ASU RN-BSN online course receives QM certification

The Professional Nursing Theory (NUR 391) online course in the undergraduate RN-to-BSN program of the ASU College of Nursing and Health Innovation has been certified by the Quality Matters Program. This certification marks the first time an ASU online course has been recognized by Quality Matters for excellence in online course design, according to Diann Muzyka, Associate Director, RN-to-BSN Programs.

The Quality Matters Program is a faculty-centered, peer-review process based on national standards of best practice, research literature, and instructional design principles. It is a national benchmark and has been used nationwide to improve online courses across multiple disciplines in community and technical colleges, colleges and universities, K-12 schools and systems, and other academic institutions. Courses that are QM certified carry the certification mark.

Over the last two years, ASU RN-to-BSN program faculty have used QM to guide redesign of their program. With guidance and expertise from Instructional Designer Steven Crawford, MS Ed., ASU Online, RN-to-BSN faculty have committed to using the QM process as a standard in designing all of their courses. Plans are to have all courses in the program QM certified.

Arizona State University is committed to implement the Quality Matters standards for the design of online courses, and we are systematically building and evaluating our courses based on these rigorous, research-based standards,” Steven Crawford said. “The Quality Matters standards assure that the online components of these courses promote learner engagement and provide students with all the tools and information they need to be successful learners.

QM was started in the fall of 2002 by Maryland Online, Inc., a consortium of colleges and universities, which saw early on the quality challenge with distance learning. Quality Matters has trained more than 14,000 faculty and instructional design staff.

RN-to-BSN Online enrollment has increased more than five times since 2009.  For more information, contact Diann Muzyka, Associate Director RN-to-BSN Programs at Diann.Muzyka@asu.edu.