Course Quality Review Initiative

Scroll down to read the purpose statement and learn how to use the CQRI standard.

The Purpose of the Quality Review

from the Learning House

The Quality Review Process reflects our commitment to help partner institutions deliver the highest quality online programs to students. The first step in delivering quality is defining it and our custom clearly identifies course elements that demonstrate quality. Using the form as a part of the course’s development plan, we’re able to consult and collaborate with instructors on incorporating or developing course elements that meet quality standards. We are also able to provide quantitative assessments of a course’s quality based on those standards which can in turn be used to progressively improve a course over time until it reaches its target quality level.

We also are committed to helping our partner institutions report the results of their online programs to their accrediting agencies. Many accrediting agencies recognize quality as a foundational block to successful programs and therefore require institutions to report on specific actions they’ve taken to deliver quality instruction. For example, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), states its member institutions must meet the requirements listed in its accreditation called The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement in order to maintain accreditation. The manual calls for institutions to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan that addresses the following standards (amongst others):

• “focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution” (p.7).
• “engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes that … result in continuing improvement in institutional quality” (p.18).
• "identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in … educational programs, to include student learning outcomes” (p. 27).

Recognizing the importance of meeting accreditation requirements, we developed our Quality Review process to help partner institutions address those specific standards related to measuring learning outcomes and improving course quality over time.

Understanding the Quality Review Form

The quality review is comprised of forty-five (45) standards organized into five (5) levels. The levels include progressive standards that build upon standards stated in a previous level. For example, lesson objectives are addressed specifically in the first three levels which each level building upon the last:

• Level 1 standard is “Each lecture includes lesson objectives.”
• Level 2 standard is “Each lecture includes measurable lesson objectives.”
• Level 3 standard is “Each lecture's objectives include various levels of cognitive domain.”

By building upon the previous standard, the form provides a clear path for improvement and offers credit for including components that can be improved upon in the future.

Following is a table that shows the correlation of quality level to percentage of standards met.