PDP4XL2 Personal Development Planning for Cross - Institutional Lifelong Learning

1. PDP4XL2 Personal Development Planning for Cross - Institutional Lifelong Learning Janet Hanson and Amina Uddin E-portfolios: employability or engagement? London, 7th December 2007 http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

2. Project Team Project Director : Janet Hanson Project Manager : Amina Uddin Project Advisers : Ken Bissell & Dr Barbara Newland Researcher : Lizzie Nixon (Bournemouth Media School) http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

3. Project partners • Bournemouth University (Lead institution) • Arts Institution at Bournemouth • Dartington College of Arts • Open University in the South West • University Centre Yeovil • University of Gloucestershire • Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust • Phosphorix http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

4. Overview • PDP4XL2 -use of PDP and e-portfolios to develop and sustain favourable learner attitudes towards lifelong learning in the creative industries and health care sectors • Project partners will evaluate the ioPortal, developed by Phosphorix, and map its data structures for PDP records against those in their institutional VLEs/e-portfolios that support PDP • Project builds on the strengths and successful outcomes of PDP4Life, the regional e-learning pilot for the SW http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

5. Overall Aims Aims to encourage: • Successful lifelong learning by developing a positive attitude towards PDP by learners, academic staff, employers and professional organisations • A willingness to use technology in the PDP process to generate the transferable records that support lifelong learning http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

6. Specific Aims Creative Industries • Continue to embed PDP and e-portfolio use in the SW • Use of employer feedback to inform PDP tools and processes Health Care Professionals • Explore attitudes to and engagement with PDP and e-portfolios for lifelong learning in both academic and practice settings in the SW region South West Lifelong Learning Network Inform (SWLLN) • Inform and be informed by, approaches to PDP and e-portfolios used to support their information, advice and guidance processes Interoperability of learner records and data transfer across institutional boundaries • Contribute to the knowledge base http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

7. CI Learners Frequently highly skilled in the use of IT but they have requirements for portfolio building that challenge the concept of the lifelong learner record and specifications for e-portfolios Health Sector Learners Traditionally be less accustomed to using IT but have a professional requirement to maintain their CPD profile, so the transfer of their records and the associated PDP processes into an online environment presents interesting challenges Assumptions http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

8. Project Methodology Attitudes to PDP and lifelong learning • Meeting with learner and employers to identify their attitudes to and usage of PDP and e-portfolios, including ioPortal Learners will include: • Undergraduate students • Those undertaking CPD programmes • Workplace learning in practice • Non traditional learners seeking guidance on learning opportunities from the SWLLN • Employers will be from the Creative Industries and the Health Sector http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

9. Project Methodology Technical Developments • PDP process tool in ioPortal will be evaluated with learners and adjustments made if appropriate • Possibility of transferring PDP learner records between ioPortal and PebblePad and between ioPortal and other M/VLEs used by partners will be explored e.g Blackboard, Moodle and e2Train http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

10. Employability The primary objective for PDP is to improve the capacity of students to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning. In developing this capacity students will be better equipped to convince employers that they are employable and they should be me more aware of what they need to do to stay employed” (HEA 2002) http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

11. Employability “PDP will help students: • be better prepared for seeking employment or self-employment and be more able to relate what they have learnt to the requirements of employers” (QAA, 2000) http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

12. Employability “The absence of research studies that address other claims, particularly those relating to broader self-development and improved employability outcomes, means that these claims cannot be substantiated at this stage” (Gough et al, 2003). http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

13. What are you experiences on employer attitudes? What are your experiences on employer attitudes and perceptions? http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

14. Creative Industry – PDP Research • Research into the perceptions and needs of creative industries students and employers in relation to PDP is very limited • Nature of the creative arts disciplines might merit a specific approach to PDP on the strength of their unique educational practices (James, 2004) • Students in the creative disciplines are able and willing to engage actively in the process of assessing, and reflecting on, their own learning experience using an online PDP tool (Malins & McKillop, 2005) http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

