ODL Presents at QM Connect Conference

Pictured left to right: Jamie Lutz, Brittany Endress, and Chuck McCann present at the QM Connect conference in November.

In November, three members of the Office of Digital Learning’s (ODL) instructional development team presented at the QM Connect conference in Tucson, Arizona. The annual international conference gathers Quality Matters members from K-12 and higher education institutions to champion work in quality online education.

To learn more about the FSU Online Quality Initiative, visit odl.fsu.edu/quality.

Jamie Lutz, Brittany Endress, and Chuck McCann presented their poster, Cultivating a Culture of Quality: Advancing Excellence Through Innovation, which focused on the creation of the FSU Online Quality Initiative and the improvements made since its campus-wide launch in Fall 2021. The presentation showcased ODL’s continued efforts to scale up the initiative by increasing staff and streamlining certification cycles. It also highlighted the development of a web-based project management platform to manage applications and course data as well as distribute automated communications to deans and participants.

ODL team members answer questions and discuss their QM poster presentation with conference attendees.

The three-day conference began with a symposium where attendees joined hands-on sessions on the latest trends and issues in online education. Attendees also participated in sessions on various topics such as utilizing artificial intelligence in course design, Universal Design for Learning, and how to scale up a quality assurance program.

Jamie Lutz

Instructional Designer

“We learned about the latest trends and issues in online education, participated in hands-on design workshops on how to lead in a time of change, and completed design challenges for instructional design in distance learning. We received wonderful feedback and questions on how we have been able to scale up our Quality Initiative on campus to maximize the impact we have for our students.”

Brittany Endress

Instructional Designer

“Attending the QM Conference was an incredible opportunity to connect with others in the Quality Matters community, share ideas, and learn from the challenges and successes across institutions. I especially valued the chance to highlight our own Quality Initiative and see how far we’ve come in building a culture of quality. It’s exciting to know we’re making great strides toward continuous improvement.”

Chuck McCann

Instructional Designer

“Attending the 2025 QM Connect conference in Tucson was an incredible experience. While the weather was perfect, the true highlight was connecting with instructional designers from across the U.S. and around the world. I was particularly inspired to see how peers are leveraging AI in online course design, and I returned with new insights on integrating AI into my own work."

 

The use of artificial intelligence in course design emerged as a main theme of the conference, noted Endress. “I learned that AI can be a powerful tool for creating objectives, developing assignments and rubrics, and designing strategies to enhance student engagement. At the same time, the sessions emphasized the importance of the human element—building relationships with faculty and staff and ensuring that we never lose sight of the personal connection in the learning experience."

If you’re interested in learning more about the Quality Initiative and QM certification, contact Brittany Endress.