Quality Assurance for Online Course Design
The St. Catherine University Quality Assurance Program focuses on online and hybrid courses but provides resources for all course modalities.
St. Kate's QA program consists of 22 quality assurance criteria organized into 4 domains. A general overview of each category is provided below. Detailed information about each category and course requirements can be found in the Quality Assurance Standards for Online Course Design document.
The goals of the program are to provide:
- Consistent, high-quality online/hybrid course experiences for St. Kate's student population
- Accessible course content for all students
- Resources for faculty that support their processes for building and teaching online/hybrid courses
St. Kate's QA Program Categories
Domain 1: Course Overview and Orientation (Standards 1.1 - 1.6)
Establishes clear entry points, navigation, welcoming setup, syllabus information, learner support resources, and measurable learning outcomes.
Domain 2: Course Design and Layout (Standards 2.1 - 2.7)
Ensures pedagogical cohesion through a logical module structure, diverse instructional materials, explicit instructional alignment, clear activity descriptions, functional assessment settings, and optional guidance on AI use
Domain 3: Grading and Feedback (Standards 3.1 - 3.5)
Focuses on transparent assessment through clear grading policies, rubrics/evaluation tools, proper gradebook setup, exam instructions, and student feedback mechanisms
Domain 4: Accessibility and Technology (Standards 4.1 - 4.5)
Promotes inclusive, functional learning spaces using structured text standards, descriptive links, screen-reader-accessible materials, alt-text/captions for multimedia, verified tech setups, and accessible tools
Quality Assurance Course Reviews
The St. Catherine University Quality Assurance Program evaluates online course design using a continuous improvement framework rather than a pass/fail model
RATING | SCORE | DESCRIPTON | ACTION REQUIRED |
Fully Met | 4 | Fully meets or exceeds institutional quality assurance standards. Integrated with high clarity, usability, and alignment. | TOTAL SCORE: 88 = NO REVISIONS |
Substantially Met | 3 | The standards are met, but minor tweaks (e.g., fixing a broken link, clarifying a due date) will improve the student experience. | TOTAL SCORE: 77 - 87 = TARGETED REVISIONS Optional consultation with an instructional designer. |
Partially Met | 2 | The standards are partially present or lack necessary clarity, alignment, or accessibility. Requires targeted revision. | TOTAL SCORE: 66 - 76 = MODERATE REVISIONS Instructor addresses required and recommended changes noted in the Quality Assurance review document below. |
Not Met | 1 | Several standards are absent or non-functional and require immediate attention. | TOTAL SCORE: <66 = MAJOR REVISIONS An ongoing partnership with an instructional designer is necessary to redesign the course to meet institutional standards. |
An instructional designer will perform a review of your course and complete the Quality Assurance Review Form document. The document will be shared with you upon completion of the review. To initiate a course review by one of our instructional designers, submit a review request through our Service Now ticketing system.
NOTE: Quality Assurance reviews performed by instructional designers are NOT teaching evaluations, performance reviews, or critiques of your content or assignments. Rather, a review is a second set of eyes to help ensure you are incorporating the quality standards outlined in the Quality Assurance Program.
Sample Course Reviews
Please feel free to review the two sample QA reviews linked below. Both are actual reviews that were completed by St. Kate's instructional design team and shared with faculty.
*All identifying course and faculty information has been removed to protect privacy.
Sample 1: Substantially Meets Standards
Sample 2: Does Not Meet Standards