Introduction

Quality Matters (QM) has been a recognized standard for online course design since 2003. It is widely adopted in the United States and increasingly in Canadian institutions, particularly for OntarioLearn courses. In Canada, Quality Matters is used by a growing number of post-secondary institutions, particularly colleges participating in OntarioLearn. Many OntarioLearn partner colleges use QM standards to design, review, and certify online courses, even when individual institutions do not list QM membership publicly. For these courses, meeting QM standards through at least a peer review is often a requirement.

QM provides a structured, research-based approach to designing high-quality online courses. For faculty and instructional designers, it offers the fastest and most reliable way to ensure courses meet high-quality standards.

I began learning to use the QM Rubric in 2022, almost 20 years after its establishment in the instructional design field. I already had experience in instructional design and training in other areas, but when it came to QM, I had no prior knowledge of the framework. I started by exploring why courses are evaluated and scored in specific ways, and this journey led me to understand the philosophy behind QM and its role in improving online learning experiences.

My learning path included completing the Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) and Peer Reviewer Course (PRC), becoming a certified Peer Reviewer, working as an external reviewer, and ultimately achieving the status of Master Reviewer. This progression gave me a deep understanding of how QM standards are applied and how faculty can design courses that meet these benchmarks.