Barb Armstrong of eCampus AB talked to AU today about the Quality Suite 2.0 that was developed by eCampus AB. She began with an overview of the Quality Suite and its various components as well as focusing on some of the tools that course designers and developers can use in their own process, such as the eRubric which is a free online tool for evaluating courses.

The eRubric in particular may have value for AU as it can be used by the individual to assess their course or courses based on standards that were specifically developed for the online learning context. The eRubric can be found at http://www.rubric.ecampusalberta.ca/. Users do not need an account to access the tool or begin assessing their courses as free guest access is provided for a week after which the user must register to continue to access the rubric.

The rubric focuses on Web Standards, Course Information Standards, Writing Standards, Resource Standards, Organization Standards, Pedagogy Standards and Technology Standards. All of the individual standards also incorporate elements of accessibility and universal design for learning. Each of the standards has three levels of achievement: Essential, Excellent, Exemplary. The essential level is a basic standard. In the writing standards users of the rubric are asked to evaluate contrast (between foreground and background), font, graphics to meet the essential (basic) level. The Excellent level requires that course designers  incorporate UDL principles such as ensuring that all images are enlargeable, information is just conveyed by colour. While the Exemplary level requires that the course meet Web Content 2.0 accessibility guidelines.

Try out the rubric for yourself and evaluate a course (or course components) that you are recently completed or which is scheduled for a major revision. When the recording of the session is available it will be posted on this site.