E-learning Maturity Model
Encyclopedia
The E-Learning Maturity Model (eMM) in software engineering
is a model to assess the capability of e-learning
processes.
(CMM) and Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination (SPICE) methodologies. The underlying idea that guides the development of the eMM is that the ability of an institution to be effective in any particular area of work is dependent on their capability to engage in high quality processes that are reproducible and able to be extended and sustained as demand grows.
The eMM provides a set of thirty-five processes, divided into five process areas, that define a key aspect of the overall ability of institutions to perform well in the delivery of e-learning
. Each process is selected on the basis of its necessity in the development and maintenance of capability in e-learning. All of the processes have been created after a programme of research and testing, conducted internationally.
. Additional projects applying the eMM are underway supported by the Scottish Funding Council
in Scotland and ACODE in Australia
. Development and application of the eMM in New Zealand
was supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Education Tertiary E-Learning Research Fund.
Version 2 of eMM has changed considerably from the Version 1 of 2003. The eMM and associated documentation is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
The eMM supplements the CMM concept of maturity levels, which describe the evolution of the organisation as a whole, with dimensions. The five dimensions of the eMM are:
Software engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
is a model to assess the capability of e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
processes.
Overview
eMM is a quality improvement framework based on the ideas of the Capability Maturity ModelCapability Maturity Model
The Capability Maturity Model is a development model that was created after study of data collected from organizations that contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense, who funded the research. This model became the foundation from which CMU created the Software Engineering Institute...
(CMM) and Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination (SPICE) methodologies. The underlying idea that guides the development of the eMM is that the ability of an institution to be effective in any particular area of work is dependent on their capability to engage in high quality processes that are reproducible and able to be extended and sustained as demand grows.
The eMM provides a set of thirty-five processes, divided into five process areas, that define a key aspect of the overall ability of institutions to perform well in the delivery of e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
. Each process is selected on the basis of its necessity in the development and maintenance of capability in e-learning. All of the processes have been created after a programme of research and testing, conducted internationally.
History
The eMM is being trialled in the Higher Education Academy Benchmarking Pilot, by the University of ManchesterUniversity of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. Additional projects applying the eMM are underway supported by the Scottish Funding Council
Scottish Funding Council
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, more commonly known as the Scottish Funding Council , is the body in Scotland that distributes funding from the Scottish Government to the country's colleges and universities...
in Scotland and ACODE in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Development and application of the eMM in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Education Tertiary E-Learning Research Fund.
Version 2 of eMM has changed considerably from the Version 1 of 2003. The eMM and associated documentation is licensed under a Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Key idea
The key idea underlying the dimension concept is holistic capability. Rather than the eMM measuring progressive levels, it describes the capability of a process from these five synergistic perspectives. An organization that has developed capability on all dimensions for all processes will be more capable than one that has not. Capability at the higher dimensions that is not supported by capability at the lower dimensions will not deliver the desired outcomes; capability at the lower dimensions that is not supported by capability in the higher dimensions will be ad-hoc, unsustainable and unresponsive to changing organizational and learner needs.Five dimensions of eMM
Capability in each process is described by a set of practices organised by dimension.The eMM supplements the CMM concept of maturity levels, which describe the evolution of the organisation as a whole, with dimensions. The five dimensions of the eMM are:
- Delivery
- Planning
- Definition
- Management
- Optimisation