Putting QM into Practice

Building on my experience with QM, this chapter focuses on how faculty can apply QM principles in their daily course design. As mentioned earlier, many instructors are subject matter experts who know their content well, but they may not have formal training in course design. Quality can also mean different things to different people, which makes it even more challenging to know where to begin. When instructors want to improve the quality of a course, they are often unsure about the first steps to take.

The QM Rubric provides a clear framework for designing courses that support learner success. However, the rubric on its own can feel overwhelming, especially for those who are new to structured course design. In addition, people may interpret the rubric differently if they do not consult the annotations. The annotations are essential, because relying only on the rubric statements can leave gaps that result in standards not being met.

The purpose of this chapter is to offer simple and practical strategies that help faculty take their first steps. I also explain how I adapted the QM Rubric into a George Brown TLX Checklist to support faculty in getting started. The checklist is not intended to replace the rubric. Instead, it serves as a starting point for faculty who feel overwhelmed by too many ideas or too much information.

Understanding the 8 General Standards

The QM Rubric (Seventh Edition) includes eight General Standards with 44 Specific Review Standards, totalling 108 points. These standards provide a foundation for designing high-quality, student-centered online courses. Each standard represents a key area that contributes to a positive and effective learning experience.

These standards outline what quality looks like in an online course and guide instructors as they build or revise their content.

General Standard 1: Course Overview and Introduction
The course and module objectives need to be measurable and understandable so learners know what they are expected to learn.

General Standard 2: Learning Objectives
The course and module objectives need to be measurable and understandable so learners know what they are expected to learn.

General Standard 3: Assessment and Measurement
Assessments should align with the objectives and provide meaningful ways for learners to demonstrate their learning.

General Standard 4: Instructional Materials
The materials used in the course should directly support the stated learning objectives.

General Standard 5: Learning Activities and Learner Interaction
Activities should give learners opportunities to apply learning and engage with content, peers, or the instructor.

General Standard 6: Course Technology
Technology tools should support learning and be easy for learners to access and use.

General Standard 7: Learner Support
The course should direct learners to institutional resources that support academic, technical, and accessibility needs.

General Standard 8: Accessibility and Usability
Course content should be accessible, usable, and designed to minimize barriers to learning.

Common Challenges Faculty Face

Inconsistent Navigation Across Modules

From my experience, many courses use different layouts from week to week. Some call the sections Week 1 and Week 2, while others use Module 1 and Module 2. Some even include dates in the titles. I also see modules with an Overview page but no essential information, or no Start Here item at all. Some modules have both an overview and instructions, some have an overview but no learning objectives, and others simply list items in order without any explanation. These inconsistencies often confuse learners and interrupt the learning flow.

Tip: Use a consistent pattern for each module, such as: Module Introduction (Overview, Learning Objectives, and Learning Activities).

Learning Objectives That Are Too Broad or Not Measurable

A common issue is the use of unmeasurable objectives such as “Understand the topic” or “Learn about this concept.” These statements are too broad and do not clearly show what learners are expected to do or how their learning will be assessed.

Tip: Use measurable verbs and make the objectives specific enough so learners know exactly what is expected of them. This aligns with QM’s focus on clear and measurable learning objectives. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a helpful reference for selecting appropriate action verbs.

Assessments That Do Not Match the Stated Objectives

Another common issue is when an objective requires higher-level thinking, such as analysis or explanation, but the assessment is a simple multiple-choice quiz or even just a true-or-false question. This creates misalignment and can cause student frustration.

Tip: Using Alignment Map to list out objective to at least one assessment that reflects the expected level of performance. This supports QM’s emphasis on alignment between objectives and assessments.

Instructional Materials That Do Not Clearly Support Learning

Sometimes faculty include large amounts of content, such as long readings, forty-slide presentations filled with text, or long videos, without explaining how they connect to the module goals. Learners often ask, “Why am I reading this?”

Tip: Add short notes or labels and break content into smaller sections. Limit scrolling on pages, clicking to external pages, reduce the number of slide presentations, and use shorter videos when possible. Include statements such as “This reading supports Objective 2” to show purpose and relevance. Curate materials so they directly support what learners need to learn. This aligns with QM’s focus on the intentional use of instructional materials.

Too Much Content and Not Enough Interaction

Another challenge frequently observed is heavy content without opportunities for learners to engage, discuss, or practice. Breaking up content with formative and low-stakes assessments can be helpful. Too much content can make the course feel overwhelming and passive.

Tip: Balance content with meaningful activities. Include discussions, practice tasks, case studies, simulations, or small reflections that help learners connect their learning to the objectives. This aligns with QM’s guidance on meaningful interaction and engagement.

Accessibility Considerations Left Until the End

Many instructors may not fully understand what accessibility involves. They often remember to add captions to videos, but may overlook text accessibility features such as using proper heading styles (H1, H2) or choosing readable text colors. Accessibility as a whole includes much more than video captions. It is common to receive requests at the very end of the design process asking for help fixing entire modules. At that point, accessibility work becomes a major task and can delay the course release.

