Elena Mrozinske teaches an introductory social work course at Indiana University South Bend, and she said its Quality Matters certification is a great benefit for students.

“It allows students to understand why we’re doing what we’re doing and find the material in a super user-friendly way,” said Mrozinske, an assistant clinical professor and the Bachelor of Social Work program coordinator.

Quality Matters is a quality assurance process for online and hybrid courses that is recognized nationally.

“Quality Matters is the gold standard for quality online courses; it’s the one everyone compares to,” said Allison Chatterjee, program manager for the IU Office of Collaborative Academic Programs.

Classes earn the designation by facilitating online learning and focusing on student learning and outcomes. Courses with the Quality Matters designation have been peer reviewed, meet dozens of standards and employ best practices.

Indiana University now offers more than 100 Quality Matters-certified courses across its two core campuses and five regional campuses, Chatterjee said.

The certification process is encouraged but not required, Chatterjee added. QM Advantage is a self-review tool that faculty can use to examine the quality of their courses.

Faculty can learn more about the certification process by contacting their campus’s Center for Learning and Teaching, and by attending a panel discussion at the Oct. 27-28 IU Online Conference titled “Five Years of Quality Matters at IU: Building a Campus Culture.”

In addition to having courses certified, many IU staff and faculty have earned certification as Quality Matters peer reviewers. Mrozinske was first certified as a peer reviewer before having her course certified. Elena Mrozinske.
Photo courtesy of Elena Mrozinske

Mrozinske said she discovered how well Canvas and Quality Matters work together during 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated that courses move online for remote learning.

“A good Canvas site encourages students to spend more time on the learning process and allows for academic freedom to integrate more material,” she said.

Mrozinske chose to have her introductory social work class certified because it’s usually taken by first-year, first-generation or new-to-school students, and she wanted the course structured to create a positive experience. Also, the course would then be set up for an easy transition if other professors taught it.

“I think a QM-certified course helps connect with students in a way that’s transparent in both content and delivery, and allows students to focus on meaningful engagement,” Mrozinske said. “Student engagement promotes student successes, and that is rewarding for everyone.”