It’s Quality Matters Monday! Each Monday, we highlight a Quality Matters standard and review its importance in an online course and how we evaluate this standard.

Today, we are reviewing Quality Matters Standards 3.1.

General Standard 3 addresses the inclusion of assessments that evaluate learner progress in achieving the stated learning objectives or mastering the competencies.

Click here to view Quality Matters Standard 3.1 in the Quality Matters Rubric. This standard specifically addresses the inclusion of assessments that measure the stated learning objectives or competencies.

It is important that the course assessments align with the learning objectives or competencies (see Standards 2.1 and 2.2) to ensure that all learning objectives or competencies are appropriately measured throughout the modules and course.

Examples of learning objective or competency-assessment alignment are:

1. A problem analysis demonstrates critical thinking skills.
2. A multiple-choice quiz verifies vocabulary knowledge.
3. A composition shows writing skills.
4. A video of a learner presentation in a foreign language shows mastery of the language.
5. Participation in a game reveals learner skill levels in critical thinking, analytical thinking, or decision-making.

Examples of lack of alignment between learning objectives or competencies and assessments:

1. The objective or competency is to be able to “write a persuasive essay,” but the assessment is a multiple-choice test.
2. The objective or competency is to “create a body of work that illustrates your photogenic vision,” but the assessment is a 25-page thesis about contemporary photographers.

In our demo course, BUSN 7000 Start-Ups: Venturing Into Entrepreneurship, you can find the learning competencies stated on the Module 1: Assignment page as a way to ensure the competencies are being met through the assignment.

Click here to access Quality Matters eLearning Marketplace. The Quality Matters eLearning Marketplace is a free, searchable database built to serve the broad QM community with an easy-to-use eLearning product/service directory organized within the 8 general standards of the rubric as well as by user and product categories.