Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2015 | Page 41

Internet Learning Journal – Volume 4, Issue 1 – Spring 2015
To view Quality Matters Overview (2013) video go to https://www.qualitymatters.org
In a previous study, Ralston-Berg (2014) used the Quality Matters criteria to
examine students’ perceptions of quality in online courses. Ralston-Berg queried whether
“students agree that items presented in the QM Rubric indicate quality?” Hixon,
Buckenmeyer and Barczyk (2015) extended her work by examining how students rate the
QM criteria for courses in general. The current study extends both studies by measuring the
perceptions of students on the quality of their online courses and determining practical
significance of the findings.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Quality Matters is considered the gold standard in terms of online standards
development (Maryland Online, 2014). A QM originated from a grant project entitled!“Fund
for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education” (FIPSE), and is a faculty-centered, peer
review-based process designed to certify the quality of online and hybrid courses. Empirical
evidence demonstrating impact on student learning support the eight research-based
standards and elements that became Quality Matters. Its framework emphasizes navigability,
interaction, and instructional alignment. Specifically, the eight standards included in the
QM rubric include: (1) Course Overview and Introduction, (2) Learning Objectives, (3)
Assessment and Measurement, (4) Instructional Materials, (5) Learner Interaction, (6)
Course Media & Technology, (7) Learner Support, and (8) ADA Compliance. Each standard
includes a number of indicators, each of which is ranked in importance and assigned a
weight, ranging from 3 (Essential) to 1 (Important). To view the standards, please refer to
the interactive QM Research Library https://www.qmprogram.org/qmresources/research/.
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