PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING An Implementation Model The Effective Learning Framework

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING An Implementation
Model?The Effective Learning Framework

• Professor David A Ross
• University of Abertay Dundee
• Convenor JWG on ELF

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Workshop Objectives

• To provide an overview of the Sectors approach
  to PDP
• To set the scene for the ELF Project
• To determine the challenges facing ELF in being
  accepted
• To determine the suitability for ELF within UHIMI

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The UK Context

• Progress Files in HE Guidelines (2001)
• The PDP element of the policy objectives should
  be operational across the whole HE system and for
  all HE awards by 2005/06.
• UUK Progress File Implementation Group Report
  (2003)
• Progress in implementing PDP is slow and uneven

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Scotland and PDP

• Plenty of enthusiasm at practitioner level (e.g.
  PDP in Scotland Group)
• Disinterest at senior levels
• As a result some good pilot activity and
  practice (e.g UHIMI) but lack of strategic
  impetus
• Yet 2005/06 is not far away!

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Working Group Remit

• aid the sector with the implementation of PDP
• encourage dialogue about PDP across the Scottish
  HE sector and within institutions outwith
  existing PDP networks.
• consider how best to support the Scottish HE
  sector in the implementation of PDP in the longer
  term.

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Implementation in Scottish Sector

• ARTICULATION - define and clarify the
  relationship between PDP and the SCQF and
  processes operating outwith HE including Further
  Education
• COMMITMENT
• from the top
• win the hearts and minds of staff and students
• EMBEDDING - by encouraging institutions to
  develop and progress their own policies with
  respect to PDP

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Implementation in Scottish Sector

• ALIGNMENT
• define and clarify the academic nature of PDP and
  how it can be articulated with other aspects of
  the curriculum
• define and clarify the relationships between PDP
  and employability including Career and Guidance
  systems and encourage institutions to relate
  institutional strategies to career and work
  development

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Features of PDP

• Essentially, PDP is a process that involves
  critical reflection, planning, implementing and
  evaluating activities
• These processes are integral to the whole
  learning experience of a student in Higher
  Education and thus, PDP should be embedded firmly
  with the rest of the curricula and not seen as a
  separate activity.
• The main outcome from PDP activity in terms of
  personal development would be for students to
  make progress towards becoming independent,
  autonomous, self-aware learners.
• PDP should be relevant to students at all stages
  in their study in HE.

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Getting PDP to Work

• Personal development planning is most effective
  when it is
• a mainstream academic activity
• engaged in regularly
• supported by staff and by formal institutional
  structures
• linked to course objectives/outcomes
• voluntary
• owned by the learner.

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Implications..

• of ELF within the new learning environment
• of ELF for staff and staff development
• for Assessment of student learning
• for Employers and Employability

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ELF and the New Learning Environment

• Student Autonomy in Learning
• Inter-dependency in Learning
• Integration of skills in the Curriculum

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Student Autonomy in Learning Why Now?

• Modular Courses and CATS
• Widening Access
• Quality Audits and QA/QE
• Career Opportunities and Graduate Employment
• Evolving Skills of Students
• Professional Bodies and CPD

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Discussion 1

• What are the important features/issues in the
  preceding slide?

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Student Autonomy in Learning Why Now?

• Modular course arrangements and credit
  accumulation, and transfer systems require
  important decisions informed by careful planning
  by the student.
• Widening student access to higher education has
  changed the profile of new entrants. Personal
  development planning provides students with a
  framework to identify and apply their prior
  learning and experience.
• Quality audits and quality assessments commend
  institutional systems which foster the personal
  development of students.
• Career opportunities for graduates are shifting
  from large employers to small and medium sized
  businesses where employees are expected to take
  more responsibility for their own learning and
  career development.

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Student Autonomy in Learning Why Now?

