Quality Criteria Rationale
The Quality Criteria for Digital/Online Learning were developed to help ensure that learning in digital and online spaces at Cambrian is student-centred and consistently follows Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) best practices. The quality criteria were developed after researching online and digital best practices in teaching and learning, reviewing other similar metrics, and consulting with many Cambrian faculty, staff, and academic leaders.
This guide specifically focuses on digital/online teaching and learning and can be used in several ways. Faculty can use the guide for self- or peer-review of existing courses or to guide the development of new online content and teaching practices. It contains both required and recommended criteria. The bronze-level criteria are required and include the minimum presence requirements for all online content and interactions with students in Moodle or other online spaces.
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Quality Criteria for Digital/Online Learning [Word 26 KB]
PD Sessions
You can self-enroll to the Quality Criteria for Digital/Online Learning Professional Development Page [Moodle] to view recorded PD sessions and achieve a certificate of completion.
Required and Recommended Criteria
Bronze (Required): Online content in all Moodle courses must meet these minimum-standard requirements.
Silver (Strongly Recommended): These items are strongly recommended and are especially important for fully online and hyflex courses.
Gold (Recommended): These items are recommended best practices.
Quick Links
Course Overview
The course overview contains important elements that contribute to a positive and effective experience for students in an online learning environment. It helps students become orientated and engaged in the course and provides expectations for online behaviour and communication.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| The course contains a welcome message and instructions for getting started that introduce the course and professor and provide context for student learning. | Bronze Required |
| The professor’s contact information is posted and includes details for office hours and out-of-class consultations, availability, and anticipated response time. | Bronze Required |
| The professor’s biographical information is posted to enhance the social connection between students and faculty. | Bronze Required |
| The delivery method for the course is explained. In the case of a hybrid or hyflex course, the expectations for the in-person and online components are clarified. | Bronze Required |
| Expectations for online behaviour and communication (student-to-faculty, student-to-student, and faculty-to-student) are clearly stated and modeled in course interactions. | Bronze Required |
| If a Zoom link is required for lectures, office hours, or other meetings, the URL is visibly posted at the top of the course. | Bronze Required |
| An activity at the beginning of the course encourages students to introduce themselves and interact with each other and the professor. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| The professor routinely evaluates the course for effectiveness and regularly makes improvements based on their findings. | Gold Recommended |
Accessibility
The accessibility of course materials and contents is crucial for all students, including those with visual impairments or other disabilities. These items ensure the course incorporates relevant accessibility measures and follows institutional policy regarding accessibility standards.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| All course elements (including Moodle shells, textbooks, readings, documents and other course materials) ensure screen readability. | Bronze Required |
| All video and audio files, including lecture recordings, are captioned and have a transcript supplied. | Bronze Required |
| Lecture recordings are promptly posted to the course shell after each class. | Bronze Required |
| Images in the course shell serve a clear purpose, enhance course material, and adhere to AODA best practices, including appropriate sizing and colour contrast, alt text, and other accessibility guidelines. | Bronze Required |
| Tables are only used to organize data, and not for layout purposes. Tables are formatted properly with clearly-identified header cells and data cells. | Bronze Required |
| Slideshows use predefined layouts, include unique slide titles, and are reviewed using an accessibility checker. | Bronze Required |
| Hyperlink text is descriptive and makes sense out of context. Phrases like “click here”, and URLs lacking any description, are avoided. | Bronze Required |
| Course information, content, assessments, and learning activities–including presentations and handouts–are provided to students in advance. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Moodle quizzes, and other assessments/activities, are designed with extra time and free navigation for all students. | Gold Recommended |
Navigation & Organization
Well-designed online content can help students access and understand important course information. This ensures that students can easily locate the information and materials they need to be successful.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| Navigation throughout the course is logical, consistent, and efficient for students. | Bronze Required |
| Students are reminded to access Cambrian’s academic, wellness, and technical support services using the “Student Resources” and “Academic Resources” links at the top of all Moodle pages. | Bronze Required |
| Course sections have self-evident titles and are organized consistently. Related content is organized together. | Bronze Required |
| Titles and headings break up large amounts of text or activities to enhance readability and organization. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Students have opportunities to provide feedback regarding the course design, content, use of technology, and their own experiences in the course. | Gold Recommended |
Assessments
Assessments are an integral component of any course, as they measure the extent to which students have met the learning outcomes. These items address the design and implementation of assessments and ensure grading policies and procedures are communicated to students.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| Assessment types align with course learning outcomes to simulate real-world practices and expectations. | Bronze Required |
| The course includes ongoing assessments and evaluations that measure student progress in achieving the learning outcomes. | Bronze Required |
| Course grading policies and practices are clearly communicated to students at the beginning of the course (including requests for extensions and the result of late submissions). | Bronze Required |
| Timelines for grading and feedback are communicated. Assessments and evaluations are adequately spaced to ensure timely feedback. | Bronze Required |
| Grading criteria for assessments are provided to students and include instructions, deadlines, rubrics, and examples of exemplary work. | Bronze Required |
| Assessments are designed to support academic integrity and indicate the degree of collaboration that is acceptable. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Authentic assessments are used to evaluate students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills to different situations, problems, or scenarios. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Students are provided choices about assessment topics and format, where possible. | Gold Recommended |
Content & Activities
These items encompass the design and delivery of the course content to ensure that it meets copyright regulations, is diverse and inclusive, and supports student learning and skill development.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| Course content abides by copyright regulations and is cited following established styles (APA, MLA, etc.). | Bronze Required |
| The instructional materials have sufficient discipline-based breadth, depth, and currency. | Bronze Required |
| The instructional materials are provided in various formats (e.g., text, images, audio, video, textbook resources, interactive activities, webpages). | Bronze Required |
| Course content is equitable, diverse, and inclusive, representing multiple perspectives, cultures, and alternate ways of knowing. Indigenous and global examples are provided where appropriate. | Bronze Required |
| Students have opportunities to self-assess their learning throughout the course (practice quizzes, reflections, peer evaluations, etc.). The purpose of these learning activities is clearly described. | Bronze Required |
| Activities promote the achievement of learning outcomes and support student development of Essential Employability Skills. | Bronze Required |
| The course provides opportunities for interaction among students and faculty to foster a sense of community and support active learning. Students have opportunities to share their knowledge, experiences and diverse perspectives with others. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Supplemental learning resources are available to enrich learning and are aligned to the specific content being delivered. | Gold Recommended |
Technology
All courses should specify the necessary technology and equipment and guide students on how to use technology, software, and digital resources. This enables students to better prepare and engage with the course materials more effectively.
Quality Criteria |
Criteria Ranking |
|---|---|
| The course-specific technology, equipment, and resource requirements are clearly stated. Information on cost and how to obtain the technology/equipment is provided. | Bronze Required |
| Instructions for using technology, software, and digital resources in the course are provided. | Bronze Required |
| Online technology meets accessibility standards and aligns with course learning outcomes. | Bronze Required |
| Information about data privacy, terms of service, etc., are posted for any technology used in the course. | Bronze Required |
| The course uses a variety of available technology and tools. | Silver Strongly Recommended |
| Alternative options or suggestions are provided for students who cannot obtain or afford these resources or cannot access high-speed Internet. | Gold Recommended |