Maintaining quality in an online course in public health education: Lessons from a nationally recognized course

Quality Matters ^TM (QM) is a faculty-centered, peer review process that is designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses. It is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its peer-based approach and continuous improvement in online education and student learning. In a collegial review process, reviewers provide feedback on the course related to a) substantive, constructive, measurable and specific recommendations with regard to course strengths and areas of improvement and b) application of specific review standards. The purpose of this current presentation is to explain the process and steps in designing a 100% undergraduate online course in public health program planning and evaluation to meet the acceptable standards of quality matters national recognition. Key areas of application of the Quality Matters Rubric such as a) course overview and introduction, b) learning objectives, c) assessment and measurement, d) instructional materials, e) course activities and learner interaction, f) course technology, g) learner support and h) accessibility and usability are discussed in details from the expectations of the Quality Matters Team and from the perspective of a faculty course developer. Additionally, the presentation also involves hands-on- demonstration of the course, and the learning management system in which its embedded along with technological tools to supplement the course delivery . Finally, current and emerging success areas, challenges in the development process and limitations in course adaptability are discussed and areas for future development are suggested.