The Winona State University Organizational Leadership Graduate Program has become the first program at WSU to have all core courses recognized by The Quality Matters (QM) program, a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process that certifies quality online courses.
Theresa Waterbury, associate professor and co-chairperson of the Education Leadership department, and Elissa Hall, adjunct faculty member, spent three years coordinating the effort to improve online learning opportunities for WSU graduate students.
“It’s important to provide a quality experience for our online students,” said Waterbury. “Quality Matters standards helped us design courses that promote student engagement, easy navigation and alignment with key learning components in our courses. The process takes time, but the benefits for our students are tremendous.”
QM is a widely accepted set of standards based on academic research in quality online course design. Through the review process, reviewers provide instructors with insights and recommendations that increase learning engagement, retention and satisfaction, and ultimately, learner achievement.
All Organizational Leadership Emphasis Core courses were reviewed by an external faculty review team, which included one subject matter expert, and met the Quality Matters Rubric standards.
The following courses are recognized by QM:
- EL 642 – Education Lean: Methods and Practicum
- EL 644 – Managing Change, Innovation and Transition
- EL 646 – Leadership and Technology
- EL 648 – Project Management
- EL 649 – Appreciative Coaching: Theory and Practice
Quality Matters (QM) is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its peer-based approach to continuous improvement in online education and student learning. QM subscribers include community and technical colleges, colleges and universities, K-12 schools and systems, government agencies, corporations, and other education-related organizations.
For more information call the WSU Communications Office at 507-457-5024.
