E-Course Certification
On October 17, 2017, Hassan Costello, a Language Instructor at the Faculty of Languages and Translation (clt), presented a seminar aimed at familiarizing participants with the Quality Matters (QM) peer review process and certification in online education.
The seminar, titled "E-Course Certification," was facilitated by the clt's E-Learning Unit. It was held under the auspices of the Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, supervised by Dr. Muhammed Shuaib Asiri, the Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, and guided by Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Chairman, along with Mr. Abdullah Al-Rezgi, the Director of the English Language Center.
Attendees had the opportunity to understand the QM Rubric, a framework designed to enhance the quality of online and blended courses, eventually leading to their certification.
Costello concentrated on the three critical stages of the course development process that must be adhered to meet the QM Peer Review Board's international standards. These stages include:
- Identifying Desired Results
- Determining Acceptable Evidence
- Planning the Learning Experiences and Instruction
Costello highlighted the rubric's student-centric nature, explaining, "The standards of the rubric are written so that faculty and reviewers approach a course through the eyes of the student. It serves as a method to assure the quality of online courses. There are a lot of great reasons to go through the Quality Matters certification process, and hopefully, a few of the examples and resources I've made you aware of today have helped you to see that you can do it too."
Following the presentation, a call to action was proposed, urging participants to reach out to the E-Learning Deanship, in collaboration with clt’s E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mr. Mohsin Raza Khan, and the assigned E-Learning Specialist, Mr. Muhammed Jabir Asiri. If enough interest is shown, the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) workshop will be held in the near future, focusing on its use in reviewing the design of online and blended courses.
