Personal Development Profiles/Planning: where we are and where we’re going

1. Personal Development Profiles/Planning: where we are and where we’re going Janet Strivens Senior Associate Director, Centre for Recording Achievement Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

2. The Centre for Recording Achievement A cross-sectoral network organisation with institutional and individual members. Seeks to promote awareness and understanding of the processes associated with recording achievement (review, reflection, planning) as an important element in improving learning and progression throughout the world of education, training and employment. The one-stop shop for the HE Progress File http://www.recordingachievement.org Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

3. CRA and the Higher Education Academy • a Centre of Professional Expertise in the field of representing, recording and communicating student learning and achievement maintaining its independence but designated an Associate Centre of the Higher Education Academy. Supporting Academy members by: • Facilitating communication and development work. • Identifying development needs so as to inform planning and work programmes. • Running a programme of events so that all have the opportunity to learn about, and participate in, up-to-date development work. • Providing a consultancy service to address the specific development needs and interests of individual institutions in the area of PDP and related activities. • Contributing to the development of e-portfolio approaches to support the Professional Development and Recognition of HE Staff. Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

4. (Just to remind you…..)What is Personal Development Planning? “Progress Files [for Higher Education] 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” (National Committee of Inquiry in Higher Education [The Dearing Report]: 1997) “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” (QAA: Progress Files for Higher Education: 2000) Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

5. Policy Intentions - to help students: • become more effective, independent and confident self-directed learners; • understand how they are learning and relate their learning to a wider context; • improve their general skills for study and career management; • articulate their personal goals and evaluate progress towards their achievement; • and encourage a positive attitude to learning throughout life. Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

6. Burgess Report: Measuring and Recording Student Achievement Recommendation 6 2004 “ Higher education institutions should continue to implement Personal Development Planning within the guidelines developed by the Progress File Implementation Group. There should continue to be evaluation of the impact of learning and the representation of learning and achievement of different forms of Personal Development Planning.” Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

7. Some PDP activities Reviewing strengths and weaknesses (generic/subject specific) Stating and reviewing goals (short term/long term) Making plans to achieve goals/remedy areas of weakness Recording experiences, reflecting on what has been learned Recording achievements, reflecting on progress …and PDP outputs (records) Initial statement of motivation for programme Review of a period of time - what have I achieved? Analysis of feedback received – what are my strengths and areas for development? Critical incident analysis Reflective learning log Action plan Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

8. Approaches to PDP implementation Strategies divide into two broad categories: • embedding PDP into the academic curriculum, programme by programme, level by level; • offering generic opportunities outside the curriculum, most obviously via the personaltutor system.   These can be supplemented by extracurricular opportunities. They can also be combined in a ‘mixed economy’ model. Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

9. Advantages Resourcing comes through the academic curriculum Student may be more likely to accept PDP as relevant to his/her studies Makes the improvement of learning central to the concept of PDP, therefore may appeal more to academics PDP required within some disciplines e.g. healthcare, therefore easier to implement Students motivated by gaining credit and assessment requirements. Disadvantages Danger of neglecting extracurricular development Finding the time within the curriculum Modular philosophy is anti-integration: difficult to establish ‘synoptic’ learning outcomes Possibly undermines the whole philosophy of partnership in learning and the development of student autonomy/responsibility Embedded in the curriculum Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

10. Advantages May be easier to monitor and guarantee a standard ‘core’ Extension of a role currently understood (and accepted?) by academics Common recording systems can be designed Allows tutor and student to review learning across the whole programme Puts the onus more on the student to take advantage of the opportunity, thus consonant with philosophy Disadvantages Not all academics have the skills and aptitude for this extended tutoring role Therefore needs ready access for tutor to good quality information, guidance and networks Easily sabotaged by one negative experience Even the minimum entitlement to time may be significantly more than academics are currently allocating May dependent on other policies e.g. on feedback operating well Without academic credit, students may be difficult to motivate to attend Additional to the curriculum eg via personal tutors Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

11. Learning/employability • Not incompatible • Where you start depends on institutional culture/expectations of students (motivations may change throughout programme • Who is leading in your institution? • Make links to subject benchmarks/graduate profiles • Use employers’ expectations Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

12. Advantages of e-PDP • The records can’t get left on a bus • Cuts the administrative burden for staff members • Allows links to online help and guidance (for students and staff) • Some students find it easier to reveal problems and issues in an online environment (other don’t) • The internal structure can support reflection • Potentially transferable when student leaves Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

13. Do we want an e-portfolio? Does having an e-portfolio mean the PDP box can be ticked? What is it anyway? Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

14. The Future? ‘We will encourage every institution to offer a personal online learning space to store coursework, course resources, results and achievements. We will work towards developing a personal identifier for each learner, so that organizations can support an individual’s progression more effectively. Together, these facilities will become an electronic portfolio, making it simpler for learners to build their record of achievement throughout their lifelong learning’. (DfES Towards a Unified E-Learning Strategy, 2005, para10, page 5). Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

15. and • The Report of the Scoping Group on ‘Measuring and Recording Student Achievement in HE’ (‘the Burgess Report’, 2004) emphasised ‘the recognition that students themselves are crucial translaters and conveyors of information about (their) learning and achievement’. It envisages the possibility of a personal electronic portfolio (e-portfolio), by all HE students in the medium term. http://bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/measuringachievement.pdf • The recently published e-learning strategy produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE, 2005)emphasises the encouragement of ‘e-based systems of describing learning achievement and personal development planning (PDP)’ within its Joint Implementation Plan. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_12/05_12.doc Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

16. and • TheQualifications and Curriculum Authority’sBlueprint for e-assessment (QCA 2004) envisages that within five years ‘all awarding bodies should be set up to accept and assess e-portfolios’ http://www.qca.org.uk/2586_6997.html • Beyond the UK, the Europortfolio consortium has launched a manifesto committed to e-Portfolio for All by 2010. Founding members include the European Institute for E-Learning (EifEL), the UK’s CETIS, and IMS in Europe. In December 2004 the European Commission announced the launch of a EuroPass e-portfolio service, based in Maastricht http://www.europortfolio.org Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

17. A portfolio is….. Most often… • A collection of the owner’s work • Evidence to demonstrate that specific learning outcomes/criteria have been met Could also be… • A repository for thoughts, ideas, questions, plans, work in progress Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

18. What functions do we want in an e-portfolio? • A digital repository • With the power to select easily different viewing permissions • And to make internal connections/relationships • Linkages to other electronic sources, particularly guidance and qualifications • Linkages to social/collaboration tools, with the power to extract useful bits! Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006

19. (Some) considerations • Ownership/permissions to view records/DP issues • One system or many? (Do they talk to each other?) • Commercial/open-source/home-grown? • What happens when the student leaves (and perhaps he/she arrives?) • Purposes: presentation, assessment, support for learning, career planning…. • Functions: guidance, repository of evidence, stimulating reflection, capturing ideas, sharing and collaboration…. Early Childhood CETL/SWAP/ESCalate event Stranmillis University College March 1/ 2nd 2006