Personal Development Planning Training Needs Analysis Personal Development Record

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PERSONALDEVELOPMENTPLANNING

TRAININGNEEDS

ANALYSIS

PERSONALDEVELOPMENT

RECORD


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London Metropolitan University

The Graduate School

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Personal Development Planning

This document is intended to explain the concept of Personal Development Planningand Personal Development Plans (PDPs), to analyse your training needs and to giveyou the opportunity to develop your own Personal Development Record, (PDR).

PDRs are not a new idea but it is only in recent years that they have become moreaccepted and used in a wide variety of contexts. Indeed many professional bodieshave developed significant and sophisticated approaches to PDPs and PDRs and itis often compulsory for their members to maintain them in order to retain particularmembership levels of such organisations. A number of professions require them tobe used in order to maintain a licence to practice. Many large companies and not forprofit organisations also expect their staff to maintain PDRs.

This document is written predominantly for use by research degree students.However, other researchers and those involved in research in a variety of ways couldfind elements of it useful to them in their personal and professional development. It

should be read in conjunction with other documents as appropriate, e.g. theResearch Degree Regulations, Handbook for Research Students and Supervisorsand Code of Practice, Code of Good Research Practice, the Universitys ResearchEthics Policy, etc. You should have received copies of these publications when youbegan your research. These booklets will be re-issued whenever they are updated.They and other information are also on the Graduate School website. Those whoare also involved in supervising research may also refer to the Handbook forSupervisors of Research Students.

What is Personal Development Planning1?

Personal Development Planning has been described as a structured and supportedprocess undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performanceand/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and careerdevelopment.1

The primary purpose of a PDP (Personal Development Plan) is to help you learn anddevelop more effectively and to be able to:

learn in a wider variety of ways and a wider range of contexts;

recognise and be able to list evidence for your own learning and therefore theprogress you are making;

draw upon and use your expanded personal knowledge to achieve particulargoals;

review, plan and take responsibility for your own learning;

recognise and define your training/learning needs.

This document will help you to produce a PDP and analyse your needs and to:

define short and long term aims and objectives

decide what is needed to achieve these aims and objectives

be able to list, analyse and understand your strengths and weaknesses

1

See also section on PDP in: Guidelines for HE Progress Files, QAA, UUK, SCOP, UniversitiesScotland, May 2001, www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressFiles/guidelines/progfile2001.pdf

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use the analysis of aims and objectives and strengths and weaknesses todefine your need for additional study, training, and further development of allkinds to enhance your skills, knowledge and competencies. Such a processis often described as producing a Training Needs Analysis (TNA)

reflect on and take active part in planning and development of your own

personal skills be more effective in carrying out tasks (e.g. your research)

What is a Personal Development Record?

There are many different kinds of PDR (Personal Development Records) built arounda variety of frameworks. However, all are intended in different ways to maintain aclear record of learning and personal development.

By reflecting on your skill needs over time and recording the training that issuccessfully completed a comprehensive set of information can be built up that canhelp you, inter alia to:

initially be a more effective researcher

be a more independent, autonomous and effective learner

plan and manage your career

decide on future career paths

create appropriate CVs

have evidence with which to apply for (or retain) membership of aProfessional or Statutory Body related to your profession

apply for promotion

Thus, although this document is written around the concept of the needs of researchdegree it can also be used to look further ahead into your career or life after you havesuccessfully completed your research, written and submitted your thesis, negotiatedyour viva and been awarded your PhD (or MPhil).

Who should use this PDP framework?

