Conference Presentations

Blending design with quality standards to offer online non-credit courses that enhance future and current student success.

A challenge that many online faculty face can be broken down into three areas: 1) they have never been online learners and cannot put themselves in the role of a student, 2) they have never taught online and/or 3) they are not comfortable using the tools within their Learning Management System (LMS). This presentation will review the yearlong process of researching and prototyping to develop two courses, consistent with the QM CPE rubric, that will help faculty succeed in the online environment.

When faced with the task of designing asynchronous courses for elementary school students, VirtualSC designers worked to merge best practices of instructional design with those used in designing apps for children. In this session, the team will demonstrate the resulting course elements and how they are being used in the development of elementary math and social studies courses.

The crowd-sourced site Wikipedia historically is disregarded by the academic community as unreliable. However, online college courses can help improve Wikipedia. This poster explains how journalism and mass communication courses taught online applied subject-matter concepts according to Quality Matters standards to edit Wikipedia articles. This approach can be used for any subject.

In this session, an Instructional Designer from Columbia University will lead discussion and activities on how designers and faculty might use visualization to make alignments more explicit within a course.

An online course is just a web page with information on a particular subject. NOT. An online course is a self-paced tutorial. NOT. Teaching online is the same as teaching in a face-2-face environment. NOT. We will share our keys to a successful Online Teaching Certification Course, including some conversations with instructors who are preparing to teach online, and tips from our seasoned instructors on their best practices for online teaching.

The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Course Audit rubric was developed to identify areas of strength and areas of opportunity to create a more inclusive curriculum particularly for those from the historically marginalized communities we serve. In this presentation, we will discuss the application of the DEI Course Audit rubric to curriculum.

We value your input! Come prepared to discuss the future of Quality Matters in Washington State. All Washington folks are invited to attend.

One of the great debates that Professors/Instructors have is whether or not to incorporate a group assessment. Many concerns exist related to collaborative activities, but there is research to suggest that student to student interaction is beneficial to student learning outcomes. In fact, alongside the QM Rubric which has a category of learning interaction/engagement, our presentation will also include up to date research revolving around Social Learning theory.

One of the great debates that Professors/Instructors have is whether or not to incorporate a group assessment. Many concerns exist related to collaborative activities, but there is research to suggest that student to student interaction is beneficial to student learning outcomes. In fact, alongside the QM rubric which has a category of learning interaction/engagement, our presentation will also include up to date research revolving around Social Learning theory.

One of the great debates that Professors/Instructors have is whether or not to incorporate a group assessment. Many concerns exist related to collaborative activities, but there is research to suggest that student to student interaction is beneficial to student learning outcomes. In fact, alongside the QM Rubric which has a category of learning interaction/engagement, our presentation will also include up to date research revolving around Social Learning theory.

Moving faculty from teaching in a traditional classroom to teaching online can be a difficult task. Uncovering factors that influence participation in professional development designed to support quality online course development can provide valuable insight. This session will share research results concerning factors impacting faculty participation in Quality Matters professional development at a midwest teaching university.

Ever wonder who is behind all that robust feedback that comes from an official course review? They’re teachers just like you! Learn what it’s like to be a QM-Certified Reviewer, and about new opportunities for you to get involved, and give back to the community!

Orientation is a quintessential moment for residential students heading off to college. But what about online learners? Join us for a lively discussion-focused presentation and test drive some of our flexible, scaffolded orientation experiences. (Bring your own device!)

Are you hungry for course alignment? In this session, you'll practice the fundamental process of designing an aligned course from "scratch." Using the tools created by the USI Instructional Designer team as your main ingredient, you will end up with a delicious course recipe.

Connection, community, support, and inclusion are critical to establishing a foundation for learning. Cultivating a sense of belonging is crucial for this foundation. We will talk about the science and research behind sense of belonging and its connection to learning and mental health and wellbeing. The panel will also specifically talk about how fostering a sense of belonging is vitally important within digital learning environment not only for your learners but also for yourself as an educator.

With growing concerns about student wellbeing in higher education, this session provides an overview of trauma-informed pedagogy and its application to teaching and learning. Specific classroom strategies and technologies addressing toxic stress/promoting self-care for students will be highlighted.

Online learning was once viewed as an educational “alternative”- but attitudes may be shifting. Are there benefits to online learning that exceed face-to-face courses? This poster shares results from a qualitative study with online instructors who discussed perceptions of the benefits unique to learning online. The analysis includes ways in which instructors’ perceptions varied based on years of teaching experience. Results provide insights for faculty development and course design.