Opportunities to Connect in 2021 and More Higher Ed News!

Interestingly, I often get a K-12 version within minutes, but not this time.

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Higher Education News January 2021

Seize the New Year In 2020, over 36,000 individuals participated in QM professional development workshops and courses — highlighting an extraordinary commitment to delivering on their online promise. In her 2021 letter to the community, QM Executive Director Dr. Deb Adair looks ahead at how we, as a community, can build on that commitment and drive change in 2021 that ensures quality for all students regardless of modality. Read more >> Improve Communication with Templates Communicating with students is often tricky and time-consuming. Templates can help with consistency and connection. At QM ConnectLX, Drs. Stephanie TeKippe and Maryam Rod Szabo provided tips and examples of how they use email templates to share course highlights and news. A couple of tips: Keep emails simple Use a strong subject line Send emails on the same day(s) each week Watch the QM ConnectLX presentation “Building Templates to Improve Faculty and Students Experience, Collaboration, and Engagement” to see examples and learn more. Course design templates are also discussed. Leading the Way! Congratulations to Universidad Autonoma del Noreste and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM) — both institutions recently had their first course QM Certified. In fact, UPRM is the first institution in the Caribbean to earn the QM Certification Mark! Free Research Conference February 9, 2021 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET Free Virtual Event Register Now A great opportunity to learn more about the research happening in online learning and ways to apply it. Virtual QM Events in 2021 Connecting with best practices, fresh ideas and your peers plays a critical role in helping you meet the needs of your diverse learners. Don’t miss these 2021 interactive learning opportunities designed to meet the specific needs of our community. All events will be virtual, ensuring the safety of our community while allowing more educators to participate. Higher Ed Quality in Action — April 9 (registration starts at $125) Q-Up for K-12 Digital Quality — October 15 QM ConnectLX — November 3 – 5 (registration starts at $300) Presidents Summit on Leading Quality — June 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: Austin Peay State University Brunswick Community College Catawba Valley Community College Cleveland Community College Coastal Carolina Community College Colorado Community Colleges Online Columbia Southern University Concord University Delaware County Community College Florida International University Florida SouthWestern State College Florida State College at Jacksonville Forsyth Technical Community College Galen College of Nursing-Louisville Indiana University-Southeast Inver Hills Community College Kent State University System Laredo College Minnesota West Community and Technical College New Mexico State University-Alamogordo North Park University Oregon State University Piedmont Community College Pitt Community College Plymouth State University Polk State College Rogers State University Salve Regina University Sampson Community College Southeastern Community College (NC) Southwestern Community College Texas A & M International University The University of Findlay The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga TNTP University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Dallas University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of Southern Indiana University of West Florida Virtual Arkansas West Chester University of Pennsylvania View QM-Certified Courses >> Welcome New Members Central Virginia Community College Edward Waters College Instituto Profesional DUOC UC Salina Area Technical College Stevens Institute of Technology University of Washington School of Nursing Western Technical College Learn More About QM Membership >>

Now available: seats in our popular Teaching Online workshop. Learn about best practices for teaching online, getting and keeping students engaged, and facilitating online discussions. Register now for the Jan. 28 session or the Feb. 4 session. 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

Thank You, Michael

Over the next three days I’ll be posting the stock holiday greetings I have received from the various K-12 distance, online, and/or blended learning organizations, companies, and listserves that I receive.

What I believe may be the first holiday greeting I received this year.

In a year filled with uncertainty and countless challenges, you and the entire QM community served as a beacon of light — providing hope and guidance to students and educators. Your experience and expertise truly made a difference. Thank you! Best wishes to you and your family for health and happiness in the coming year.

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 © 2020 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

Designing Culturally Responsive Courses and More K-12 News!

The K-12 newsletter from Quality Matters.

