WP3
European Curriculum Design TOOLKIT
Benchmarking Two: How
do we benchmark? Strategies for benchmarking.
HOW do we compare against the
best of the best of the best in the world?
Strategies for benchmarking?
Questions to ask. Processes and procedures.
Internet
Search
Most study programmes start benchmarking
with an internet search, attempting to gather information about comparable
programmes from around the world. Most programme teams will have a strong idea
about the leading programmes in their discipline. There may be a temptation to
defer to your alma mater (the programme through which the lecturer studied and
graduated). However, in benchmarking, it’s important to as the question ‘which
study do you consider to be the best of the best of the best study programme in
your discipline?’ Aim high in asking this question, but make sure that you ARE
comparing like with like. If you’re benchmarking for your BATCHELOR programme,
do NOT attempt to compare it with a MASTERS or DOCTORAL programme – this will only
confuse you and your benchmarking process. Compare Batchelor programmes with
Batchelor programmes. Compare Masters programmes with Masters programmes etc…
The second question to ask in
benchmarking is ‘WHY do you think the comparable programme IS the best of the
best of the best?’ This is an important question to answer as you start your
benchmarking process, because it helps to set initial targets for the
improvement of your study programme.
Use
Mobilities
Once you’ve identified a study
programme, it might be desirable to travel to visit that programme, to spend a
few days with their programme team, discussing pedagogy, asking questions and
seeing how they do their business. However, such travel costs money!
If your university of HEI cannot
afford to send you and your team on such a research journey, consider trying to
establish an Erasmus KA1 mobility between your HEI and the HEI in which you are
interested in benchmarking. A Mobility agreement would allow your programme
team to have a contractual arrangement with the other HEI. It would pay for the
travel and subsistence of your team on the research trips. Mobilities also
provide plenty of time to discuss, ask questions, do appropriate training and
presentations etc.
In applying for mobilities, it’s
necessary for your HEI to build some reference to Internationalisation into
your institution’s Strategic Plan. Here’s a short reference from page 31 - 32 of
IADT’s Strategic Plan 2019 – 2023…
we
will...
—
Identify priority regions for international development. Develop existing and create new
relationships with international peers.
— Seek opportunities to collaborate
on programmes with international higher education providers with a reputation
for excellence.
Be
Honest!
When benchmarking, it’s
important to establish trust between the partners. Never ask a question which
you wouldn’t answer yourself. It’s often helpful to provide benchmarking
questions before you visit. Keep your questions short and simple! It’s
essential to treat any answers you’re given, as well as any information about
documentation, processes or procedures, with great confidence. Do not COPY! The
rule always is ‘to adapt, not adopt’.
Page 28 of The FOCUS guide
states…
‘Essentially
Benchmarking is about raising basic questions and attempting to find the
answers.
·
How well are we
doing compared to others?
·
How good do we want
to be? What are our objectives?
·
Who is doing it the
best?
·
How do they do it?
·
How can we adapt
what they do to our institution?
·
How can we become
better than the best?
Finding
the answers to these basic questions, combined with a structured approach, and
applying a proper methodology has proven to lead to valuable results.’
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FOCUS Benchmarking Tempus
Project 2013
Though this is about
benchmarking for Quality Assurance, many of the methodological and ethical
approaches can be adapted when benchmarking about your specific discipline,
curriculum, pedagogical content, processes and procedures.
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see pages 31 to 32 for short
strategic goals on Internationalisation
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2006 European Benchmarking
Code of Conduct
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