Join the Initiative: Your Path with Quality Matters at UAMS
Ready to enhance your online teaching and course design? UAMS offers several pathways to engage with Quality Matters, tailored to your interests and goals. Whether you’re just starting to explore QM or aiming for formal course certification, we provide the training, resources, and support you need. Explore the options below to find your starting point.
The APPQMR workshop was incredibly insightful and gave me practical tools I could use immediately.
– Dr. Alex Smith, College of Nursing
1. Learn the Foundations: Professional Development
Start with “Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR)”
What it is
This foundational workshop is the recommended starting point for all faculty interested in QM.7 It provides a deep dive into the QM Higher Education Rubric (7th Ed.) and its practical application to course design.
UAMS Delivery
UAMS offers the APPQMR workshop via Zoom, typically structured as four sessions, each lasting approximately two hours. Participants must attend all sessions to receive certification for the workshop. Scott Wright, our UAMS QM Coordinator, is also a QM-certified face-to-face facilitator for APPQMR training, allowing for potential future in-person offerings.
Why Attend
Learn to interpret and apply QM standards effectively, gain valuable insights for improving your courses (both online and face-to-face)8, enhance student perceptions of interaction14, and increase your confidence in online teaching.8 Completion is often a prerequisite for other QM roles.13
UAMS Offerings
The UAMS Office of Educational Development (OED)3 and Educators Academy3 coordinate these workshops.
Information on upcoming UAMS APPQMR sessions can be found on the (./resources#workshops) page or by contacting Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu).
Information on QM-led national online sessions can be found on the QM Website.15
Explore Further QM Training
Beyond APPQMR, QM offers a range of workshops and certifications to deepen your expertise.4 UAMS may offer or support participation in sessions like:
Teaching Online Certificate4
Designing Your Online Course
Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles4
Leveraging Generative AI for Course Design4
These QM offerings complement existing UAMS faculty development programs available through the Office of Educational Development3 and the Educators Academy.3
2. Enhance Your Course: Review Options
Understanding Review Types at UAMS:
Self-Review
For your eyes only; a personal check-up for your course using the QM Rubric to identify areas for self-improvement.13
UAMS Internal Review (Unofficial)
Friendly, developmental feedback from UAMS colleagues (instructional designers, QM-trained peers) to help you improve your course. This does not lead to QM certification but is excellent preparation.17
UAMS Preparatory Review (Unofficial)
A more formal internal check, often chaired by a QM Master Reviewer, to see if your course is close to meeting QM standards. Great for benchmarking and targeted feedback before an official review, but does not lead to QM certification.17
Official QM Review (Leads to Certification)
A formal review by a QM-managed team of certified peer reviewers. Successful courses earn national QM Certification.13
Self-Review
How
Access the rubric via your MyQM account or workshop materials. You can use QM’s Course Review Management System (CRMS) for a structured self-review and save a report for your records.17 Contact OED for CRMS access assistance.6
UAMS Internal Review (Unofficial/Preparatory)
Process
Faculty work with UAMS reviewers (it’s highly recommended reviewers have completed APPQMR13) using the QM Rubric.
How to Request
Contact Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu), UAMS QM Coordinator, or the Office of Educational Development (OED) to discuss your course and initiate an internal or preparatory review.
3. Aim for Certification: Official QM Review
What it Entails
A formal, rigorous review process managed according to official QM requirements.13 A trained, three-person peer review team (including an external reviewer, a subject matter expert, and a Master Reviewer chair 13) evaluates the course against the QM Rubric.
Outcome
Courses successfully meeting QM standards (86+ points overall, all Essential Standards met13) achieve QM Certification, a nationally recognized benchmark of quality online course design.7
Benefits of Certification
Formal recognition, eligibility to display the QM Certification Mark on your course1, and distinction for your course, your department, and UAMS.4
The UAMS Path to Official Review:
- Consultation: Discuss your interest with Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu), UAMS QM Coordinator, or the OED.6
- Preparation: It is highly recommended to first complete an APPQMR workshop and participate in a UAMS Internal or Preparatory Review.17
- Revision: Work with OED instructional designers 6 to address feedback from the internal/preparatory review and ensure the course is ready.
