Quality Matters at Clemson

Quality Matters (QM) is a non-profit educational organization that develops "standards, processes and professional development for quality assurance in online and blended learning.”

Since 2020, Clemson Online has managed the university's QM subscription and course review process for ensuring quality in online course design for both credit-bearing and Continuing/Professional Education (CPE) courses. The QM certification is a nationally recognized mark of quality and we are proud to present this active list of QM-certified courses and congratulate each instructor on their achievement:

A QM course review is a collaborative, comprehensive examination of an online or blended course by a team of trained, certified peer reviewers, all of whom have online teaching experience. Courses are reviewed using the QM Rubric, focusing on design - NOT content - with a particular emphasis on alignment among your course objectives, assessments, tools, etc. The review will also cover accessibility throughout the Canvas course and instructional materials. The review team will provide specific suggestions for meeting Rubric standards, with the goal of an overall score of at least 85%. QM reviews do not seek perfection, but rather continual improvement.

Still unsure if a review is right for you? Read on:

• The QM review rubric is backed by research and can apply to both fully online and blended/hybrid course modalities.
• The QM review process is a proven way to improve your online courses, and reviews can be included in T/PR dossiers as evidence of teaching effectiveness, as well as in the Faculty Success reporting system.
• Many principles of quality online teaching are directly transferable to face to face courses, so QM reviews can have positive impacts beyond the reviewed course.
• If you submit a course for review and you don't want an external certification, you can do just an internal review and earn a "QM Essentials" badge. See our list of internally certified courses.

For more information, you can self-enroll in our QM at Clemson Canvas site to learn about Quality Matters, how to submit your course for QM review, and professional development opportunities. We’ll walk you through review preparations and share the various ways to get involved with QM at Clemson!

The QM Team

 QM Coordinator

• Hansen Wetsel - wetsel@clemson.edu

The coordinator is responsible for setting up course reviews, assigning the review team, staying in contact with the instructor, and closing the review when completed. They also serve as the main point of contact for all things QM. If you have questions, contact our QM Coordinator at the email address above.

Certified Clemson Online Peer Reviewers

• Lori Kinley, PhD - Associate Director of Online Development
• Sharyn Emery, PhD - Digital Learning Manager
• James Butler, MA - Digital Learning Strategist
• Leslie Fuller, PhD - Digital Learning Strategist
• 'Dara Abimbade, PhD - Digital Learning Strategist
• Millie Tullis, MA - Digital Learning Strategist

Certified Faculty Peer Reviewers

• Amy Pope, PhD - Physics and Astronomy
• Pooja Puneet, PhD - Physics and Astronomy
• Chelsea McKelvey, PhD - English
• Phillip Grant, PhD - Education

Any instructor at Clemson with online teaching experience can apply to become a peer reviewer! One of the best ways to start the process is to submit a course of your own for review, or you can apply for the 2024 Academic Year QM Cohort. Getting QM certified requires completing two intensive workshops, and instructors are paid a stipend for each course they review. Contact our Quality Matters Coordinator for further details.

Available QM training and workshops

Clemson Online offers a variety of QM workshops and presentations for instructors at any level of online teaching experience. Digital badges are awarded to participants upon workshop completion. If you'd like to schedule a workshop for your program or department, please contact the QM Coordinator. Otherwise, review our Events Calendar for upcoming opportunities.

Building Your Canvas Course (BYCC): Participants will meet in groups to learn the fundamentals of online teaching and course design, based on Quality Matters’ “Bridge to Quality” framework. Each session will be divided between the presentation of pedagogy and design principles and hands-on workshop time for instructors to develop their Canvas sites. We will discuss course alignment, engaging learners, and connecting course components while empowering you with the tools you need for creating a successful online course. Available each semester, including during Spring Break.

Improving Your Online Course (IYOC): This asynchronous workshop explores the QM Rubric and provides a framework to improve the quality of online courses. Participants use the QM Rubric to review their own online courses and develop a course improvement plan. Participants come away with a plan for course improvement, so enrolling in the workshop with a pre-developed online or hybrid course is required. Available each semester, including during Spring Break.

QM 101: This presentation is an introduction to Quality Matters. It covers basic QM principles, an introduction to the rubric, and the QM process at Clemson. Find out what will be addressed in a QM review and how to submit your course; this presentation is ideal for kickstarting a department-wide review program. Check our calendar for upcoming sessions; also available by request.