We are acutely aware that research degree students in the University are a veryheterogeneous group. Some will be what some other universities would see astraditional research students studying full-time for an MPhil/PhD, each perhaps

closely following completion of a Bachelors degree. However, many of LondonMetropolitans research students are following quite different career and developmenttrajectories studying for a research degree in part-time or full-time mode:

in mid or late career,

after a career,

for career advancement or

purely out of interest in the subject

You may work in a large organisation and/or be a member of a Professional orStatutory Body that requires you to maintain a PDR following a framework producedby such organisations. You may be completing a doctorate which has no intended

job-related outcomes. For these and other reasons the Research DegreesCommittee, acting on behalf of the Academic Board, has decided that use of a PDPby all research students and postdoctoral researchers will not be compulsory at this

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time. This may change at a later stage and there may be individuals who arerequired to use this PDP scheme following consultation with their supervisory teamand/or decisions at registration by the Research Students Progress Groups acting onbehalf of the Research Degrees Committee. However, the Graduate Schoolstrongly recommends that all research students and other researchers useappropriate parts of this framework unless they have a PDP from theiremployer or professional body which is adaptable to their needs in relation totheir research at the University.

The research degree programme

Administrative Stages

The most obvious formal administrative fixed points in an MPhil/PhD researchprogramme are:2

The initial administrative stage

application, interview, acceptance and enrolment, which may involvemost, if not all, of the following: preliminary project ideas, scoping,considering possible sources of funding, firming up on topic/considerationof supervisory team leading to completion of proposal, submission ofapplication to register project and project approval.

Transfer MPhil to PhD

unless you have been registered directly for a PhD

Submission of the thesis

viva examination and award of degree.

The Annual Monitoring

operating alongside the other stages.

The Academic Stages

The research degree programme itself can be broadly considered in three mainsections which may overlap to a lesser or greater extent.2

First Stage

Identifying the topic

Confirming originality of topic

Considering ethical issues: starting approval process if necessary

Undertaking appropriate preliminary training programme

Surveying and analysing the relevant literature and other sources

Defining the objectives in clear and specific terms

Formulating testable hypothesis

Defining basic concepts and variables

Stating underlying assumptions

Constructing a plan to maximise internal and external validity2 Handbook for Research Students and Supervisors and Code of Practice, London Metropolitan

University, 2002 (revised 2005)

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Second stage

Specifying data collection procedures, development of artifacts and/ordata analysis systems (where appropriate)

Executing the research plan and gathering data following appropriate

ethical guidelines

Third stage

Evaluating results and drawing conclusions

Writing up thesis

What skills and knowledge should I be developing?

This scheme is intended to encourage you to think in terms of a wide range ofknowledge and skills. The University and its predecessor institutions have long takenthe view that research students should engage in a significant programme ofpersonal development.

When contemplating your position as a researcher there is a natural tendency toconsider training needs purely in terms of those that relate directly and specifically toyour research knowledge directly connected with the specific discipline area andthe subject/title of your research project, the specific research skills you will need tocomplete the project, perhaps a recognition that you may need to enhance yourwriting skills to cope with the production of a dissertation and/or writing a paper forpublication in a book or specialist journal. However, these are only a few of thebroader skills that the University expects of a researcher.

Thus your consideration of your knowledge and skills needs should cover your needto develop

project specific knowledge and research skills

an understanding of the research methodology and the research skills and toolsused in the wider research community

information handling

planning and organisation skills

the more generic skills of communication (in a variety of contexts), team workingand networking, increasing personal effectiveness, etc.

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To help you further to consider the type of skills there are further ideas later in thisdocument and you may wish to refer to some publications 1,2,3,4,5,6, which contain somenational descriptions of skills expectations. When the Universitys Research DegreeCommittee revisited the issue of skills development in 2004 it recognised theconsiderable national debate that was taking place. The University agreed that itwished to treat the main national positions of the Research Council and the then Artsand Humanities Research Board (now AHRC, Arts and Humanities Research Council)and the Quality Assurance Agency as appropriate good practice. The most relevantparts of the statements made by both these bodies3,7 are included as Appendices 1and 2.

How will I develop skills?

This will depend on the particular skill. Generally support will primarily come fromthe members of your supervisory team, others in the academic department,Research Institute, Research Centre or research group in which you work and

from fellow students. However, some skills may also be accessed in the followingways:

subject specific knowledge and skills:can be found within taughtpostgraduate modules in the many Masters courses available in the university (to befound on Postgradline). You might need to take a whole module or only a part of it.

research methodology: in research methods modules available within almostall postgraduate courses and part or all of the specific modules within the MResScheme

health and safety : in the University Health and Safety Policy plus any localpolicy practice

ethics and good research practice: from the University Handbook forResearch Students and Supervisors and Code of Practice and the Research EthicsPolicy plus any local supplementation.

