Personal Development Planning - definition

“A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development”

• To encourage critically reflective practice

Critically reflective practice/skillsWhat to change. (Diagnosis and goal-setting)

How to change it - intermediate goals and actions defined + problem solving

Change it! (Actions)

Did it change? (Evaluation)

A. Analyse your current situation

B. Set some goals

C. Plan how to achieve those goals

D. Execute the plan

E. Assess how far you have met those goals

HE Progress file• Dearing report - recommendation 20:“We recommend that institutions of Higher Education, over the

medium term develop a Progress file. The file should consist of two elements:

• A transcript recording student achievement which should follow a common format devised by institutions collectively through their representative bodies;

• A means by which students can monitor, build and reflect upon their personal development (Personal Development Planning/Recording)”

University Employability policy• PDP is one of the University Commitments of its

Employability policy:• By 2004/05

“All undergraduate awards will be designed according to the Undergraduate Modular Framework, which includes personal development planning

• By 2005/6

“All students will have the opportunity to engage in a Personal Development Planning programme while at the University, as well as having access to tailored support and relevant opportunities”

Main external deadline for PDP

• QAA national deadline for universities to introduce Progress files and PDP for all HE students - academic year 2005-06

Academic perspectives on PDPAnother:• job to do• paperwork to complete• demand from QAA• demand from University centre• distraction from my principle tasks - teaching and/or research• activity the students don’t want and will not willingly become

engaged withOR• Something academics have always done and are still doing so - not

a new idea, but a current activity that occurs relatively informally - no structure/infrastructure

Benefits - perceived by University

• Enhance employability

• improve retention

• promote student recruitment

• support widening participation

• deepen learning experience

• implement quality assurance reference points

• providing cohesion within a modular structure

Mechanisms for delivery

3 methods identified:

• 1. One-to-one support (personal tutor system)

• 2. Elements embedded in core modules

• 3. Web based tool (MyPortfolio) - for organising PDP and provide basis for a Progress File

University timetable

• initial (2003-4) University PDP pilots in Law, Social Work and Geography

• 2004-5 - Faculty pilots - in our Faculty - CDS, Engineering Scheme, Film Technology, Computing HND/Foundation degree, Computing MSc Scheme– try different approaches and establish a range of best

practice

• Full implementation Sept 2005

Problems/challenges

• Student motivation – not directly assessed except where it forms an

explicit element of a module– good students do it anyway– false/imitation process - not internalised

• staff workload

University requirements

Students must be provided with opportunities to engage with PDP through

• introduction to concepts and ideas

• review and development of transferable and professional skills

• career planning and preparation

• “Learning to learn” and lifelong learning skills

• Critically reflective approach

PDP in CDS• my drivers include:• need to conform to QAA requirements• need to conform to University policies• desire to help students gain maximum benefit from their time

with us - consistent with the resources that have been made available to staff (time, equipment, staff:student ratios, etc)

• minimise additional staff workload - University makes policy commitments that are implemented by staff without any costing of the additional activity i.e. Staff pick up the bill for the University.

PDP in CDS• Level H - principal location - project modules - project

supervisor• Industrial placement - student activity in placement and work

preparing for and on placement report - placement visiting tutor

• Level I - principal location - core Professional and Enterprise Development module which addresses as part of its curriculum - personal professional development and career planning, etc.

• Level C - no obvious principal location - no room for a study skills module, etc

CDS pilot• relatively light touch approach - principal points:

• introduction to PDP concepts - at induction (and reminder in semester 2)

• module selection process for level I modules - opportunity to review where they are, what they enjoy/good at, etc., reflect on choice of award as well as choice of modules to fit into their longer term goals

• end of year reflection on experience and learning over year, their choice of award and an opportunity to modify their plans accordingly

Modules affected• the end of year reflection has been located in the Computing

Technologies option modules for CDS - this is because these modules are explicitly intended to expose students to a variety of different flavours of computing and provide a point of insight into the different focused awards - thus modules affected– Computer Systems & System Software– Introduction to Networking with LANs and WANs – Introduction to Computer Games and Graphical Systems – Introduction to AI – Web Design and Development – Interactive Media Technology – Introductory Business Concepts – Applied Quantitative Methods (Stafford site) – Aspects of Software Engineering

Your involvement• the idea is that each student will get a 10/15 minute slot

during which time they will see a tutor on an individual basis to facilitate the students review of the year

• the student will be given a form to fill in prior to the one-to-one session - ideally the student should submit it to you prior to the session so you can review it before the session

• you are principally at the session to ask questions and offer general academic advice as necessary (or refer on if you cannot offer appropriate advice) given the content of the form

• to minimise additional workload on staff - the decision was that the one-to-one sessions may take place during the last 2 hours of tutorial/practical sessions on the above modules - so last week where you have 2 hours of tutorial/practicals per week or last 2 weeks where it is 1 hour

• this was to minimise additional workload on staff - you are timetabled for that time anyway

• of course this does impact on the time available for

learning activities for the module• however, it was also recognised that many students

absent themselves from the last 2 tutorial/practical sessions - unless some assessment activity is going on - so it is hoped that the impact on learning will be minimal

• you can still set them work to do outside of the class of course

• where it is imperative that students undertake some activity during the last 2 sessions e.g. Class test taken during those tutorials or demos during those practicals, then of course you can still do that, but it means that as a teaching team you will have to find some time outside of the teaching sessions to do the PDP activity - it is a decision of the teaching team

• Of course some students on your modules will not be CDS students and some students will have their PDP session as part of another module - we will tell you which students you will need to see

• If only a small number of students on your module are from CDS then you may wish to see them separately and still hold the last 2 hours of tutorials/practicals