The final event for the HEE/JISC funded e-learning benchmarking and pathfinder exercise took place a couple of weeks ago on 26 June 2008. One of the aims of the event was to “celebrate the achievements and outcomes” of the programme, which started in 2005, but the event was not all party and games. I found the event both valuable and interesting but I was concerned by the contrast between some of the views expressed by a panel of leading figures in HE and some of the views expressed by HE staff involved in the exercise.

Some involved in the pathfinder programme explained how their involvement had helped to promote e-learning within their institutions and how senior management (VCs, PVCs, etc.) now recognised the contribution that e-learning could make. However, there were many for whom the picture had not changed so dramatically and a number of questions were posed to leading figures about how to attain and maintain greater influence with senior management.

The general view of the panel was that variety in institutions was a good thing and that each institution was responsible for managing its own affairs. It was for those within the organisation to fit in with the institutional processes and priorities. E-learning practitioners need to express their worth in terms that are relevant to senior management.

Good channels of communication between senior management and those with full-time involvement in e-learning are desirable. This is easy when the Head of e-Learning, say, has weekly meetings with the VC; however, this is not the norm and so the dependence on management structures becomes more important. My experience suggests that these structures need to be capable of sustaining a dialogue that allows senior management to flesh out their aims and objectives in greater detail than would be contained in a strategy document. Also, practitioners need to be adept at explaining how their activities are addressing the institution’s aims. Regardless of the number of tiers of management between PVCs and e-learning heads, you will know how well you’re the channels of communication are working by the level of agreement on the rationale for engaging in e-learning.