Lens Definition

Lens
The term ‘lens’ is used for a selected subset of practices, taken from the eMM framework, which are used to assess the capability of an institution in a given area of e-learning. For example, in order to assess an organisation’s capability in using an e-repository optimally, the practices within eMM would be examined and those thought necessary to the implementation of the repository would be extracted. This is termed ‘lensing’ and the area of e-learning for which the practices have been selected is termed a ‘domain’. Lensing differs from ‘horizontal slicing’ in that the practices for any particular domain are not usually contained within a single process area of eMM, but instead are scattered throughout the framework.

Lensing allows eMM to be used to focus on a particular area of interest to the institution and also provides a set of exemplar practices which can be used to improve the institution’s capability in the chosen domain. For example, the resulting set of practices from lensing e-portfolio capability will highlight those practices which are already being carried out within the institution and those which need to be introduced or improved if an e-portfolio is to succeed. Lensing was used extensively by the University of Manchester in its e-change project to improve and change practices in given cases.

Lensing can be carried out at any level and can therefore be applied to the whole institution or to a single slice. Lensing can equally be applied to multiple slices to provide a comparison of slices for a particular domain.