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To ensure that online courses match traditional classes' quality, some institutions are implementing internal standards for online course design and quality review. The University of South Carolina created the Distributed Learning Quality Review program, based on Quality Matters' standards. It was designed to be faculty-guided, as faculty buy-in is crucial. In this study, faculty were interviewed regarding their satisfaction with the quality assurance process, standards, training, support, and course outcomes. Results suggest faculty appreciate the standards' importance, were satisfied with support, and recognized course improvements. They generally felt that effort spent redesigning was greater than anticipated and not adequately compensated.
INTRODUCTION
Online Course Quality
Thirty-two percent of students at U.S. colleges and universities are enrolled in at least one online course (Allen & Seaman, 2013). It is no surprise that nearly 70% of chief academic leaders see online learning as critical to their institution's long-term strategy (Allen & Seaman, 2013). Although national and regional accrediting agencies consider institu- tional standards in assessing distributed learning (DL) programs, no format-specific standards for quality assurance are required in online higher education courses. Scholars in the field have now begun to collect and suggest internal standards for online course design and delivery (Southard & Mooney, 2015). To ensure the integrity of their online courses and programs, many institutions have voluntarily adopted best practices recognized by these and other leaders in the field of distributed learning. Perhaps most notably, Quality Matters (QM) provides a peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses (Quality Matters, 2014). Initially funded through a federal grant, QM is an independent organization with 900 subscribing educational institutions.
Leaders in DL education agree that assuring quality online learning in higher education involves institutional vision, commitment, and leadership (Australasian Council, 2014). The University of South Carolina (USC), a public research university with an overall enrollment exceeding 48,000, offers 36 distributed learning-based graduate degrees and certificate programs; seven DL undergraduate degree completion programs; and a wide array of online courses available through other degree programs (Statistical Summary, 2015). USC is accredited through the Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and follows its Distance and Correspondence Education policies (2014). Leadership at USC has made DL a key academic priority.
Quality Review at USC