15. PDP4XL2 Research What do employers in the creative industries think about the use of e-portfolios for personal development planning (PDP)? http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

16. Research Methods Sample & Methods : • Open-ended questionnaires • Interviews with CI professionals • Focus groups Research conducted by The Arts Institute at Bournemouth & Centre of Excellence in Media Practice • Key themes : • The Culture of the CI • Recruitment practices • Media Professionals conception of PDP • Perceived value of PDP • Perceptions of e-portfolio • Advice for e-portfolio design • Practical issues with job application http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

17. Findings • CI employers desperately seek individuality and personality in job applications • The provision for PDP depends on the size of the company • The CI rely on networking and paper based methods to recruit but this process fails to assist employers in revealing the kind of person they seek • There is a desperate need to access individuality, key strength, passion and essence of a person • PDP was understood to be the process by which one reflects on skills and is able to present them clearly and logically • E-portfolios allows employers to recruit on attitude rather than merely skills • Can allow employers to see the spirit of the person • The process of PDP helps an individual to be more focused, articulate and self aware but the product of personal development lies in improving the skills and self understanding of the individual rather than the production of an e-portfolio • The evidence for PDP is in who the candidate is rather than seeing an electronic database of documentation http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

18. E-portfolios “It feels everyone has a degree and you’re looking at a big pile of undifferentiated data and therefore it doesn’t mean anything. How do you differentiate? If differentiation had a personal element, it got at the spirit of the person, so you felt like you knew the person through a personal account of themselves. I think that would make all the difference.” “ I wouldn’t want an e-portfolio of someone or two page printout of their personal development plan, I wouldn't even glance at it. I am looking for a quick indication if that person is right for me” “ I don’t really need to see anyone’s PDP because I would expect to find out from people in their covering letter and interview” http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

19. Conclusions • Positive attitudes towards the process of PDP • E-portfolios may be a part of PDP but should not become the entirety of its focus • Very few CI employers have the time or the inclination to view an e-portfolio during recruitment process • E-portfolio could be useful during later stages of recruitment • PDP can help students find individuality and express this • Graduates should be encouraged to continue lifelong learning • The technology of an e-portfolio in assisting PDP would override the purpose and value of PDP itself • A high value has been attached to the process of PDP as well as the concept of e-portfolio as a tool within the learning process http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

20. Project Next Steps • Further research on attitudes towards PDP • The potential of ioPortal as an e-portfolio tool • Pilots with Health & Social Care and Media students • Current Health Care PDP systems and attitudes of AHP http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

21. Anticipated Outcomes Case studies to help institutions meet the needs of diverse learners with understanding of PDP in two specific vocational areas: Creative Industries Health Care http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

22. Anticipated Outcomes In both cases: • Understanding learner and employer perceptions • Informing the development of tools to assist e-PDP and e-portfolio building • For individual applications/tools or elements of a larger VLE http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

23. References : 1 • GOUGH, D.A., KIWAN, D., SUTCLIFFE, K., SIMPSON, D., & HOUGHTON, N. (2003). A systematic map and synthesis review of personal development planning for improving student learning. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit. • HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY HEA (2002). Guide for Busy Academics No.3. Using Personal Development Planning to help students gain employment. • JAMES, A. (2004). Autobiography and narrative in personal development planning in the creative arts. Art Design and Communication in Higher Education, 3 (2) 103-118 http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

24. References : 2 • MALINS, J. AND MCKILLOP, C. (2005). Evaluating GraysNet: an online PDP tool for use in an art and design context. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education 4(1) 31-47. • QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY (QAA) FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. (2000). Policy statement on a progress file for Higher Education. Available at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressFiles/archive/policystatement/default.asp Accessed 24 April 2007 http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/

25. Contacts Amina Uddin PDP Project Manager auddin@bournemouth.ac.uk http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/asprojects/pdpxl2/