Quality Matters | Kent State University

Welcome to Quality Matters at Kent State University – your one-stop shop for news, information, and professional development related to the Quality Matters program.

what is quality matters?

Quality Matters™ (QM) is a nationally recognized, faculty-centric non-profit that includes both a rubric and a peer review process designed to certify the quality of online course design. Foremost in QM principles are promoting a collegial, collaborative faculty experience centered on the idea of continuous quality improvement. QM does not evaluate online teaching, nor is it an evaluation of the online instructor; it is focused solely on the design of the course.

What is the research supporting Quality matters?

The Quality Matters Rubric is centered on relevant research, and was initially developed based on a literature review of online learning and instructional design research, as well as the expertise of experienced online faculty and existing standards and best practices for course design. Each of the Specific Rubric Standards is supported by research, and a new literature review is conducted every three years to guide and inform the regular revision of the QM Rubric. At any time, you can review existing research that supports rubric standards by searching either the standard or a key word in the QM Research Library.

There are also research resources, however, that explore the use and impact of the QM rubric. These studies can be accessed on QM’s Research Resources page. Kent State’s own research, funded by a Quality Matters grant and published in The American Journal of Distance Education, is also available on this page.

Additionally, QM-focused research highlights, including the report, “What We’re Learning from QM-focused Research” is accessible on QM’s research landing page. This page also includes the QM Research Toolkit, which guides researchers in formulating a quality research project, taking into account the unique needs and considerations of online learning research.

How does Kent State utilize Quality Matters?

Kent State University is a member of the largest QM state consortium in the nation, the QM Ohio Consortium, and as such, is able to provide low-cost training for QM’s foundational workshop, Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR). Learn more about Kent State and Quality Matters.  

For additional Quality Matters resources, please visit:

• The Faculty Workshops page for descriptions of our professional development events and links for registration
• The QM Recognized Courses page for all Kent State QM-Recognized courses. 
• The QM Reviewers page for information on serving on a QM Review for QM Ohio Consortium and QM National

If you any have questions about QM training, please contact [email protected].

INTERESTED IN QUALITY MATTERS RESEARCH?

If you are interested in pursuing an independent QM research project, please contact [email protected].