Benchmarking Frameworks for Managing Quality Processes on Learning Management in Thailand

Universities now compete globally for student; hence quality is or paramount importance. Managing quality processes is critically important for higher education institutions generally, but especially for institutions involved in learning management (LM). In Thailand, IT managers in each faculty responsible for LM have identified two frameworks that potentially offer ways of conceiving of the application of quality processes which are the quality framework and the benchmarking framework. However, managers who have been considering applying one or other framework within their institutional contexts have had to face the issue of how they should choose between, or combine the use, of these frameworks. Part of their issues lies in distinguishing among the related functions of quality improvement, quality assurance, and benchmarking frameworks. This paper compares the frameworks in terms of scopes, official application, structures, and method of application, and considers what inferences the similarities and differences between the frameworks have for their use.