A Journey to Excellence: Implementing Best Practices for Online and Hybrid Nursing Courses using the Quality Matters TM (QM) Framework

This presentation highlights an action research project focused on restructuring two online nursing courses at a state college using best practice standards. The courses were modified during three cycles of change to meet two specific goals. First, the courses were modified to align with best practice design for online education. Secondly, the modifications and alignment made the two courses more congruent with one another. The process involved scheduled internal peer reviews prior to Quality Matters managed external peer reviews. The ultimate program goal is for all courses to be designed in this manner to improve student success. The peer review process validates course alignment with best practice standards for online education, reviews the currency and relevance of resources, and identifies areas for improvement. By having all courses subjected to this process, the program curriculum is more cohesive with individual courses more reflective of one another which enhances student usability