Various training courses and drop in facilities are also available which may help yourskills development in areas such as:

3 Skill training requirements for research students: joint statement by the Research Councils/AHRB.

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/skill_train_req.pdf

4 SET for Success. The supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills,

Sir Gareth Roberts, April 2002http://www.hm-

treasury.gov.uk/documents/enterprise_and_productivity/research_and_enterprise/ent_res_roberts.cfm

5 Postgraduate Training Guidelines, 4th Edition, Economic and Social Research Council, 2005. This

contains much consideration of subject-specific and research methods needs in the full range of

subjects covered by ESRC

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/postgraduate/pgtrainingpolicy/

6 Investing in Innovation. A strategy for science, engineering and technology, dti/HM Treasury/DfES,

July 2002.

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./Spending_Review/spend_sr02/report/spend_sr02_repindex.cfm

7 QAA Code of Practice for Postgraduate research programmes (Sept 2004)

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section1/default.asp

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project and resource management, information sources and archives, use of IT,writing and oral skills for a range of audiences, personal development such ascreativeness, flexibility, self awareness, self discipline, networking andinteraction with others.

Information on learning and training opportunities will be made available fromtime to time by the Graduate School, your supervisory team and within yourresearch area.

When do I use this scheme?

We have already shown a number of ways in which the route to a PhD may be splitinto stages. You may have felt that one of these is the right one for you or you may

want to define your own set of stages. However, whatever approach you decide totake please bear in mind that what is expected is that you should plan to developthe range of personal transferable skills alongside those that you specifically needto carry out your research project and write an appropriate thesis.

You can revisit the sections as often as you like but we suggest that it should done atleast on an annual basis to tie in with the annual monitoring of your progress. Sinceyou may well not have started at the beginning of an academic year, try to ensurethat your assessment of your needs and of the skills you have developed fits anappropriate pattern for your particular circumstances.

Remember you do not have to use this scheme if you have one from your

Professional or Statutory Body or an employer. However, please make sure if youare using one of these that you integrate appropriate entries to ensure coverage ofthe skills you will need for your research degree including transferable skills.

Some final hints:

be reflectivebe analyticalbe honest about your strengths and weaknessesremember you can learn from failures as well as successes

Think of the skills you need in the context of:

research related skillssubject-specific knowledge and skillspersonal and professional development (transferable skills)the questions employers ask (see Appendix 3 for some ideas about this)

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Getting Started

In order for you to be able to analyse and define your training needs it is helpful tohave a plan with some fixed points.

As a guide, if you do not want to make up your own set of stages you may wish toconsider the following framework as one that could be used.

Stage incourse

to accomplish Part-time students Full-time students

STAGE 1(A)

Scoping broad and specifictraining needs to produceTraining Needs Analysis anddefine specific training to beundertaken

Appreciation of basicrequirements of research degreeprogramme

Registrationshould occursometime in this initial stage

Subject-specific knowledge/skillspossibly from taught modules

6 months

STAGE 1(B)

Understanding and managingresearch

Other personal transferable skills

12 months 6 months

STAGE 2 Further understanding andmanaging research

2 years 12 months

STAGE 3 Research reporting/writing

Other personal transferable skills

MPhil/PhD transfer

3 years

STAGE 4 Preparing for post-research

activities/careers Other transferable skills

4 years 2 years

STAGE 5 Networking and othertransferable skills

5 years

STAGE 6 Complete thesis

Examination 6 years 3 years

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Your ideas?

We have now given you a number of ways of considering stages of a research degreeprogramme. Do you agree with any or all of them? Do you find one more helpful thananother? Do you have your own views/ideas? If so map them out. It is important atthis stage that you try to develop your own ideas as to how the fixed (e.g. annualmonitoring) and variable points will map out into your own research degreeprogramme, planning at least a year ahead. The template which follows is intended tohelp you do this.

