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QM Standards TWU Style

Pilot Project

TWU decided to implement a three-year pilot project to investigate the efficacy of using QM for online course improvement. Faculty members participating in this pilot project gain:

Support to redesign an existing online course (project peers & Distance Education Instructional Designers)
Development of critical assessment skills for examining online courses and materials
Opportunity to work with others with similar interests for support and feedback
Opportunity to be trained as a QM Peer Reviewer
Supporting Resources
- Distance Education will provide fund the online training as a QM peer-reviewer
- Distance Education will provide a total of $400 in additional support per participant for travel or materials.
  - Lifelong Learning will provide limited travel support to attend conferences/symposia to reinforce skills for teaching and learning in online environments.
  - Lifelong Learning will provide limited funds to purchase equipment to support distance education classes.

Project Requirements

Participants are required to attend and participate in the QM Online Peer Reviewer Training (3 week course – estimated time per week = 5-7 hours)

Participants will meet monthly with others in the project (face-to-face, online, and videoconference) and staff from Distance Education

Each participant is expected to modify one of their existing online courses

Minimum modification criteria (Year 1)
- Existing course to be redesigned to address all 3-point essential review elements found in the rubric (14 total), essential for certification by MOL.
  - This will generate 42/80 points necessary for meeting the expectations of the QM review process.

Minimum modification criteria (Year 2)
- Existing course to be redesigned to address all review elements found in the rubric (40 total), essential for certification by MOL.
  - This will generate 80/80 points necessary for meeting the expectations of the QM review process.
Minimum modification criteria (Year 3)
- Existing course to be redesigned to address all review elements found in the rubric (40 total), essential for certification by MOL.
  - This will generate 80/80 points necessary for meeting the expectations of the QM review process.

Each participant will collaborate and support other project participants through monthly meetings.

Each participant will review a minimum of one other course

Participants will provide data, as requested by Lifelong Learning

Eligibility

Faculty (full/part time, visiting) serving as instructors of record (current or past) in distance learning courses are eligible to apply for the program. Full time faculty currently teaching distance learning courses will be given preference over other appointments.

Criteria

Prior training in online teaching
Online teaching experience
- More than two semesters teaching online course(s)
- Taught online within the last 18 months

Status

Year One (Spring 2007)

10 faculty members received training on the QM process. 3 participants applied to become QM Peer Reviewers. 3 participants reviewed one external course. 3 participants sought and received recognition as a QM Peer Reviewed Course.

Year Two (Fall 2007)

28 faculty members received training on the QM process.

Year Three (Fall 2008)

The target for year three is 35 faculty members.