Teachers are not all trained in the same methods (some staff at universities are not trained in education at all). Different approach abound and teachers work alone, or in very small, loose knit teams. There is considerable use of casual and part time workers in education. Essentially teaching is mostly a craft, not an organizational activity. As a result it would be difficult to apply the maturity model to the organization as it does not have a common set of processes to test against. A tiny fraction of educational institutions would even be at the lowest point on a maturity scale, not because they do not do education well, but because they do not do it as an engineering production line-like activity.
What might prompt educational institutions to adopt more systematic processes is e-learning. When education was done by a lone teacher in front of a class, it was diffiult to moninitor and measue what they do and little scope for production line efficiencies. E-learning uses computer mediated communication with a learning management system which can monitor and record all interactions between staff and students. This information can be mined to see what is done. Also materials such as course content and tests can be reused much more easily.
The eMM processes make a useful checklist to see where educational institutions are up to:
| L1. | Learning objectives are apparent in the design and implementation of courses |
| L2. | Students are provided with mechanisms for interaction with teaching staff and other students |
| L3. | Student skill development for e-learning is provided |
| L4. | Information provided on the type and timeliness of staff responses to communications students can expect |
| L5. | Students receive feedback on their performance within courses |
| L6. | Research and information literacy skills development by students is explicitly supported |
| L7. | Learning designs and activities result in active engagement by students |
| L8. | Assessment of students is designed to progressively build their competence |
| L9. | Student work is subject to specified timetables and deadlines |
| L10. | Courses are designed to support diverse learning styles and learner capabilities |
| D1. | Teaching staff are provided with design and development support when engaging in e-learning |
| D2. | Course development, design and delivery are are guided and informed by formally developed e-learning procedures and standards |
| D3. | Explict linkages are made in the design rationale regarding the pedagogies, content and technologies chosen |
| D4. | Courses are designed to support disabled students |
| D5. | All elements of the physical e-learning infrastructure are reliable, robust and sufficient |
| D6. | All elements of the physical e-learning infrastructure are integrated using defined standards |
| D7. | Resources created are designed and managed to maximise reuse |
| S1. | Students are provided with technical assistance when engaging in e-learning |
| S2. | Students have access to a range of library resources and services when engaging in e-learning |
| S3. | Student enquiries, questions and complaints are collected formally and managed |
| S4. | Students have access to support services for personal and learning issues when engaging in e-learning |
| S5. | Teaching staff are provided with pedagogical support and professional development in using e-learning |
| S6. | Teaching staff are provided with technical support in the handling of electronic materials created by students |
| E1. | Students are able to provide regular formal and informal feedback on the quality and effectiveness of their e-learning experience |
| E2. | Teaching staff are able to provide regular formal and informal feedback on quality and effectiveness of their e-learning experience |
| E3. | Regular formal independent reviews of e-learning aspects of courses are conducted |
| O1. | Formal criteria used to allocate resources for e-learning design, development and delivery |
| O2. | Institutional learning and teaching policy and strategy explicitly address e-learning |
| O3. | A documented specification and plan guides technology decisions when designing and developing courses |
| O4. | A documented specification and plan ensures the reliability, integrity and validity of information collection, storage and retrieval |
| O5. | The rationale for e-learning is placed within an explicit plan |
| O6. | E-learning procedures and which technologies are used are communicated to students prior to starting courses |
| O7. | Pedagogical rationale for e-learning approaches and technologies communicated to students prior to starting courses |
| O8. | Course administration information communicated to students prior to starting courses |
| O9. | The provision of e-learning is guided by formal business management and strategy |
Table 2: eMM Version Two Processes
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