Your personal mapping of your research degree programme

Before attempting to draw up a road map through your studies indicate briefly:

What are the aims of your research programme?(Note: if using a hard copy of this PDP scheme rather than an electronic version youwill need to use additional sheets for this and other sections)

What are the objectives of your research programme?

Now attempt to complete your plan using the template that follows. If you are justbeginning your research degree accept that you may not be able to describe fullybeyond the earliest stage(s) the fixed or intellectual points or your skills needs. Usethis first plan as a general sketch of your expectations not a detailed analysis as this

will come later. You can have as many or as few stages as you wish but we wouldadvise not too few (e.g. 1 or 2) or too many (e.g. 8 or more). Include where relevantan indication of the fixed points of registration, transfer where relevant (MPhil/PhD),

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first thesis draft, submission, examination, etc). As you progress through your projectyou will want to return to this to add to and alter what you have written. You might findit helpful to consider the skills you need under the general headings of the sections inAppendix 1:

Research Skills and Training Research Environment

Research Management

Personal Effectiveness

Communication Skills

Networking and Team-working

Career Management

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StageNumber

Period covered(date: Month/Year)

Skills I mayneed

Skills Ipossess

Likely trainingNeeds*

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

* You can summarise these for each Annual Monitoring exercise on the form suppliedfor this purpose.

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Analysing your training needs at each stage

In the following sections you will find an opportunity to consider your skills and assessyour training needs. Some sections indicate specific skill areas which all researchstudents need to develop but the intention is also for you to consider what may be

important so there are blank spaces for you to list as many skills as you feel you needor want to develop.

It is suggested that you score yourself each time as between 1 and 5 1 very poor, 2poor, 3 adequate, 4 good, 5 very good. However, if you wish you can use a differentscale (but ensure that you continue with it once you have started using it!). Note alsothat we are not attempting to dictate a single, definitive set of criteria by which thejudgments are made. They are your judgments of yourself. If you are concerned as towhether you are being too hard or easy on yourself, you could ask members of yoursupervisory team whether they think your analysis of yourself is about right.Remember too that your expectations of yourself may rise as you work through yourresearch degree programme, for example, your ability to talk about your research

project will be different in the first few months to what is required when you have yourviva or give a seminar presentation in your final year.

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RESEARCH SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

Scores: 1 = very poor 2 = poor 3 = adequate 4 = good 5 = very good

SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Subject specific skills

Knowledge of the published researchin research area or project

Research methodology

Computing skills

Use of literature

Health and safety

Ethics

Understanding IPR (IntellectualProperty Rights)

Problem solving, critical analysis

Other:

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for research skills andtechniques

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RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Understanding thenational/international context of yourwork

Recognition of factors such as ethics,data protection, copyright, IPR

Confidentiality, as appropriate

Understanding of relevant health andsafety issues

Demonstrating good researchpractice

Use of appropriate researchtechniques

Other:

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for researchenvironment

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RESEARCH MANAGEMENT


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Project management skills

Use of bibliographic tools

Use of appropriate IT packages andother research facilities

Awareness of relevant Universitysystems and procedures

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for research

management

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PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Willingness to learn, acquireknowledge

Creativity, innovativeness

Flexibility

Self-awareness, initiative, self-reliance, self-motivation

Initiative

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for personaleffectiveness

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COMMUNICATION SKILLS


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Writing clearly for a variety ofpurposes and audiences (includingthe general public)

Speaking clearly for a variety ofaudiences

Engaging in debate aboutoutcomes of own research and thatof others (to include vivaexamination)

Teaching skills

Other:

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for communicationskills

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NETWORKING AND TEAMWORKING


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Networking with peer group,supervisor, other researchers andnon-researchers inside and outsideuniversity

Recognising impact of own behaviouron others

Listening, discussing, negotiating asappropriate

Other:

Other:

Other:

Overall rating networking andteamworking

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CAREER MANAGEMENT


SkillStage Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Taking initiative for realistic andachievable career aspirations

Recognising and being able todescribe transferable skills gainedfrom research degree

Presenting skills and abilities inappropriate CVs, including academicachievements and personal attributes

Showing commitment to trainingneeds and to professionaldevelopment/ lifelong learning

Other:

Other:

Other:

Overall rating for career management

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RESEARCH SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

Note: if using a paper copy of this PDP scheme you will need to use additional sheets of paper.

