Benchmarking learning and teaching: developing a method Cheryl Henderson-Smart University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Tracey Winning The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, and Tania Gerzina, Shalinie King and Sarah Hyde University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Abstract Purpose – To develop a method for benchmarking teaching and learning in response to an institutional need to validate a new program in Dentistry at the University of Sydney, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – After a collaborative partner, University of Adelaide, was identified, the areas of teaching and learning to be benchmarked, PBL approach and assessment, were established. A list of quality indicators for these aspects of teaching and learning were first developed conceptually and then validated by the literature. Then, using a quality enhancement framework, levels of achievement for each indicator were developed. Findings – The findings are represented as a set of tables. These were mutually developed with the benchmarking partner and represent an agreed model for a benchmarking project to progress to the next stages of implementation and evaluation. Practical implications – This model can be adapted for any benchmarking project in all levels of education; primary, secondary, tertiary and continuing. Originality/value – The issue of benchmarking is high on the educational agenda, especially in higher education. The literature reports on a number of projects but with no clear explanation of a method for benchmarking. The fact that this model is evidence-based in its approach and that it focuses on learning and teaching, also marks it as original and a significant development in this area. Keywords Benchmarking, Teaching, Learning, Higher education, Quality Paper type Conceptual paper Glossary of acronyms AUQA ¼ Australian Universities Quality Agency CHEMS ¼ Commonwealth Higher Education Management Service HE ¼ Higher education PBL ¼ Problem-based learning PDCA ¼ Plan, do, check, act QA ¼ Quality assurance QE ¼ Quality enhancement QM ¼ Quality method The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0968-4883.htm This project was supported by a grant from the Teaching Improvement Fund, University of Sydney. Emeritus Professor Anne Sefton, University of Sydney and Dr Delyse Russell and Ms Jo Fairley, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney were involved in the early planning stages of the project. Professor Rufus Clarke, Dr Graham Hendry, Dr Greg Ryan and Dr Simon Willcock, Office of Teaching and Learning in Medicine, University of Sydney, gave valued feedback during the preparation of this paper. Benchmarking learning and teaching 143 Quality Assurance in Education Vol. 14 No. 2, 2006 pp. 143-155 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0968-4883 DOI 10.1108/09684880610662024