Quality Matters Endorses Oregon State University’s Online Teaching Principles

Quality Matters (QM) — the international leader for quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments — announces its endorsement of the Oregon State University Ecampus Online Teaching Principles tool. This recognition represents QM’s first-ever endorsement of such a tool and highlights both its alignment with quality standards and the potential impact it represents for the educational community.

The Oregon State Ecampus Online Teaching Principles provide guidance for educators on how to teach a course designed with QM’s research-supported Standards, as expressed in the QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition. With the tool, Oregon State Ecampus hopes to provide educators with instructional methods that lead to improved educational experiences and help facilitate learner success. The principles address critical elements shown to make an impact on learner satisfaction and outcomes, such as currency of course materials, clarity and timeliness of communications, instructor presence and support, learner engagement, inclusivity, and more.

Since education and learner needs evolve continuously over time, Oregon State Ecampus will regularly update the Online Teaching Principles, maintaining their alignment to the QM Higher Education Rubric and providing research in support of each principle.

“We are incredibly honored that the OSU Ecampus Online Teaching Principles have received this prestigious endorsement from Quality Matters,” says Shannon Riggs, Associate Vice Provost of Educational Programs and Learning Innovation for OSU Ecampus. “Being the first to earn this kind of endorsement is a significant achievement for us, demonstrating our commitment to creating innovative and effective online learning experiences.”

OSU Ecampus has made the Online Teaching Principles available to the broader educational community and the general public by releasing the tool via a Creative Commons license, allowing institutions around the world to benefit from the tool’s guidance.

“Oregon State Ecampus developed and disseminated these relevant and timely Online Teaching Principles in a thoughtful process that helps guide faculty who teach online,” says Brenda Boyd, QM’s Vice President, Quality Standards and Evaluation. “QM appreciates the good work done by OSU Ecampus as their Creative Commons-licensed Online Teaching Principles align with the QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition, and will be a valuable addition to institution quality assurance tool kits.”

“Our principles, like the QM course design standards, are grounded in research and are student-centered in their approach,” says Riggs. “We hope that making them available with a Creative Commons license helps others in our field build upon QM’s outstanding course design Standards — long considered the gold standard in online education.”

About Quality Matters

Grounded in research. Driven by best practices. A community that puts learners first. Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Recognition and Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review Criteria in a rigorous review process.