You do not have to define quality from scratch. Several well-established frameworks already do. Quality Matters (QM) is a widely used set of eight general standards for online and blended course design, covering course overview, learning objectives, assessment, instructional materials, activities and interaction, technology, learner support, and accessibility. OSCQR, the SUNY Online Course Quality Review rubric, is an openly licensed tool with six categories and around fifty standards, designed for formative, non-evaluative review and continuous improvement.

Your own institution may also have quality standards or a review process. You do not need to adopt every framework, but it helps to anchor your review in one. This course teaches the principles they share, and points you to QM and OSCQR for the formal rubrics when you want them.