The Benchmarking exercise has been developed in response to feedback from universities about the need to understand more about their own, and the HE sector's, progress in e-learning. It aims to improve e-learning and teaching in universities around Britain. The project follows on from two earlier trials in which universities and consultants worked to draw up a benchmark for e-learning. This phase of the scheme involves 28 universities and it will help inform their internal decision-making and planning, and compare their practice with other institutions involved in the exercise.

David Kay is working in a team with Paul Bacisch to support the universities involved and help them to analyse themselves.

The approach is very similar to that taken in another Sero project, Benchmarking e-Maturity in Scotland’s Colleges. Once again the e-learning Maturity Model (eMM) developed by Dr. Stephen Marshall is being used as it is a leading international model for benchmarking e-activity. Our approach includes:

• Initial Desk research
• Consultation involving individual interviews with national stakeholders, agencies and experts
• Adapting eMM for the UK HE sector
• Several meetings with the 28 universities involved to support the self-audit process using the eMM model and share experience.

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/elearning/benchmarking