Individual Achievement Award – April Higgins
2025 Individual Achievement Award – April Higgins, Instructional Designer at Delaware Technical Community College
April Higgins, an instructional designer at Delaware Technical Community College, has made significant contributions to improving online course quality and supporting online faculty development at her institution.
Like many online instructional designers, April faces challenges such as limited resources, outdated training, and the need for systematic online course review. Her institution tackles these issues by implementing a collaborative online course review process that starts with a Quality Assurance Review (QAR), adapted from OSCQR, for new or unreviewed courses. This process involves reviewing online courses, providing feedback, and working with the online faculty to identify areas for improvement.
April completed the requirements for Certification as an OSCQR Trainer in January 2025. She reviewed and improved five online courses using the original OSCQR rubric, process, and materials.
Improvements she identified and made to the online courses through the OSCQR review and refresh process included:
- Enhanced module descriptions, assignment rationales, and accessibility features.
- Added a course schedule widget, orientation video, and improved accessibility.
- Removed distractions, added discussion forums, and created rubrics for assessments.
- Added welcoming elements, clarified module purposes, and improved accessibility.
- Updated templates, improved accessibility, and added engagement opportunities.
April’s efforts have led to deeper learning experiences for students in the online courses that have been improved with clearer expectations, more opportunities for participation, and smoother navigation to help them succeed. Her work has resulted in more engaging, accessible, and effective courses, benefiting both students and instructors.
April’s dedication to improving online education by leveraging OSCQR certification, and the use and adaptation of the OSCQR rubric and resources have made a significant impact at Delaware Tech. Her commitment to quality has set a high standard for online course design.
Of her experience, she says:
The OSCQR framework really helps me in my role as an instructional designer to work with subject matter experts as the criteria and associated resources give me a knowledge base and concrete examples to work from.…I feel much more prepared to guide new instructional designers on my team in using the OSCQR rubric effectively. While I may not have all the answers, I know the wealth of resources and web pages available will help us address questions and define how the criteria can be tailored to fit our institution. The OSCQR not only provides structure but also fosters collaboration, helping our team norm expectations and develop a shared vision of what makes a truly effective online course.
We proudly present the first OSCQR Individual Achievement Award to April Higgins for her exceptional leadership and efforts in adapting, promoting, and applying the OSCQR rubric at her institution. As an OSCQR reviewer and trainer, April will significantly impact online course quality for the instructional designers, faculty, and students at Delaware Tech.
February 26, 2025