Justin Fields, adjunct faculty in the Communications Department at Boise State University, is committed to helping online students engage and build a sense of community in the online education space. One way he has ensured his students are able to learn in ways that best benefit them is by going through the Quality Matters Plus (QM+) Program offered by the eCampus Center.
Boise State adopted the Quality Matters Standards for Online Course Design, an internationally recognized set of standards used to provide feedback on the design of online courses. The Plus (+) indicates there are additional standards that are specific to Boise State.
Fields chose to engage in a QM+ Peer Review of his course. As a newer instructor, he was looking for feedback on the design of his online class with the goal of improved quality.
Achieving Exemplary Status
Fields designed COMM 341: Nonverbal Communication for online delivery during the summer of 2024. After a successful experience teaching the course, he was encouraged by an eCampus staff member to go through a QM+ Peer Review. This process involves three anonymous Boise State peer reviewers examining the online course and comparing it to the rubric. Once completed, Fields had a follow-up conversation with an eCampus instructional design consultant. During that conversation, they reviewed the results of the review and drafted a course improvement plan.
COMM 341 met all of the standards on the rubric, so it was designated as an Exemplary Online Course. As part of this recognition, Fields and the course were added to the list of exemplary online courses on the Boise State website. Additionally, a letter was sent to him and his department chair recognizing this accomplishment.
“It is humbling to have my course designated as exemplary,” he said. “As educators, we challenge students to build on what they already know. The QM+ process reflects that same principle. I had a strong, engaging course, but by going through QM+, I was able to gain new perspectives and further strengthen what I had already created.”
Obtaining Exemplary Online Course Recognition
Most online courses are eligible for the QM+ Peer Review and possible recognition for the quality of design. The course needs to meet the following criteria:
- A fully online course offered at Boise State University
- Must be an academic course (clinical, research, internship, practicum, thesis and independent study are not eligible)
- The course has been taught online at Boise State at least once
The online course can be one that was designed by the faculty member independently or one that received support through the eCampus Course Design and Development services. Fields took advantage of working with the eCampus staff to design his course.
“I was initially afraid of the workload it would have taken to redevelop this course by myself. As an adjunct faculty member, it can be difficult at times to balance both my normal work life and my life as an educator, but that wasn’t the process at all,” he said. “I had so much help working through the process from eCampus staff.”
Overall, Fields has been encouraged by the change in student feedback that he has seen since he improved his course based on the QM+ Peer Review.
“I plan to continue to learn and create high-quality courses as long as I can,” he said.
His advice to other faculty thinking about going through a QM+ Peer Review is to be humble and open before going into the process. Obtaining the Exemplary Online Course Recognition is not automatic. It involves engaging in continuous improvement of the design of an online course.
“I had great things in my course,” he said. “But making key changes was better for me and my students.”
If you are interested in signing up for a QM+ Peer Review to receive feedback on the design of your online course and possible Exemplary recognition, please visit the Quality Matters™ Plus (QM+) webpage to learn more.
About The eCampus Center
The eCampus Center partners with faculty to design and develop high-quality online learning experiences. We offer personalized support and expert guidance in online program development, course development, instructional design, and online teaching preparation. Through collaboration, we help create accessible, engaging, and career-relevant online courses and programs to meet the needs of both faculty and students at Boise State University. Visit the eCampus Center website to learn more.