Cengage Learning Recognized for its Commitment to Course Quality by Quality Matters

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning, a leading global provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions, today announced that Course360 online courses have received the Quality Matters certification mark. The initial slate of courses have been reviewed and certified and Cengage Learning is investing in Quality Matters and their directives to ensure that its full portfolio of Course360 solutions satisfy the quality threshold measured by the Rubric.

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The Quality Matters Program is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to creating standards for sound online course design. QM Rubric standards are based on widely agreed best practices and supported by a growing body of research. Courses that successfully meet the QM Rubric standards in an official course review are eligible to carry the QM certification mark.

Course360, part of Cengage Learning's Cengage Course suite of integrated digital solutions and services aimed at improving student engagement and learning outcomes, is a set of comprehensive and customizable online courses that utilize best practices in online instructional design to create effective online or blended course experiences for students. Course 360 Race and Justice from Cengage Learning's Criminal Justice program and Course360 Inpatient Diagnostic Coding from its Medical Reimbursement and Coding program received the Quality Matters certification.  All Course360 courses share the same design template and are created around the same instructional design principles.

Colleges and universities across the country use Quality Matters tools in developing, maintaining and reviewing their online courses and in training their faculty. The Quality Matters Publisher Rubric has been created to address the need for a set of standards to guide the evaluation of online and blended publisher courses. The new Rubric is intended to guide publishers in the design of products that can serve as the core of online and blended courses as well as supplements to classroom instruction. The standards outlined in the Quality Matters Publisher Rubric also assist instructors and departments in selecting publisher courses based on their adherence to best practice and research-supported standards, and are particularly meaningful to institutions committed to implementing Quality Matters' standards in the design of their online and blended offerings. Quality Matters' Rubrics for online and blended course design have been adopted by more than 500 colleges and universities, K-12 schools and systems, and other academic institutions, and continue to influence many others.  

"Cengage Learning recognizes the high standards set forth through Quality Matters and we are pleased to earn the Quality Matters Certified seal indicating that our courses meet the high standards set forth for online courses," said Curtiss Barnes, Vice President, Corporate Development for Cengage Learning. "Our increased participation with Quality Matters demonstrates our dedication to ensuring the highest quality learning materials for students as we strive to improve learning outcomes."

"Working with Cengage Learning, we are able to advance our mission of improving the overall quality of online education by addressing the potential of publisher-designed courses," says Ron Legon, Executive Director of The Quality Matters Program.

"The Quality Matters certification mark demonstrates that Cengage Learning meets a standard of quality from a course-design standpoint and delivers a solid presentation of course content. Independent validation by a respected third-party organization such as Quality Matters reinforces the confidence that Cengage Learning's Course360 users develop from the experience of using it," said Bill Rieders, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy & Business Development, Cengage Learning.

Cengage Learning offers more than 100 Course360 courses in a range of disciplines and plans to have at least ten more courses reviewed against the Quality Matters program in the coming year.  For more information on Course360, please visit: http://www.cengage.com/cengagecourse/course360/index.html.

About Cengage Learning

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement, improve learning outcomes and deliver authoritative information to people whenever and wherever they need it. Through the company's unique position within both the library and academic markets, Cengage Learning is providing integrated learning solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom.  Cengage Learning's brands include Brooks/Cole, Course Technology, Delmar, Gale, Heinle, South-Western and Wadsworth, among others. For more information on Cengage Learning please visit www.cengage.com.

About The Quality Matters Program  

Quality Matters (QM) is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its contributions to continuous improvement in online education and online student learning. QM develops and disseminates Rubrics for the effective design of online and blended courses, based on best practices advocated by leading distance learning organizations and research findings on effective online learning. QM sponsors a faculty-centered, peer review process to evaluate the design of such courses and recommend enhancements, and QM certifies courses that meet its standards.  More than 500 U.S. colleges and universities, K-12 schools and systems, and other academic institutions subscribe to QM's services and utilize QM's design Rubrics. To learn more, visit www.qmprogram.org. 

SOURCE Cengage Learning