Stage 1

Comments on evidence for scores:

Training needs identified:

Courses and other activities to be undertaken(Note: these courses and activities will be transferred to the relevant part of yourAnnual Monitoring Form)

Stage 2




Stage 3




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Stage 4




Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




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Stage 8




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Record of Attendance at courses, seminars research colloquiasymposia, conferences, training sessions, etcNote: if using a paper copy of this PDP scheme you will need to use additional sheets of paper.

Date(s) Event Brief Comment

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Research Environment


Stage 1




Stage 2




Stage 3




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Stage 4




Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7



Courses and other activities to be undertaken

(Note: these courses and activities will be transferred to the relevant part of yourAnnual Monitoring Form)

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Stage 8




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Record of Attendance at courses, seminars research colloquiasymposia, conferences, training sessions, etc



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Research Management


Stage 1




Stage 2




Stage 3




Stage 4




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Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




Stage 8




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Personal Effectiveness


Stage 1




Stage 2




Stage 3




Stage 4



Courses and other activities to be undertaken(Note: these courses and activities will be transferred to the relevant part of your

Annual Monitoring Form)

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Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




Stage 8




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Communication Skills


Stage 1




Stage 2





Stage 3





Stage 4





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Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




Stage 8




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Networking and Teamworking


Stage 1




Stage 2




Stage 3




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Stage 4





Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




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Stage 8




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Career Management


Stage 1




Stage 2




Stage 3




Stage 4




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Stage 5




Stage 6




Stage 7




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Stage 8




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Appendix 1

Skills training requirements for research students : jointstatement of the Research Councils AHRB

INTRODUCTION

The Research Councils and the Arts and Humanities Research Board play animportant role in setting standards and identifying best practice in research training.This document sets out a joint statement of the skills that doctoral research studentsfunded by the Research Councils/AHRB would be expected to develop during their

research training.

These skills may be present on commencement, explicitly taught, or developedduring the course of the research. It is expected that different mechanisms will beused to support learning as appropriate, including self-direction, supervisor supportand mentoring, departmental support, workshops, conferences, elective trainingcourses, formally assessed courses and informal opportunities.

The Research Councils and the AHRB would also want to re-emphasise their beliefthat training in research skills and techniques is the key element in the developmentof a research student, and that PhD students are expected to make a substantial,original contribution to knowledge in their area, normally leading to published work.The development of wider employment-related skills should not detract from that coreobjective. The purpose of this statement is to give a common view of the skills andexperience of a typical research student thereby providing universities with a clearand consistent message aimed at helping them to ensure that all research trainingwas of the highest standard, across all disciplines. It is not the intention of thisdocument to provide assessment criteria for research training.

It is expected that each Council/Board will have additional requirements specific totheir field of interest and will continue to have their own measures for the evaluationof research training within institutions.

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(A) Research Skills and Techniques - to be able to demonstrate:

1. the ability to recognise and validate problems

2. original, independent and critical thinking, and the ability to develop

theoretical concepts

3. a knowledge of recent advances within ones field and in related areas

4. an understanding of relevant research methodologies and techniques andtheir appropriate application within ones research field

5. the ability to critically analyse and evaluate ones findings and those of others

6. an ability to summarise, document, report and reflect on progress

(B) Research Environment - to be able to:

1. show a broad understanding of the context in which research takes place

2. demonstrate awareness of issues relating to the rights of other researchers,of research subjects, and of others who may be affected by the research, e.g.confidentiality, ethical issues, attribution, copyright, malpractice, ownership ofdata and the requirements of the Data Protection Act

