The e-Learning Benchmarking Expeditionary Force

by Mr Derek Morrison, Mr Lawrence Hamburg, Ms Liz Pearce

The Higher Education Academy announced the UK Higher Education e-Learning Benchmarking Exercise and Pathfinder Programme during a joint Academy/JISC session at ALT-C 2005. The initial announcement was followed by a call to the sector for Expressions of Interest to participate in the e-learning benchmarking exercise (e-benchmarking). A consultative Town Meeting was also held at Academy, York in November 2005. The pilot phase of the e-Learning Benchmarking Exercise commenced in January 2006, involves twelve diverse UK HEIs (plus one FE partner college), and is exercising five different approaches to e-benchmarking, i.e. ELTI, MIT90s, Pick and Mix, the ACU/OBHE process, and the eLearning Maturity Model. The ALT-C 2006 symposium offers: a valuable opportunity for delegates to orientate or update themselves about the initiative; receive an overview on the progress of the major initiative; and hear about the experiences from some of the institutions actually involved in e-benchmarking. The format of the symposium is intended to be both representative of the diversity of institutions taking part in the pilot phase of e-benchmarking and the 'constrained diversity model' which characterizes the pilot phase of e-benchmarking in the UK Higher Education sector. Contributors to the symposium will include representatives from the Higher Education Academy e-learning team, the e-benchmarking pilot phase evaluation team, and the institutions taking part in the pilot phase of the exercise. We also anticipate that the audience will include other potential contributors to the question and answer session that will be part of the format of the symposium, e.g. consultants supporting the e-benchmarking pilots.

ID Number: 792

Date: Tuesday, 5th September 2006

Time: 1130

Location: tbc

Theme: Next generation providers