• Graduate employment now requires greater
  flexibility as a result of changes in the
  function of jobs and in working practices.
• The qualities associated with being a graduate
  are continually evolving. Students recognise this
  and require a framework to plan their
  development.
• The professional bodies and graduate employers
  engage their employees in planning. Experience of
  this process will be an advantage to graduates

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Student (Effective)Learning
INTER-DEPENDENCY
Trans-Disciplinary Skills Key Skills, PDP,
Teamwork, Problem Solving, Initiative,
Reflection, Career Planning
Becoming an adaptable, learner- employee
Disciplinary Skills Application, Analysis,
Synthesis, Evaluation, Learning skills,
Practice-based skills
Thinking and behaving like an historian, chemist,
philosopher
INDEPENDENCE
Disciplinary Knowledge and Understanding
Developing qualities of the mind
DEPENDENCY
Adapted from Jackson, N, Ward, R Reece-Jones,
P (2003)
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What is the Effective Learning Framework?

• The Effective Learning Framework provides a
  strategic framework to assist Institutions to
  implement trans-disciplinary knowledge and skills
  including Personal and Professional Development
  Planning within cognate disciplines.

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Effective Learning Framework - Core Concept
Academic Curriculum
How does my course help my employability?
How do I learn?
Career Skills
What are my career skills?
Personal experience
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Effective Learning Framework - Core Concept
SELF AUDIT
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SELF Audit or Review as a PDP process
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
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Focused Learner Questions Principles

• Developed these at generic level
• Institutions will determine how or whether the
  FLQs are used adopt, adapt and develop questions
  in an integrated context.
• FLQs should not only encourage reflection, but
  also help with planning and future development.
• FLQs should be clearly linked to the intended
  learning outcomes of a programme of study.
• FLQs should be open questions 

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Focused Learner Questions Principles

• To reflect the structure of ELF, questions should
  be able to explore the personal, academic and
  career aspects of a students experience, but
  also act to link these experiences together.  
• The FLQs should be flexible enough so that
  institutions/providers should be able to
  integrate with their own programmes.
• FLQs should be designed so that the outcomes of
  using them can be demonstrated and recorded.  
• Institutions should be able to evaluate the
  effectiveness of FLQs used in their institution.

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Focused Learner Questions

• Personal Awareness (or experience)
• What do I value in life? What interests me?
• How can I be sure about what I want to do?
• How can I develop and use my personal
  aspirations?
• What do I know about myself?
• How can I make the best use of my time in Higher
  Education?

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PDP, as part of an Effective Learning
Framework..

• helps to improve retention rates and progression
• provides a focus for effective decision making
  and planning
• contributes to an ethos of lifelong learning
• motivates learners to increase their commitment
  to learning

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PDP, as part of an Effective Learning
Framework..

• assists learners in establishing objectives and
  setting goals
• encourages learners to take responsibility for
  their own learning
• promotes skills in reflection, reviewing and
  planning
• stimulates the development of critical thinking
  and self analysis

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How will ELF help institutions implement PDP?
INSTITUTION Ethos, Mission, Teaching and Learning
Strategy, Curriculum development guidelines
CONTEXT Discipline, School/Department and
Programme of Study
E L F
PDP Personal, Academic and Career Development
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The Effective Learning Framework Implications
for institutions

• ELF provides an opportunity for institutions to
  develop a lifelong learning agenda, moving from a
  learned to a (holistic) learning culture.
• This requires commitment from the top and
  provision of resources (time, staff training)
• Student development is at the heart of the
  process
• Curriculum design provides the opportunity for
  staff to integrate career development and
  employment skills within the academic subject at
  modular levels
• various models stand alone or core vs fully
  integrated with academic subjects

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So, where are we now?

• Generic Guide (Academic Staff)
• Stakeholder Guides
• Student Guide
• Senior Manager Guide
• Careers Service Guide
• Support Staff Guide
• Employer Guide

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Next Steps

• Work more with PDP in Scotland Group
• Updated Case Studies (Dec 03)
• Draft Guidelines (Dec 03)
• Consultation and Focus Group Workshops with
  Sector and Students (Jan/Feb 04)
• Guidelines Launch (April 04)
• Align ELF with the emerging Enhancement
  Engagement Themes in Scotland
• Link to LLL and School/HE interfaces

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Discussion 2

• From a UHIMI perspective, what would be the
  challenges/issues in embedding your PDP model in
  an Enhanced Learning Framework?