Quality Matters Awards Individuals and Institutions For Outstanding Efforts Toward Improving Digital Learning

Quality Matters (QM) — the international leader for quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments — is pleased to announce the recipients of five awards intended to celebrate institutions and individuals who have demonstrated an exceptional dedication to quality in digital learning.

Their noteworthy commitment to improve online learning experiences for students at all levels is made evident through their engagement with peer reviews, professional development and QM’s research-supported Standards. Each awardee has effectively used these endeavors to build sustainable quality assurance processes at the institutional level.

The Ron Legon Leadership Award for Quality Digital Education is reserved for singular contributors to the mission of continuous improvement in digital learning. QM and MarylandOnline (MOL) are pleased to bestow this award upon Kathy Chatfield, who heads the eLearning Department at Clark College.

Dr. Chatfield represents a strong voice at both the college and state levels, where she helps sustain support for the importance of quality standards in online learning. At Clark College, she works to maintain the culture of professional development she has built among the institution’s faculty. As a member of the Washington State eLearning Council, she has championed statewide adoption of effective policy on digital learning. The Ron Legon award acknowledges the unquestionable impact Chatfield’s leadership has had on faculty, staff, learners, and the educational landscape at large through her steadfast devotion to the pursuit of quality assurance.

“I am so honored to have been selected as this year’s recipient of this significant award,” says Chatfield. “Leadership is the role each of us have in ensuring quality design as well as delivery of effective digital education. The diligent work and continuous improvement at each level within an institution demonstrates to students that their learning and success is the overarching objective.”

Additionally, Quality Matters will honor educators in its community with the 2023 QM Making a Difference for Students Awards in recognition of superior work in quality assurance at their institutions. The recipients of the 2023 QM Making a Difference for Students Awards are:

• Outstanding Impact by an Individual in Higher Education: Dr. Nicole V. Schilling, Associate Professor of Education for the University of Findlay — Dr. Schilling is recognized for diligently and enthusiastically championing quality assurance practices across the institution’s Doctor of Education program. Over the past three years, Dr. Schilling trained the program’s faculty in the application of research-based best practices for online course design and provided internal resources and guidance for having courses certified through QM’s peer review process. In total, 13 Doctor of Education program core and research courses have been QM-Certified as a result of her work. “This award is a reflection of our faculty, staff, and administration’s continuous dedication to providing an exemplary online learning experience for our students,” says Schilling.
• Outstanding Impact by a U.S. Higher Education Organization: University of Cincinnati is recognized for its efforts toward quality in its Health Information Systems (HIS) program after it was transitioned to a fully online program in 2019. Since then, it has engaged in quality initiatives including extensive faculty professional development, peer review and course design improvements, resulting in its achievement of QM Exemplary Program Status earlier this year. This special status is conferred upon institutions who go above and beyond in their quality assurance efforts by earning QM Program Certifications in all four key areas — Online Program Design, Online Teaching Support, Online Learner Support, and Online Learner Success — in a period of three years. As a result of this investment and the improved course design it supported, the program’s Drop/Failure/Withdrawal (DFW) rate was reduced significantly. This award recognizes the impact these efforts had on the institution’s learners.

“On behalf of UC Clermont Health Information Systems program and UC Online, we are honored to be recognized for our collaboration in demonstrating excellence to our students,” says the university’s Dr. Karen Lankisch. “We began our collaboration in 2019 and have strived to implement quality assurance practices that impact our learners for success. Our partnership is evidence of how students benefit when online learning is a collaborative effort between support staff and academic leaders.”

• Outstanding Impact by a Non-U.S. Higher Education Organization: Ho Chi Minh City Open University —  as QM’s first-ever member institution in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU) has taken a bold leap toward quality digital education for more than 14,000 students enrolled in distance learning. Since adopting Quality Matters Standards in 2018, the University has launched 13 online programs across disciplines. This award recognizes commitment to improvements in course design and delivery, expressed through its design of 10 courses using QM Rubric Standards in 2022, which it intends to submit for Official Review in the near future.

QM is also proud to bestow the Directors’ Award for Exceptional Service to Quality Matters upon Mary Wells. As the Co-Principal Investigator of the FIPSE grant that led to the founding of Quality Matters 20 years ago, Wells had a foundational role in the creation of many of the quality assurance processes for online learning still considered the industry standard today. She was part of the group that created the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric, now in its Seventh Edition, that is widely used in online learning. She was also an instrumental contributor in the creation of the peer review process used to certify nearly 15,000 courses to date at institutions around the world, along with the professional development used to support course design, course improvement and course review. Wells has had an unparalleled influence on the trajectory of quality online learning, and QM is proud to recognize her for these singular contributions. “Being involved with the QM Community has been a privilege and the highlight of my professional life,” says Wells. I appreciate this great honor, which stands as a confirmation of my contributions to QM.”

Awards will be presented at the upcoming QM Connect Conference, whose theme is “Milestones, Momentum and Innovation.” The conference takes place at the Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, November 5–8, 2023. Pre-conference workshops will be held on November 5, followed by three days of interactive, engaging sessions and networking events from November 6–8.

About Quality Matters

Grounded in research. Driven by best practices. A community that puts learners first. Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review Criteria in a rigorous review process.