- Application: Submit the official Course Review Application through Scott Wright, UAMS QM Coordinator, or the OED.13
(NOTE: UAMS may establish specific internal priorities or processes for selecting courses for official review funding/support. This section should reflect those details.)
4. Deepen Your Expertise: Become a QM Reviewer
Opportunity
Faculty and staff who have completed APPQMR can pursue advanced QM training to become QM-Certified Peer Reviewers or Master Reviewers.4
Benefits
Gain an unparalleled understanding of QM standards, contribute to quality assurance nationally, significantly enhance your own course design skills 9, and potentially serve on UAMS internal review teams.
Learn More
Contact Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu), UAMS QM Coordinator, or the OED for information on training requirements and opportunities.
Leveraging QM with UAMS Initiatives (Educators Academy & More)
Engaging with Quality Matters can complement and enhance your participation in other UAMS faculty development opportunities. The UAMS Office of Educational Development (OED) and the Educators Academy offer a range of programs that align with the principles of QM, such as Workshops on Teaching, Teaching Consultations, and Educational Innovation Grants.3 Skills gained in QM workshops like APPQMR can strengthen your teaching effectiveness, a core component of the UAMS Educators Academy and its Recognition of Commitment to Teaching Excellence program.3 Discuss with the Educators Academy or OED how your QM activities might align with these programs.
Your Support Team at UAMS
Navigating QM isn’t something you have to do alone. UAMS provides dedicated support:
Primary Contact
Scott Wright – UAMS QM Coordinator – For general inquiries, process questions, and guidance. Email: sawright@uams.edu
Instructional Design Support (OED):
The Instructional Design Team in the Office of Educational Development offers consultations to help you apply QM standards to your course design. You can contact the Instructional Design Team to schedule an appointment.6
Technical Support (Blackboard – OED)
For Blackboard-related questions, contact (mailto:BlackboardHelp@uams.edu) or the IT Help Desk at 501-686-8555.6
Faculty Development (OED & Educators Academy)
Explore workshops and resources from the Office of Educational Development3 and the Educators Academy.3
Engagement Pathways Table
| Engagement Pathway | Description/Purpose | Key Steps/Process at UAMS | UAMS Support Contact/Resource | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APPQMR Workshop | Foundational QM workshop to understand and apply the QM Rubric for course improvement.7 UAMS offers this via Zoom (4x2hr sessions, all required) and Scott Wright is a certified face-to-face facilitator. | Register for UAMS-hosted or QM national sessions. ((./resources#workshops)). | OED / Educators Academy / Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu).3 | QM digital badge; eligibility for other QM roles/PD; enhanced course design skills.8 |
| Self-Review | Faculty-led review of one’s own course using the QM Rubric for personal reflection and improvement.13 | Access rubric (via MyQM or workshop); use CRMS for structured review.17 | OED for CRMS access/guidance.6 | Personal insights for revision; completed self-review report (if using CRMS).17 |
| UAMS Internal/ Preparatory Review | Collaborative, developmental review by UAMS colleagues/QM Master Reviewer for feedback and official review prep. Not QM certified.17 | Contact OED/QM Coordinator to discuss readiness and request review. Participate in process. | Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu), UAMS QM Coordinator / OED6; assigned internal reviewers/Master Reviewer. | Detailed feedback report; course improvement; readiness assessment for official review.17 |
| Official QM Certification Review | Formal review by certified team; leads to QM Certification if standards met (86+ pts & all Essential Standards).7 | Discuss with OED/QM Coordinator; typically follows internal review/revisions. Submit application via UAMS process. | Scott Wright (sawright@uams.edu), UAMS QM Coordinator / OED facilitates process with QM.6 | QM Certification Mark 1; national recognition.4 |
| Become a QM Peer Reviewer | Advanced QM training to become certified to serve on official QM review teams.4 | Complete APPQMR; apply for and complete QM Peer Reviewer Course. | OED for info6; QM for course registration. | QM Peer Reviewer Certification; deeper QM understanding; ability to review courses nationally; enhanced design skills.9 |