Dr. Kay Shattuck, QM Founding Director Emerita for Research
QUALITY MATTERS IN THE RESEARCH
This comprehensive systematic literature review meticulously examines the scholarly landscape of Quality Matters (QM) research from 2015 to 2023. It offers an in-depth analysis of its proliferation, implementation and impact across higher education's online learning environments.
The review navigates the complex terrain of QM's scholarly discourse, revealing a nuanced understanding of how this quality assurance framework has evolved and been applied in academic contexts. By synthesizing research from 115 articles and dissertations published in more than 60 academic journals, the study provides critical insights into the methodological approaches, challenges, and the transformative potential of Quality Matters in online course design and instruction.
The paper uncovered impactful benefits for students and faculty when institutions engage with QM processes. Summaries of these benefits are highlighted in two PDFs:
About the Author
Dr. Kay Shattuck is QM’s Founding Director Emerita for Research. In 2002, she was part of a group of Maryland distance educators who developed Quality Matters. She established and built what would become QM’s Innovation and Research Department.
Dr. Shattuck has been active in adult and distance education for forty years. She directed distance learning at Carroll Community College (MD) from 1996 to 2008. She was affiliated with Penn State’s College of Education/Learning Performance Systems, where she taught online with the World Campus from 2000 to 2014. Kay earned her doctorate from Penn State University under the supervision of Michael G. Moore.
Shattuck is an associate editor for The American Journal of Distance Education and affiliated with The American Center for the Study of Distance Education at Penn State. She continues reading and promoting scholarly research on distance education and encouraging the bridge between research and practice for online learning.
