Florida Online Course Design Quality Designations Project

As a result of Florida’s Statewide Online Course Quality Initiative, starting in 2019, the Florida College System’s and the State University System’s online courses have been tagged with a quality designation. Statewide, the implementation of Florida Online Course Design Quality Reviews resulted in a “Not Rated,” “Quality,” or “High-Quality” course designation in the Florida Shines Course Catalog. To encourage Faculty to seek “Quality” or “High-Quality” designation for online courses taught at SJR State, the Florida Online Course Design Quality Designations Project provides stipends for Faculty who successfully complete the review process and for Faculty who serve as subject experts on the SJR State Course Quality Review Team. Faculty whose course receives a “Quality” or “High-Quality” designation shall receive a one-time $500 stipend for their first course approved for a designation and will receive a one-time $250 stipend for each additional course approved for a designation thereafter. Faculty serving as subject experts will receive a $100 stipend at the conclusion of each course review.

Faculty who successfully complete the Distance Learning Academy and APPQMR training may seek “Quality” or “High-Quality” Florida Online Course Design Quality Designation by submitting the requisite review request form (see below). The SJR State Online Course Foundations Checklist establishes both the minimum expectations that must be completed prior to teaching an online course at SJR State and the criteria for receiving “Quality” and “High-Quality” Florida Online Course Design Quality Designations in Florida Shines. Courses submitted for review shall be evaluated using Quality Matters standards and evaluative criteria. Alignment with the criteria will be determined using evidence standards as published by Quality Matters in the Higher Education Rubric Workbook. Faculty seeking Florida Online Course Design Quality Designation will be provided a copy of the Workbook as will members of the SJR State Course Quality Designation Review Team.

The SJR State Course Quality Designation Review Team will include the Dean/Director of the department or program, instructional designers, and one or more Faculty peer reviewers who will serve as subject experts. All members of the Review Team shall have successfully completed Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) and QM’s Peer Reviewer Course (PRC) or SJR State Online Course Design Quality Peer Reviewer Training prior to serving on the Review Team.

Project Timeframe:

• Courses submitted for review must have been taught at SJR State for at least two semesters.
• The Review Team will have 12 weeks to conduct each course review. Upon completion, the Review Team will approve the course for “Quality” or “High-Quality” Florida Online Course Design Quality Designation or will recommend requisite changes needed for a course to reach said designation to the Faculty member.
• If changes are required, Faculty have 8 weeks to make the requisite changes and submit the course for further review. The Review Team will have 8 weeks to review the changes and determine if the course meets designation requirements. If no required changes are submitted by the Faculty, the review will be closed, and the Review Team disbanded.
• Per State requirements, Florida Online Course Design Quality Designations remain in Florida Shines for 5 years after the approval date; the designations are removed from Florida Shines after 5 years. Faculty may submit previously approved courses for renewal or improvement of the Florida Online Course Design Quality Designation following the same procedure used for the initial review. Faculty will receive a one-time $250 stipend for each course that successfully undergoes the review process for designation renewal or quality level improvement.

For more information about this project and process, contact Dr. Christina Will, AVP for Learning Culture and Resources, via email or at extension 4152.