3. demonstrate appreciation of standards of good research practice in theirinstitution and/or discipline

4. understand relevant health and safety issues and demonstrate responsibleworking practices

5. justify ones own research and contribute to promoting the publicunderstanding of ones research field

6. understand the process of academic or commercial exploitation of researchresults

(C) Research Management - to be able to:

1. apply effective project management through the setting of research goals,intermediate milestones and prioritisation of activities

2. design and execute systems for the acquisition and collation of informationthrough the effective use of appropriate resources and equipment

3. identify and access appropriate bibliographical resources, archives, and othersources of relevant information

4. use information technology appropriately for database management,recording and presenting information

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(D) Personal Effectiveness - to be able to:

1. demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn and acquire knowledge

2. be creative, innovative and original in ones approach to research

3. demonstrate flexibility and open-mindedness

4. demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to identify own training needs

5. demonstrate self-discipline, motivation, and thoroughness

6. recognise boundaries and draw upon/use sources of support as appropriate

7. show initiative, work independently and be self-reliant

(E) Communication Skills - to be able to:

1. write clearly and in a style appropriate to purpose, e.g. progress reports,published documents, thesis

2. construct coherent arguments and articulate ideas clearly to a range ofaudiences, formally and informally through a variety of techniques

3. constructively defend research outcomes at seminars and viva examination

4. effectively support the learning of others when involved in teaching, mentoringor demonstrating activities

(F) Networking and Teamworking - to be able to:1. develop and maintain co-operative networks and working relationships with

supervisors, colleagues and peers, within the institution and the widerresearch community

2. understand ones behaviours and impact on others when working in andcontributing to the success of formal and informal teams

3. listen, give and receive feedback and respond perceptively to others

(G) Career Management - to be able to:

1. appreciate the need for and show commitment to continued professionaldevelopment

2. take ownership for and manage ones career progression, set realistic andachievable career goals, and identify and develop ways to improveemployability

3. demonstrate an insight into the transferable nature of research skills to otherwork environments and the range of career opportunities within and outsideacademia

4. present ones skills, personal attributes and experiences through effectiveCVs, applications and interviews

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Appendix 2

The QAA Code of Practice

The QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in

higher education Section 1: Postgraduate research programmes September 2004should be read in detail by all research degree students. However, for the purpose ofunderstanding further the areas of training and development that you might considerwhile using this PDR the following Precepts are considered to be the most useful.

Precept 18 Institutions will provide research students with appropriate opportunities forpersonal and professional development.

Research students need support to develop the research, subject specific, communication, andother skills they require to become effective researchers, to enhance their employability andassist their career progress after completion of their degree. These skills may be present oncommencement (for example in the case of some mature students), explicitly taught, or

developed during the research programme.

In providing research students with opportunities for developing personal and research skills,institutions will wish to pay particular attention to the differing needs of individualpostgraduates, arising from their diversity. It is expected that a range of mechanisms will beused to support learning and that they will be sufficiently flexible to address those individualneeds. For example, the development needs of research students already employed toundertake research may be different from those of other students. The emphasis in formaltraining should be on quality, relevance and timeliness.

Institutions will wish to consider embedding opportunities for skills development in researchdegree programmes. Depending on the needs of the subject and the student, personal andprofessional development opportunities for research students will either be spread across theduration of the research degree or will be provided at the beginning of the programme, theaim being to maximise the effectiveness of training in developing skills, both research andgeneric.

In deciding which elements of research and skills development to make mandatory,institutions will wish to take into account advice from research councils and other sources. Itwill not necessarily be appropriate for all students to undertake such development; forexample, mature students who may be studying for their own interest in the subject may notneed to acquire skills for employment.

To ensure students' needs are being met, institutions will find it helpful to review on a regularbasis the training in research and generic skills provided for their students, as part of thequality assurance mechanisms for research programmes.

Opportunities for skills development can be provided either by the institution offering thestudent's research programme, or by other institutions, perhaps through regional or othercollaboration.

