher education and our communities. Equity, declining enrollments, the student learning experience, and safety are top concerns.  So how will higher ed institutions adapt to shifting priorities as they plan for a post-pandemic landscape? Earlier this year, Quality Matters and Eduventures® Research issued the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) 6 Survey — an annual survey of Chief Online Officers. The results — available in “CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World” — provide insight into how institutions are reassessing their priorities related to online learning and shifting focus to ed tech enhancements, faculty professional development and online quality. Highlights from the 69-page report include: An elevated commitment to online learning quality assurance goals, including having courses meet quality standards, supported by a commitment to faculty professional development. An average 10-15% increase across institutions in online professional development and student orientation to online study to serve formerly in-person faculty and students. The largest yearly increases ever in ed tech investment in 2020 and 2021 across all sectors of higher ed. This report was made possible through the partnership of QM and Eduventures Research, the efforts of Co-Directors Dr. Bethany Simunich and Richard Garrett, Senior Editor Dr. Ron Legon, Contributing Editor Dr. Eric Fredericksen, the CHLOE Advisory Panel, platinum sponsor iDesign, and gold sponsors Archer Education and the Online Learning Consortium.  CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World The latest report in the ongoing Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Project. Download Free Webinar June 22 — 2:00 p.m. Eastern Join Dr. Bethany Simunich and Richard Garrett for “CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World.” They will provide an overview of the results from CHLOE 6, including insight into how colleges and universities responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and what institutions are focusing on as they move forward. Register Now   The webinar is limited to the first 1000 attendees that log in; however, everyone who registers will receive the recording link for the event. If you would like to receive the recording link, please register for the event. Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review Criteria in a rigorous review process.

View this email in your browser Forward to a friend Copyright © 2021 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

Now Available: Your Research Webinar Recording

Note this webinar recording from the folks at QM.

Augment Your Digital Accessibility Skills

Thank you for your interest in online learning research. The webinar recording for “Professional Development for Digital Accessibility: A Needs Assessment” is now available. Please note, this link is valid for 30 days. After that, you can find the webinar video on our YouTube Channel or in the Research Webinar Archives. During the webinar, Drs. Barbara Frey and Rae Mancilla shared results from their 2019 survey of Higher Education Quality Matters Coordinators, specifically focusing on findings related to digital accessibility professional development needs. The survey revealed that while many institutions are providing accessibility-related professional development, there are still many areas that need to be addressed, including plain language, table design and alternative text. Here are some resources that can help. Address Accessibility Challenges Explore the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site to find solutions for course accessibility issues — or get your questions answered by our expert moderators. This free resource provides critical information on accessibility topics such as alternative text, hyperlinks, video captioning, readability, and color contrast. Special topics are available as well, including cognitive accessibility and inclusive teaching practices. Tackle Accessibility as a Team Empower yourself and your colleagues with the knowledge needed to create accessible instructional materials. Designed for a team of 10 or more, our dedicated, synchronous Making Materials Accessible QM Live! Series covers key topics, including providing accessible web content, creating accessible documents and captioning videos. Explore Standard 8 Get detailed information about accessibility, usability, readability, and how to design courses with all these topics in mind in the Addressing Accessibility and Usability (AAU) workshop. Information is provided on Universal Design for Learning, challenges learners may encounter, creating accessible content, and designing courses that can be easily navigated. The next session begins July 15 —  Register for the AAU today!

Do you have a research interest you’d like to see addressed in a QM research webinar? Let us know. Send your ideas to QM’s Manager of Research & Development Barbra Burch. Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review Criteria in a rigorous review process.

View this email in your browser Forward to a friend Copyright © 2021 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

Ready. Set. Register (and Save!).

An item from the folks at QM that may be of interest.

Make Plans Now to #QMConnect This Fall You did it! You made it through a very challenging academic year. And now, after you take a moment to celebrate, it’s time to think about what’s next. How can you prepare for the changing educational landscape? A good place to start is at QM ConnectLX. Our Program Committee is working hard to put together another amazing virtual conference this fall — one that will help you transform the online learning experience and meet the needs of your students. It’s not too early for you to start making plans as well. The full agenda will be available in June, but the conference promises to deliver what attendees call “a great experience” that provides “useful information you can use right away.” Topics will include: Tackling the challenging issues around equity Transforming pedagogical practices Applying best practices Researching emerging topics And much more! To secure your spot at QM ConnectLX — and get the best rate — register for the conference today. Pricing for the full conference starts at $300. Single-day and group pricing is also available. Pre-conference workshops can be added for an additional fee. Register

Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review criteria in a rigorous review process.

View this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 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