Quality Assurance Initiative
What is it anyway?
• The Quality Assurance (QA) Initiative is a
faculty-centered, peer review process designed
to assess the quality of online courses.
What the process is not…
• Not about an individual
instructor
• Not about faculty
evaluation
• Not a win/lose or
pass/fail test
• It’s about the course
design
• It’s about course quality
• It’s a diagnostic tool to
facilitate continuous
improvement of
online/hybrid courses
By Show of Hands….
• Familiar with the Quality Assurance (QA) Peer
Review Process?
• Had your online course QA reviewed?
• Participated in a QA course review?
Our Process
eCampus QA Course
Peer Review Process
Course
Notify Faculty Member, Dean
& eCampus Academics
Notify QA of “Met” Courses
Select Courses to be reviewed
Notify Faculty of Course Review
Conduct Faculty Orientation
Organize Peer Review Team
Peer Review Team
Paperwork
Submit Review Planning
Sheet to eCampus QA
Peer Course
Review
Course Meets
Quality Expectations
Provide Reviewer
Support
Assist with Course
Amendment Form
Monitor Review
Progress & Completion
Review Revisions
w/Faculty
Feedback
Course
Revision
Provide Instructional Design Support
Course Did Not Meet QA
Review Report with Faculty
(along w/team chair)
Gather Review Results
Course Alignment
• 5 of the 8 general standards should align:
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Course Overview and Introduction
Learning Objectives
Assessment and Measurement
Key components must align.
Resources and Materials
Learner Interaction
Course Technology
Learner Support
ADA Compliance
Some essential standards…
• A statement introduces the student to the course and the structure of
the student learning
• Navigational instructions make the organization of the course easy
to understand
• Learning activities foster interaction:
– Instructor-student
– Content-student
– Student-student (if appropriate)
• Clear standards are set for instructor response and availability
Other Essential Standards…
• Assessment strategies should provide feedback
to the student
• Grading policy should be transparent and easy
for the student to understand
• Implemented tools and media should support
learning objectives
– And integrate with texts and lesson assignments
• The course acknowledges the importance of
ADA compliance
Our Challenges
Challenges…
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Managing High Volume of Paperwork and files
Tracking multiple aspects of each review
Collecting information from Reviewers
Timely processing of Review Analysis
Keeping the momentum
Convincing faculty this is not a formal
“evaluation”
Solutions
• “Formally” approved internal QA Procedure
• Standard reporting requirements to track status
of reviews (newly implemented online forms)
• “Getting Started” Letter
• Regular communication with reviewers
• Created Website for QA@eCampus