Tip: Build accessibility in from the start. For example, use the Brightspace template prepared by the instructional designer. The template intentionally offers limited formatting options to keep it simple, reduce confusion, and maintain consistency. If instructors are comfortable with technology, they can still enhance the simple template and make it look polished. Add headings, alt text, captions, accessible documents, accessible PDFs, and clear formatting as you go. This supports QM’s focus on accessibility and usability and prevents last-minute rework. Creating accessible Word documents or PDFs is not always easy for every instructor, as it often requires time and multiple checks to ensure the file meets accessibility standards. Word files are generally easier to make accessible, but fully accessible PDFs often require more technical experience.

Small Steps and One at a Time: Practical Entry Points for Faculty

One common misconception about QM is that instructors think they need to redesign the entire course to meet the rubric. In reality, faculty can start with small and manageable improvements. The rubric includes 44 Specific Review Standards, but only 23 of them are Essential, which means they must be met for a course to be QM certified. Although the review process can feel long, faculty who feel overwhelmed can begin by focusing on the 23 Essential Standards first, then move to the Important (2-point) standards, and finally the Optional (1-point) standards.

Start with Alignment

Alignment is the heart of QM. A course is aligned when objectives, assessments, learning activities, and instructional materials all support one another. Even small adjustments, such as rewriting one unclear objective or improving one assessment, can make a significant difference.

Use the Essential Standards

QM identifies 23 Essential Standards that represent the minimum expectations for a high-quality course. Starting with these standards helps faculty avoid feeling overwhelmed by the full rubric and gives them a clear place to begin.

Improve One Area at a Time

Faculty can choose one manageable improvement at a time, such as:

• Rewriting a confusing instruction.
• Adding proper captions to a video.
• Creating accessible Word documents instead of PDFs, which require more technical experience.
• Using the predesigned navigation structure, such as an Essential Information (Start Here) module, to keep modules consistent.
• Replacing a passive activity with something more engaging.

Small changes, completed one at a time, can lead to meaningful improvements in the student learning experience.

Step-by-Step Guidance for Applying QM

This is a practical, action-oriented section.

• Step 1: Review Course Objectives
  • Are they measurable?
  • Are there no dual verbs, only one action verb per objective?
  • Are the verbs selected from Bloom’s Taxonomy?
  • Do they match the program outcomes?
• Step 2: Map Objectives to Assessments
  • Create a simple table to create the alignment map
  • Include columns such as:
    • Module Title.
    • Module Learning Objectives.
    • Instructional Materials.
    • Learning Activities.
    • Assessment.
• Step 3: Check Learning Activities
  • Do the activities prepare learners for the assessment? A brief description of how each activity supports the learning objectives is recommended.
  • Is there enough practice included, such as self-checks or low-stakes assessments, to help learners build confidence before completing major assessments?
• Step 4: Review Navigation
  • Can learners reach each page in no more than two or three clicks? Are there too many external links that may cause confusion?
  • Are the weekly modules consistent in both naming and layout? Consistency helps learners know where to find instructions, materials, activities, and assessments.
• Step 5: Check Accessibility
  • Use headings H1, H2, H3.
  • Provide alt text, even for decorative images. According to George Brown’s new marketing guidelines, if you include an image, it is usually there for a reason, so adding alt text is recommended. However, requirements may differ across institutions. Please check your own institutional guidelines to see whether decorative images still require alt text.
  • Ensure that videos have proper captions. At George Brown, there is a team that supports captioning, but this may vary at other institutions. Please confirm what support is available at your own institution.
• Step 6: Validate Alignment
  • Review the course as a whole and make sure the objectives, materials, assessments, and activities are all aligned and work together.

Examples of Good Design vs Poor Design

Examples help faculty see how QM principles translate into real practice.

Learning Objective

Poor: Understand APA style.
Better: Apply APA style to format citations and references in written assignments.

Assessment Alignment

Poor: The quiz only tests memory, but the objective requires higher-level thinking.
Better: Assignment requires learners to evaluate a case using APA guidelines.

Instructions

Poor: Submit your assignment here.
Better: Submit your assignment here. Ensure that your document follows APA style, answers all required questions, and includes your name and student number.

Module Structure

Poor: Each module is organized differently, requiring learners to search for instructions.
Better: Each module uses a consistent format with clear headings for materials, activities, and assessments.

These examples show how small adjustments can create clearer expectations and stronger alignment.

Closing Thoughts

Applying QM principles does not require changing everything in a course. Instead, QM provides step-by-step guidance through the rubric to help instructors make improvements. The recommendations are specific, measurable, constructive, and balanced, and they support intentional design choices that enhance learning, reduce confusion, and create an inclusive environment. By beginning with alignment, focusing on the Essential Standards, and making small improvements over time, faculty can significantly enhance the learning experience for learners.

QM encourages continuous improvement rather than perfection. The goal is to support instructors in designing courses that are clear, well-structured, and accessible for all learners. In the next chapter, I introduce the George Brown TLX Course Quality Checklist, which adapts key QM principles into a simple tool that helps faculty start small and build confidence in course design.