designing online courses for quality assurance
TRANSCRIPT
Fusion 2017
Las Vegas, Nevada
Quentin Conkle & Isabella Burrage
What is Quality Assurance?
What is quality assurance?
Quality Assurance is defined by Merriam-Webster
dictionary as: a program for the systematic monitoring
and evaluation of the various aspects of a project,
service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality
are being met.1
Why is quality assurance important?
Students feel more supported in a quality, well-designed course versus the isolation or confusion they might otherwise feel in a poorly designed course.
Quality assurance means the students have a positive experience and get the most out of the course.
Properly designed courses help to ensure that a program meets accreditation.
What is ADA?
What is ADA?
Enacted in 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination
against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public
life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public
and private places that are open to the general public.
The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with
disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as
everyone else.2
How does ADA affect online courses?
Online courses need to meet specific criteria in
order to be ADA compliant.
Examples of this criteria are:
• Written transcripts for videos
• Closed-captioning for video
• Alternative text for images
• Ability to read by assistive technologies
What is an ADA template?
An ADA template is an editable HTML template that
has been designed to be ADA compliant.
It is a pre-arranged HTML document that the course
instructor or instructional designer can populate with
course information.
The template that we use is a highly modified version
of the “ordinary blue” ADA template that was
designed and made available by D2L.
How is the template ADA compliant?
HTML allows the document to be read by assistive
devices like screen readers directly in Brightspace
unlike Word documents or PDFs which need to be
downloaded.
The ADA template has also been designed with
accessible design principles including headers,
lists, captions, tables, links, and videos that are
recognized by assistive technologies.
What is Quality MattersTM
What is Quality Matters?
Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components.3
QM uses a rubric comprised of 8 General Standards and 43 specific review standards used to evaluate the design of online and blended courses.4
It certifies that course activities, assessments, instructional materials, and technologies all align with the objectives of the course to assure that students master them.
QM ensures that course quality is continuously improved.
Implementation & Evaluation
Our role in the process
As instructional designers in the Online Learning
and Instructional Design (OLID) department we
work with faculty to help design their online
courses.
We create the templates in HTML and provide
support and training for faculty/staff utilizing the
templates.
We also work to make sure all of our online
students are equipped with the information,
resources, and course design they need to be
successful, no matter what course it is.
When did we first implement the ADA templates?
In 2014, we began redesigning the online documentation for the Health
Professions Education program. This also coincided with our implementation
of the QM rubric. We used the QM rubrics as a guide to creating the HTML
templates by covering as many of the 43 QM standards as we could.
To comply with QM standards:
• We have added a technology resources section, university policies
section, accessibility statements, and a privacy policies list.
• We made QM changes to the weekly course template which prompts
faculty to include module objectives and tie activities with their module
and course objectives.
• We have also color-coded our departmental programs so that it is
easier to know which program’s template we are working on.
How did we implement the ADA templates?
We implemented the ADA templates on a course-by-
course basis based on the quarter system. The new
ADA templates were utilized once the instructor was
ready to update the course for the next available
quarter offering.
So far the entire HPE and Interprofessional Healthcare
Studies (HIPS) programs have integrated the ADA
templates.
How do we evaluate online courses?
At Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) we use the Quality Matters
rubric to evaluate our online courses.
We have approximately 100 online courses.
We have 9 certified Quality Matters Peer reviewers.
Each peer reviewer evaluates 2 courses per year.
The review process involves cross-referencing the course against the QM rubric.
Many of the standards are already met through the design of the ADA template.
After the course has been reviewed the peer reviewer meets with instructor to go over the
results.
If a course has met the standards by at least 85% then nothing else has to occur, although
recommendations for improvement are given.
If a course does not meet the standards by at least 85% then the instructor has to make the
recommended changes to meet the standards.
The instructors are required to notify the peer reviewers once the updates have been made.
A total of 18 courses are reviewed in a year.
Examples
Examples of QM in our Templates
22 of the specific QM review standards are met by the templates
used in the courses. Below are a few examples:
1.2 Learners are introduced to purpose and structure of the
course
• Course schedule in syllabus
• Instructional Activities section (overview, communication
tools, assignments, exams, final project)
1.3 Etiquette expectations for online discussions, email, etc.
• Course Policies (online conduct)
1.4 Course/and or institutional policies are clearly stated
• Course/University Policies document
1.5 Minimum technology requirements are clearly stated
• Course/University Policies document (Technical
Requirements for Online Learning)
1.6 Prerequisite knowledge
• Course Information document
Examples of QM in our Templates Cont’d
2.1 Course learning objectives are measurable
• Course information document (course objectives)
2.2 Module learning objectives measurable and consistent
with course objectives
• Weekly content template prompt for module objectives
(By the end of this week you should be able to:)
2.4. Relationship between learning objectives and course
activities is clearly stated
• Prompt in Activities section of Weekly content template
(associate the assessment activity with learning
objective)
3.2 Course grading policy is clearly stated
• Course information document (Grades and Rubrics, late
submissions)
3.3 Criteria for evaluation of work tied to grading policy
• Course information document (Discussion Evaluation
Rubric)
Examples of QM in our
Templates Cont’d
6.5 Links are provided for privacy policies of external
tools
• Privacy Policies for External Tools list in Course
Policies document
7.1 Course instructions articulate or link to clear description of
technical support
• Technology Support section of Course Policies document
7.2 Course instructions articulate or link to accessibility policies
• Students with Disabilities section of Student Services
section in Course policies document
7.3 Course instructions articulate or link to academic support
• Learning Resources, Student Services, Reference
Services, etc. in Course Policies document
7.4 Course instructions articulate or link to academic support
• Student Services, University and CHP policies in Course
Policies document
Challenges & Benefits
What challenges did we face?
Faculty pushback to having their course evaluated against QM.
Program chairs not wanting to use a pre-modified template, opting to keep using their current system instead.
Faculty not following up with course changes after QM review.
Faculty not knowing HTML enough to make changes to formatting in the templates.
Lack of OLID manpower to implement templates and update them when necessary.
What benefits have we seen?
Positive feedback from faculty
Increased use in Healthcare Administration, Nurse
Anesthesia, and Nutrition programs
HIPS program overhaul with new templates
Comments from students praising the look and feel
of the courses
REFERENCES
1. Quality assurance. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2017, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quality assurance
2. What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? (2017). Retrieved
May 23, 2017, from https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
3. Instructional Services. (2017) Retrieved May 23, 2017, from
https://www.uakron.edu/it/instructional_services/dds/qm/index.dot
4. Course Design Rubric Standards. (2017). Retrieved May 23, 2017,
from https://www.qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/rubric-
standards/higher-ed-rubric