Working together transforms teaching and through DELTA Course Improvement Grants, faculty partner with DELTA experts to elevate their courses using Quality Matters standards, creating powerful learning experiences through collaborative design. Faculty lead the way in this successful program, which consistently earns high praise from participants.
As online education continues to expand rapidly, instructors need advanced training in course design that combines proven success strategies with cutting-edge teaching tools. The professional development Course Improvement Grant program runs in a hybrid format, combining online and in-person learning, from September through April. Participants should expect to dedicate a minimum of 60 hours to complete the program.
Teaching Professor and VetPAC Director Shweta Trivedi enthusiastically endorses the program based on her recent participation as evidenced in the video above. Similarly, retired Assistant Teaching Professor Peter Hessling saw improved student performance after implementing his new course design.
“In the two sections I teach, I usually have two or three students that fail — they just disappear at some point in the semester,” Hessling said. “However, this semester, nobody failed! That matters a lot to me and I think it was a rather ineffable reflectiveness of the QM experience that led me to be more aware of students who were in trouble. That kind of thing may not be written down anywhere, but I think those who go through the program may get greater awareness of students’ needs via the process.”
The positive response to Quality Matters-aligned courses extends beyond faculty to include students. As one student remarked:
“I am not personally very interested in the subject matter. However, WOW and WOW! Each week was a learning journey that was engaging and well thought out. The final project wasn’t just some project requirement thrown in but really was the pinnacle of the learning process. The extra credit that is built in nicely accommodated learning styles that might not mesh well with timed quizzes and it also built on the course framework — this wasn’t fluff. BEST COURSE DESIGN I HAVE EVER TAKEN.”
In addition, Teaching Associate Professor Trino Ascencio-Ibáñez sought DELTA’s support in transitioning part of his Biochemistry of Gene Expression course to an online format. While he created the course material himself, he collaborated with DELTA to ensure the content properly aligned with learning objectives and to establish clear expectations for his students. He talks about his experience in a newly released video.
Course Improvement Grants Program
DELTA’s Course Quality Program provides NC State instructors with numerous opportunities for professional development and enhancement of their courses.
The Course Improvement Grant aids instructors in comprehending and implementing QM standards. This grant entails an in-depth examination of each standard, practical application of the standard to a course, and collaboration with mentors and colleagues. Instructors who successfully complete the Course Improvement Grants become eligible to participate in the CQ Program as:
- Peer Reviewers – conducting internal evaluations of online or hybrid courses that fulfill QM eligibility criteria.
- Faculty Mentors – providing peers with practical insights and expertise in the application of the QM rubric and standards.
- Research Fellows – engaging in research and the application of the QM rubric and standards.
DELTA’s Course Quality Program Offers Support
DELTA’s Course Quality (CQ) Program equips NC State faculty with essential resources, support services, and research-backed methods to create exceptional online and hybrid learning experiences. It builds upon Quality Matters (QM), an internationally renowned standards-based framework.
Over 200 faculty and staff at NC State have participated in Quality Matters’ core workshop, Applying the Quality Matters Rubric. This foundational training focuses on using the QM Higher Education Rubric to evaluate and enhance online and hybrid course design.
Every year, over 14,000 NC State students take QM-certified courses, demonstrating how the Course Quality Program delivers innovative, high-caliber learning experiences that help online students thrive.
NC State has achieved Quality Matters certification for 75 courses through an intensive external review process. The certification spans all NC State colleges, with each college maintaining at least one QM-certified course. Notably, the entire Leadership in the Public Sector online program has earned this prestigious certification.
Additional Resources
In conjunction with their tagline, “aspire higher,” the DELTA Course Quality team has defined several program goals that reinforce the mission of delivering exceptional learning experiences to online and hybrid NC State students. Watch for new grant opportunities, additional asynchronous professional development courses, and new course quality research in the upcoming year. Instructors may find the following CQ resources beneficial:
- The CQ team offers course and program reviews, workshops and consultations, research and a variety of resources and templates for NC State instructors.
- The WolfSNAPS Online Course Design series comprises eight just-in-time self-paced online training sessions in which instructors learn about and apply foundational concepts in course design. Participants earn certificates, digital credentials and recognition upon completion of each session.
- Course design teaching resources: Do you need to create an online course? Are you looking to improve the design of your Moodle course? Check out these guides, resources, and strategies for designing your course.
- Join the Course Quality at NC State group to receive news and updates about professional development opportunities in online course improvement! To subscribe send an email to group-qualitymatters@ncsu.edu.
Interested in learning more about the DELTA Course Improvement Grant or Course Mapping Express Grant? Visit the DELTA Grants page for information about grant eligibility, the review process and general inquiries or email deltaexpressgrants@ncsu.edu with specific questions.