Precept 19 Each student's development needs will be identified and agreed jointly bythe student and appropriate academic staff, initially during the student's inductionperiod; they will be regularly reviewed during the research programme and amendedas appropriate.

The research councils and the AHRB play an important role in setting standards andidentifying best practice in research training. In their joint statement Skills trainingrequirements for research students (attached at Appendix 3), they have set out the skills thatdoctoral research students they funded are expected to have on completion of theirprogrammes.

Institutions will wish to use their experience of structured training and education to establishpersonal and professional development opportunities for the benefit of students. The extent to

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which research students are required to take advantage of these opportunities will normallybe negotiated through the supervision process, taking account of subject and individualneeds.

Where postgraduate students are provided with opportunities for teaching (for example, actingas demonstrators in laboratories, or teaching small groups), appropriate guidance and supportwill be provided. If the student's teaching activity also extends to assessing students, trainingwill reflect this. It is helpful for postgraduates to be part of a larger teaching team, so they canbenefit from the support and mentoring provided by experienced teachers.

Precept 20 Institutions will provide opportunities for research students to maintain arecord of personal progress, which includes reference to the development of researchand other skills.

It is accepted as good practice for students to reflect on their learning, supported byframeworks developed by institutions for recording personal development. National guidelines(currently Guidelines for Higher Education Progress Files), suggest that PDP for studentsshould operate across the whole higher education system. Research students may find ituseful to use the PDP tools provided by their institutions to record their personal progress anddevelopment, including reference to research and other skills. Planning for skills development

and checking that necessary guidance and support has been provided should form part of theprocess of personal development planning.

Students who, on entry to the research programme, are unfamiliar with keeping records oftheir progress and development are likely to need additional guidance and support.

Institutions may also wish to implement some form of recognition of the acquisition oftransferable skills in parallel with, or as part of, the academic assessment of the student'sprogress.Feedback mechanismsCollecting and acting upon feedback from students, staff, examiners and others involved inresearch programmes is a fundamental part of the quality assurance process, at institutionaland subject levels. Precept 21 and accompanying text outline how institutions may wish toapproach this activity.

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Appendix 3

Typical questions from job application forms and interviews

What have you gained from your time at university? Skills, knowledge, attributes?

Why did you study X at university?Was it what you expected? Which was..? How did it differ from your expectations?Which aspects of your course were the most enjoyable? Why?How did you choose your university?How could your experience have been improved?Which clubs/societies did you join? What are your interests? What do you put in andwhat do you get out of them? Whats your role in them?

Why do you want the job?Why do you think you are suitable for this position?

What attracts you to the company/organisation?What are the key issues facing our organisation at present?

What work experience do you have? What did you do and what did you get out of it?In terms of skills, abilities, knowledge?What did you learn from previous work? What did you learn about yourself? Whatwork have you enjoyed/do you enjoy and why?What dont you enjoy and why?

What are your strengths? How do you know? How have you developed them?Whats the evidence?What is your major fault? What are you doing to remedy it?

Why shouldnt we employ you? (this is sometimes asked at interview!)

What experience do you have of working in groups?What role do you take in a group? Supporter/encourager, finisher/completer, enabler,leader, organiser?How do you ensure everyone participates?Are you a team player? Whats the evidence?

Describe a major non-academic achievement (apart from passing your driving test!).What did you do? Why do you consider it important? What did you learn aboutyourself?

Describe a time when you failed at something? What happened? What did youlearn? about yourself?

How would you go about solving a problem? What are the stages involved?Describe a problem you have solved involving people - give the context, action taken,outcome, and what you learnt from the experience.

How would you set up a project? Whats the process the project stages?

Describe a difficult situation which you had to overcome? What did you do? Whathappened? What did you learn about yourself?

Describe a situation in which you had to persuade others to your point of view. Howdid you do it?

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The X company prides itself on offering high quality products/service. What do youunderstand by `quality`? Give an example from your own experience which showsyour commitment to quality.

Where do you want to be in 5 years time? And how are you going to get there?

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Documents

Personal Development Planning Training Needs Analysis Personal Development Record