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K-12 Online & Blended Learning Newsletter December 2020

Resource Recap The end of the year doesn’t mean the end of your need for resources. Here’s a list to help and to share: Emergency Remote Instruction Checklist QM Bridge to Quality Course Design Guide, Basic Edition Accessibility and Usability Resource Site Webinar recording: Building a HyFlex Course to Support Student Success Webinar recording: Building on Remote Instruction Successes 5 Tips for Moving from Remote Instruction to Quality Online Learning QM-Hosted Research Webinar Recordings QM Success Stories (members only), including “Breaking the Humdrum of ‘Post Once and Reply to Two Others’“ Dr. Steven Crawford’s series on multimedia use in online learning — start with “Designing Multimedia Presentations for Your Course” Course Design Guide Updated “Teaching and learning that respects and reflects students’ unique lived experiences help create equitable, holistic learning environments,” shared Chris Voelker, QM K-12 Program Director. “That’s why we added culturally responsive design considerations to the Bridge to Quality Course Design Guide. Now, teachers and others can design courses that are representative of all of their students from the start.” The additions to the guide would not have been possible without the knowledge, expertise and hard work of the Culturally Responsive Design Committee. Learn more about the work and the committee in, “Support Student Success With Culturally Responsive Course Design.” To learn more about the changes, watch Chris’s screencast. International Influence QM’s Executive Director Dr. Deb Adair was recently selected to serve on the International Advisory Committee for eLearning under the direction of the National eLearning Center (NELC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With guidance from the Director General of the NELC, Deb and other committee members will help guide e-learning across all sectors of the Kingdom. Deb’s selection is another milestone in the growing global commitment to quality assurance in online education and digital learning. QM is now represented in 26 countries across six continents. Deb and other members of the QM leadership team are also actively involved with several international organizations, including the International Council for Open and Distance Education and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education. Quick Tip: Accessibility Policies Looking to create an accessibility policy for your  online courses/programs? Be sure to include the following: A statement of commitment Definitions of roles and responsibilities by departmental unit The scope of the policy Procedures for monitoring compliance For more information on developing an accessibility policy, please review QM’s Accessibility Policy Creation Guidelines. And don’t forget to check out QM’s K-12 Companion for IEP & 504 Plans to help create remote learning experiences that are equitable for all students. Congratulations! Please join us in congratulating the following K-12 members for having one or more courses recently QM Certified: Edgenuity Inc. Edmentum Graduation Alliance International Academy of Science Michigan Virtual StrongMind View QM-Certified Courses >> Welcome New Members We are pleased to welcome new members: Bethel School District East Rowan High School South Dakota Consortium — the Department of Education and 151 affiliate districts Tawjih for Educational Consultancy Learn More About QM Membership >>

Save the date! Join your colleagues on February 9, 2021, for QM’s FREE, half-day online research conference. Presentation topics include: accessibility, data collection for improving quality, teaching presence, and more! Register today! Tweet Share Forward Share Copyright © 2020 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

Recent Findings on Digital Accessibility and More K-12 News!

The K-12 newsletter from the folks at Quality Matters.

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K-12 Online & Blended Learning Newsletter November 2020

