Dr. Manju Kishore, Biology, and Mallory White, Biology

Heartland Community College receives high marks for online course

 

[July 31, 2021]   Heartland Community College has been recognized for high-quality work in creating an innovative online course.

Heartland Community College (HCC) has devoted persisting innovative efforts to providing online options, both during the COVID-related period of remote education and beyond. Following a rigorous review process for the online Biology 191: Introductory Microbiology course, the College recently earned the Quality Matters (QM) Certification Mark.

The QM Certification Mark is the internationally recognized symbol of online and blended course design quality and represents Heartland’s ongoing commitment to creating learning environments that provide learners with a clear pathway to success.
 

The certification is the result of HCC’s dedication to continuous improvement, including the work of Dr. Manju Kishore, Biology Instructor, and Mallory White, Adjunct Biology Instructor. Due to their foresight and dedication to student success, Heartland’s BIOL 191 course is now listed on the QM directory of certified courses.

“The Quality Matters Official Review provides an opportunity for faculty to reflect on their course through a learner perspective,” said Anna Catterson, Executive Director of Online Learning and Instructional Technologies for HCC. “From accessibility to learner engagement to assessments, the review used internationally-recognized Standards and best practices to examine critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learner success.”

The QM Official Review provided independent validation of the quality, learner-focused course design that HCC has been committed to for the past several years. Reviews are conducted by QM-Certified Reviewers and use the Quality Matters Rubric and associated Standards, which are based on research and defined best practices. A course earns the QM Certification Mark once it meets QM Rubric Standards at the 85% threshold or better and meets all Essential Standards.

About Quality Matters

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.

[Steve Fast
Director, Public Information
Heartland Community College]