Quality Matters Spotlight: Ulla Bunz
The Office of Digital Learning congratulates Dr. Ulla Bunz for the high-quality certification of her online course, COM 3332: Digital Media in Society. Bunz received her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Kansas. In 2005, she joined FSU as a faculty member in the College of Communication & Information, where she currently serves as an associate professor and associate dean for Student & Academic Affairs. She has participated multiple times 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, Bunz shares her insights into the certification process.
How do you think the Quality Matters (QM) review process has improved your course?
This was my fourth time participating in QM certification and each time, I learn something new. Looking at my pre-QM courses now feels like an adult looking at a teenager who thinks they are all grown up and know what they’re doing but really has no idea. I have learned so much from QM over the years that benefits myself and my students. My courses are built differently from the ground up, with each component strategically feeding into the next based on learning objectives and tied-in assessments.
I thought I was doing that before, but it took QM to make me realize how much more effectively it can be done. Likewise, I am an organized person, so I always thought my Canvas sites were well structured. It took QM for me to understand that what seems like a logical structure to me isn’t necessarily logical to others. Now I can bring my sense of organization to a well-proven layout and structure, and everybody benefits. All in all, over the years, the QM review process has dramatically improved my pedagogical effectiveness.
What did you value most about the instructional design support you received from your ODL faculty liaison?
Putting together the course map seemed like a daunting task, but the team did this for me and it was a huge help. The course map allowed me to gain an overview of my own course in a new way. I can see the benefit of creating such a map as part of the process of designing a new course rather than retroactively. It mirrors the process I kept in my head but having it right in front of me allowed us to make updates much more easily while considering the effects of any change on the entire course as a system.
What did you value most about the accessibility support you received from your ODL course design specialist?
As I worked with QM before, all my course materials are now designed for accessibility already. This latest course had a 96% Ally rating when we started reviewing it. The 2019 version of the course, before I started learning about accessibility, had a 41% Ally rating. The extra 55% did not always come easy. Some of the “quick fixes” that ODL emails out really are quick and easy. Others take a little longer. However, I learned that fixing something retroactively is a lot more work than doing it properly to begin with.
Now, I have developed the habit of creating accessible materials from the get-go. At times, it is still a minor inconvenience, but I remind myself that all students benefit from accessible content, not just those with OAS accommodations. As I care about students and their learning experience, that reminder does the trick. Without going through the QM experiences, which forced me to actively learn about accessible content instead of procrastinating, I would not likely have developed this attitude. The patient help of the accessibility experts over the years was key to that process.
If you were to encourage a peer to participate in the QM review process, how would you communicate its value?
Your course is likely an excellent course as it is. That doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. QM does not mess with your content; that’s all yours. It simply helps you package that content in even more effective ways. With QM, you can be an even better teacher than you already are.
Would you be willing to share any positive feedback you received from your students about your certified course?
Students typically comment that the course is well structured, and that they can tell I’m passionate about the topic based on both my lectures and the attention to detail I provide.
For information about online course design and the FSU Online Quality Initiative, visit odl.fsu.edu/quality.