Reflect on Your Teaching Practices Quality Matters, the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance and 2gnoMe are excited to announce the formal launch of the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching Professional Learning Portal. Powered by 2gnoMe, this powerful new portal allows teachers to reflect on their teaching practice in relation to the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. Self-reflections are used to match high-quality and aligned professional development resources to individual needs and strengths. This approach puts teachers on a path towards improving their practice as instructors, both in blended and online formats. The portal also allows system leaders to customize all elements of their teachers’ professional learning experience (e.g., mentoring, professional learning communities, and other supports) around each teacher. Your Opinion Matters We know you have great ideas. This is your chance to share them. Please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey and let us know how we can best meet your needs. The more input the better — so please share this survey with your colleagues. All responses are due by December 2, 2020. Updates to Reviewer Roles This year hasn’t been easy for anyone. That’s why we’re modifying the requirements for our Course Reviewer and Master Reviewer roles: The online teaching requirement for current Peer Reviewers is being extended by one year. This means your most recent online, for-credit teaching experience can be from the last 30 months, rather than 18 months. The annual Master Reviewer recertification for 2021 is being waived. Additionally, to help Master Reviewers stay connected, we’ll be updating and adding resources to the Master Reviewer Resource Site next year. Questions? Please contact the course review team. Recent Findings on Digital Accessibility This year’s move to online classes brought an uptick in accessibility lawsuits — shining a spotlight on the digital accessibility challenges institutions continue to grapple with. But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been progress. According to a survey of Higher Education QM Coordinators, there has been significant growth in the development of institutional digital accessibility policies over the last decade. This is just one finding from the 2019 Accessibility Policy Survey conducted by Rae Mancilla, Ed.D., from the University of Pittsburgh, and Barbara Frey, D.Ed., from Point Park University. All results will be shared in a series of white papers. Recommendations for administrators, faculty, instructional staff, and disability services experts in developing inclusive online materials will also be included. Download the first paper in the series today. Quick Tip: Course Format Chart Wondering if your course is eligible for an Official Review? Find out with QM’s Course Format Chart. The chart provides QM’s definitions for various course modalities and explains whether the Rubric can be applied to the course in an Official Review. One question we get asked a lot is if web-enhanced and synchronous Zoom-based courses can be officially reviewed. As you can see from the chart, they cannot. Those formats are not the same as online courses. Thank You! The 2021 QM Connect Conference will be virtual.  Dates and details coming in early 2021. As Steve Kaufman noted on Twitter, “Couldn’t be more impressed with @QMProgram’s #QMConnect this year. Great presentations. Engaging presenters. Awesome sponsors. All-around, top-notch.” But we certainly could not have done it without all of you! Huge thanks to everyone — the program committee, presenters, attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, room hosts, and anyone we are forgetting — who helped make this year’s QMConnectLX Conference great! One of the many highlights — the QM Awards Ceremony. If you missed it, take a moment to watch the videos from this year’s Making a Difference for Student Award winners: Outstanding Impact by a K-12 Organization or Individual — Virtual Arkansas Outstanding Impact by an Individual in Higher Education — Bethanne Tobey, North Carolina State University Outstanding Impact by a Higher Education Organization —  Mount Carmel College of Nursing Plus, learn more about other conference happenings as sponsor Walden University takes you behind the scenes of QM ConnectLX. Congratulations! Please join us in congratulating the following K-12 members for having one or more courses recently QM Certified: Apex Learning, Inc. Brigham Young University Independent Study Edgenuity Inc. Edmentum Graduation Alliance Michigan Virtual StrongMind View QM-Certified Courses >> Welcome New Members We are pleased to welcome new members: eDynamic Learning Horry County Schools Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy Kershaw County School District Oaks Christian Online Rockland BOCES Title V Edrising Eastern New Mexico University Learn More About QM Membership >>

Up your online game with the K-12 Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (K-12 APP) workshop. Learn how to use the QM Rubric and apply it to a real course! Already completed the K-12 APP? Take your skills to the next level with the K-12 Reviewer Course! Sessions start soon! Tweet Share Forward Share Copyright © 2020 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

Official Launch of the NSQ Online Teaching Professional Learning Portal

A notice from the folks behind these “national standards.”

The National Standards for Quality (NSQ) provide the K-12 community with an updated set of openly licensed standards (formerly iNACOL standards) to help evaluate and improve online courses, online teaching, and online programs. Dear Michael We are excited to announce the official launch of the NSQ Teaching Professional Learning Portal powered by 2gnoMe. The portal offers personalized professional learning resources aligned to the NSQ Online Teaching Standards.  Users begin with a self-reflection diagnostic to assess their knowledge and skills tied to the NSQ Online Teaching Standards and indicators.  Based on diagnostic results, users are directed to personalized professional learning resources that have been made available by the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance and Quality Matters.  Future expansion of the portal will include vetted high-quality resources from other organizations.  We hope that you have had some time to explore the site and we appreciate the feedback that we’ve received thus far.  You may have seen today’s Press Release announcing the official launch. We hope that this new portal can help your organization – and we’re counting on you to spread the word to your networks and schools and other partners that would benefit from professional learning aligned to the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. Here are some easy ways to spread the word: Send an email: Feel free to utilize or modify this sample. Post on Social Media (Here’s a sample post): Looking forward to taking the free #OnlineTeaching self-assessment and finding #quality #ProfessionalLearning opportunities aligned to my results at the new #NSQ Professional Learning Portal by @QMProgram, @VLLAOnline & @2gnoMe: https://nsq.2gno.me/  Thank you for your ongoing support! Christine Voelker (cvoelker@qualitymatters.org) and Cindy Hamblin (chamblin@k12vls.org) NSQ Project Managers Contact Us

Copyright © 2020 National Standards for Quality Online Learning, All rights reserved.