National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Citation

National Standards for Quality Online Learning. (2025). Quality online courses. https://nsqol.org/the-standards/quality-online-courses/

Abstract

The National Standards for Quality Online Courses provide a comprehensive framework to support schools, districts, state agencies, statewide online programs, and other educational organizations in improving the quality of online learning programs. These standards are designed to offer guidance while allowing maximum flexibility for different kinds of users. The National Standards for Quality Online Courses include the following standards:

  • Standard A: Course Overview and Support
  • Standard B: Content
  • Standard C: Instructional Design
  • Standard D: Learner Assessment
  • Standard E: Accessibility and Usability
  • Standard F: Course Technology
  • Standard G: Course Evaluation

Each standard is accompanied by specific indicators that provide a detailed framework for defining a quality online course. As part of the refresh process, explanations and examples for each indicator were enhanced to provide deeper context and concrete strategies for implementation. Additionally, community-contributed resources offer concrete examples of how the indicator can be achieved in practice. These resources are available on the NSQ website, nsqol.org in the Resources section.

Authors

  • National Standards for Quality Online Learning

Reference Type

Report

Keywords

  • Instructional design
  • National standards
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