Towards Capability Maturity Model of e-Learning Process
Yong Zhou
Software Engineering Institute, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Email: yzhou@sei.ecnu.edu.cn

Received April 12, 2012; revised May 27, 2012; accepted June 10, 2012

ABSTRACT ePCMM (e-Learning Process Capability Maturity Model) is used for evaluating the capability and maturity of an institution engaged in e-Learning based on e-Learning key process areas. It is a stepwise process improvement which can be implemented by both staged model and continues model.

Introduction
The e-Learning Maturity Model (eMM) model was developed in New Zealand by Marshall [1]. The method is based on gathering evidence about 5 processes categories in the eLearning lifecycles and takes a holistic view of maturity, addressing multiple aspects.

Staged model of ePCMM
The staged model of ePCMM is defined in 6 maturity levels (ML).
The staged model of ePCMM provides a roadmap to organizational process improvement. Each stage of maturity level covers every e-Learning process area. 1. Initial: Ad hoc 2. Deliverable: Set up e-Learning process and make delivery 3. Planed : Have a clear and quantitative goal on e-Learning program 4. Defined : Define process for e-Learning development and support 5. Managed: Quality assurance on e-Learning resource and delivery 6. Optimizing :Keep improving on all aspect of e-Learning process

The staged model of ePCMM has two advantages:
1) The staged model provides a stepwise process platform that support e-Learning process improvement for the organization.
2) The staged model defines e-Learning process maturity level for the organization, it is easy for cross organization comparing.

However, the staged model of ePCMM also has two disadvantages:
1) In order to achieve a certain maturity level, the organization must fulfill performance in all process areas at the level as well as its’ bellowing levels. It is less flexibility.
2) A lot of process improvements need to do concurrently at each dimension, that lead to higher effort and cost.

Continuous Model of ePCMM
The continuous model is defined various distribution of capability level (CL) on any one of e-Learning process area. It is defined in 6 capability levels (CL).
Unlike staged model which should cover all process areas, the continuous model allows the user to choose preferred process areas to perform
0: Incomplete : Has no capability of performing any of e-Learning process.
1: Performed : Has capability of performing e-Learning process and making delivery .
2: Planed : Has capability of making a clear and quantitative goal on e-Learning program .
3: Defined : Has capability of defining process for e-Learning development and support .
4: Managed: Has capability of quality assurance on e-Learning resource and delivery.
5: Optimizing: Has capability of keeping improvement on all aspect of e-Learning process.

The continuous model has two advantages:
1) The continuous model provides flexibility for user to improve process. It allows user to decided priority of process improvement activities according to the business goal.
2) The organization can compare capability in the same process at different times to evaluate its’ e-Learning process progress.

The continuous model of ePCMM also has two disadvantages:
1) Since there is no defined process order in continuous model, it needs specialist to conduct process improvement, in order to decided which process areas need to be improved and what is the priority of improvement activities.
2) Although the organization making process improvement with continuous model, it is difficult to make organizational comparing to process capability.

Conclusions
This paper proposed a e-Learning process capability maturity model (ePCMM) which focuses on process management, it evaluates the capability maturity level of an organization that running e-Learning program.
To be different from the educational or technical approach to make an assessment of e-Learning, this model emphasis on whether the e-Learning organization has the capability of delivering a high quality and persistent service of e-Learning.
In our future work, more process data from various educational institution that running e-Learning program need to be collected and analyzed, to determine considerable weight in above mentioned equation to compute value a. while how to use ePCMM effectively is still need to discuss.

REFERENCES
[1] S. Marshall and G. Mitchell, “An e-Learning MaturityModel,” Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, Auckland, 8-11 December 2002.
[2] S. J. Marshall and G. Mitchell, “Applying SPICE to e- Learning: An e-Learning Maturity Model,” Proceedings of the Sixth Australasian Computing Education Conference (ACE2004), Dunedin, 18-22 January 2004.
[3] Y. Zhou and J. P. Zhang, “A Quantitative Approach to eMM,” Proceedings of ICWL, Shanghai, 20-22 August 2008, pp. 69-72.
[4] Software Engineering Institute, “CMMISM for Systems Engineering and Software Engineering (CMMI-SE/SW, V1.1),” 2002.