Benchmarking for technology enhanced learning: Taking the next step in the journey

Benchmarking in the areas of technology enhanced learning (TEL) has become an important part of how many institutions are able to mediate a level of quality in their learning and teaching practice. Many tools and methodologies have emerged over the last 10+ years to help our institutions undertake this important task. A recent major benchmarking activity (June 2014) took this to a whole new level; with 24 institutions meeting together to benchmark their capacity in TEL. This was based around using the newly refreshed ACODE Benchmarks and involved each institution performing a self-assessment of their practices and then sharing this with the other participants. This paper will report on this activity and, importantly, provide evidence of the value of this activity for those involved. It will conclude with a series of recommendations on how this may be applied by other institutions, as they contend with the rapidly changing TEL space.