Quality Matters Spotlight: Timothy Baghurst

The Office of Digital Learning congratulates Dr. Timothy Baghurst for the high-quality certification of his online course, PET 5175: Philosophy and Ethics of Coaching. Baghurst, a professor in Anne’s College, is the director of the FSU Center for Athletic Coaching. He received his PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Arkansas and has been teaching at Anne’s College since 2019. Baghurst participated in the FSU Online Quality Initiative, where online courses undergo a rigorous peer-review process based on the nationally recognized Quality Matters rubric. In the following Q&A, Baghurst shares his insights about the certification process.

How do you think the Quality Matters (QM) review process has improved your course?
It really made me ensure that my objectives were being met within the design of the course. I had to reevaluate whether my course content and assignments were really achieving what I wanted my students to learn.

What did you value most about the instructional design support you received from your ODL faculty liaison?
The QM process is daunting and a lot of work. There are so many pieces that knowing where to begin can be overwhelming. The faculty liaison took some of that load off by providing a systematic process that was more bite-sized.

What did you value most about the accessibility support you received from your ODL course design specialist?
I deeply appreciated learning how to make sure the course design itself doesn’t become a hurdle between the student and their work, so nothing blocks a student from achieving the learning outcomes.

If you were to encourage a peer to participate in the QM review process, how would you communicate its value?
When you’re in the middle of overhauling a class, having someone there to assist you, often within just an hour or two of a request, is so helpful. It makes a difference when someone who has been there and done the QM certification process many times is able to step in and help solve problems that I might struggle with or take a long time to figure out on my own.

If you were to encourage a peer to participate in the QM review process, how would you communicate its value?
It’s about peace of mind and knowing that the class you have prepared is going to deliver the outcomes that you want. You may think that your class is well designed, and it may well be, but it’s always nice to know that experts think so too!

For information about online course design and the FSU Online Quality Initiative, visit odl.fsu.edu/quality.