The Intro to Food Systems course (AGRI 411/511) offered through OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences received the nationally-recognized Quality Matters Certification Mark for meeting course design standards in an Official Quality Matters peer review. Intro to Food Systems is a multi-disciplinary course covering the complex topic of food systems from production to consumption from a variety of perspectives, considering social, economic, and environmental influences and consequences from local to global. In addition, Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics (AEC 253), a Baccalaureate Core Course offered through OSU’s Department of Applied Economics, also received the nationally-recognized Quality Matters Certification Mark for meeting course design standards in an Official Quality Matters peer review.
The Quality Matters (QM) certification recognizes Applied Economics Instructor Christy Anderson Brekken’s commitment to quality in her Food Systems and Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics courses. Quality Matters certification reflects high standards for the design of effective online courses and a rigorous, faculty peer review process for applying these standards to existing courses. Courses meeting the QM standards are designed to increase learner engagement, retention and satisfaction, and, ultimately, learner achievement.
AEC department head Jennifer Alix-Garcia expressed full support for continuing to collaborate with QM: “We’re grateful to Christy for continuing to ensure quality online courses in Applied Economics. These courses are popular among Ecampus students who take them, particularly in our Environmental Economics and Policy major via Ecampus. We hope to seek QM certification for all of our Ecampus courses in the next two years.”