Piloting a process maturity model as an e-learning benchmarking method

As part of a national e-Learning benchmarking initiative of the UK Higher Education
Academy, the University of Manchester is carrying out a pilot study of a method to
benchmark e-Learning in an institution. The pilot was designed to evaluate the operational viability of a method based on the e-Learning Maturity Model developed at the University of Wellington, New Zealand, which, in turn was derived from Carnegie Mellon's widely accepted Capability Maturity Model. The method is based on gathering evidence about the many and interdependent processes in the e-Learning and student lifecycles and takes a holistic view of maturity, addressing multiple aspects. This paper deals with the rationale for the selected method and explains the adoption of a process-based approach.