UIS subscribes to Quality Matters (QM) and has adopted a customized version of the research-based QM rubric for quality assurance. COLRS staff who review courses are trained Quality Matters reviewers.

We encourage instructors to use the QM rubric as a design guide when they develop online, blended, or hyflex courses.

Individual instructors or entire programs may email COLRS to request to have their courses reviewed for feedback. COLRS staff will review the course, makes notes, and meet with the faculty member to discuss them. If a course does not initially meet the QM rubric standards, instructors may make edits and request a follow-up review. When a course meets or exceeds the Quality Matters standards, the course is recognized here.

Download the UIS Quality Assurance Rubric (Word).

Creating Your UIS Quality Matters Account

By creating a Quality Matters Account, UIS faculty and staff gain access to the course self-review system and the full QM rubric with annotations. This view of the rubric provides specific information on each standard and how to meet it. Through your QM account, you can also search and view all the research that supports each QM standard.

Please email COLRS to request your QM account.

Additional Quality Assurance Resources

There are other excellent QA resources available. They emphasize different aspects of online courses. For instance, the ION and Chico state rubrics focus on development of courses and instructional practices/design. The SUNY tool addresses the regular and substantive interaction requirements from the US Department of Education.

• Illinois Online Network's Quality Online Course Initiative (QOCI) Rubric
• SUNY's Online Course Quality Review (OSCQR) Rubric
• Chico State Exemplary Online Instruction Rubric

UIS Quality Matters Reviewed Courses

UIS Faculty & Staff with Professional Certificates in Online Learning