Impact of QM Professional Development on Online Course Design and Student Evaluations

Sheri Conklin, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Zach Morgan, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Ginu Easow, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Erika Hanson, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Abstract

As the number of online programs continues to increase, more faculty are concerned with the quality of their courses. Many institutions subscribe to Quality Matters (QM) for professional development and guidance on components associated with high-quality asynchronous courses. However, determining how professional development impacts the actual changes to course design is often overlooked. This research examined the revisions completed as a result of professional development. Simultaneously, student evaluations were analyzed to determine the student perception of course design improvements. The results demonstrated that there were course improvements in multiple areas, yet there was no correlation with student evaluations.

Keywords: Quality Matters, course design, student response to instruction, professional development