Personal Development Planning at Staffordshire University

1
Personal Development Planning at Staffordshire
University

• Helen Pownall
• PDP Project Manager
• Academic Development Institute
• 18 April 2005

2
Overview

• Background to PDP at Staffs
• Drivers and rationale
• Implementation timetable
• Pilots students and staff
• Staffordshire University PDP policy
• PDP E-learning resource My Portfolio
• Motivation factors
• Questions/discussion

3
Background to PDP at Staffs

• Mark Stiles, specialist in learning technologies,
  member of JISC group
• Student Profiling Working Group
• Successful pilots in Law, Social Work Geography
• Internal drivers, e.g. employability and widening
  participation
• QAA Guidelines on HE Progress Files (2000)
• My Portfolio electronic system to help students
  learn from work experience
• Many elements of PDP already embedded in
  curriculum and current academic practices
• Appointment of Project Manager to co-ordinate
  roll out of PDP across the University (October
  03)

4
Specific Drivers and Rationale

• QAA national deadline of 2005/6 for
  universities to introduce PDP element of Progress
  Files for all HE students
• The 3 Rs Recruitment, Retention and GRaduate
  Employability
• Widening participation - addressing individual
  needs of increasingly diverse student body
• Adding value to degree, e.g. through synoptic
  work
• Creating a cohesive student experience

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Implementation Timetable

• Pilot Phase 04/5
• PDP pilots in every Faculty, including
  postgraduates, distance learners
• Development of University PDP policy
• Programme of staff development
• PDP mini-site for staff
• New e-learning resource
• Structured evaluation to inform roll out
• Roll-Out Phase 05/6
• Implementation of PDP policy for all full-time,
  on campus undergraduates at level one
• The Future
• Timescales for implementation of PDP policy for
  other groups to be confirmed

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PDP Pilots 04-5

• 16 PDP pilots with students from all four
  Faculties, 2 SURF colleges, and with staff in
  Information Services
• Pilots diverse in terms of
• Subject discipline
• Types of student (e.g. full/part-time,
  international, mature, ethnic minority, disabled)
• Types and levels of award (e.g. level one
  undergraduate, Masters, Foundation Degree)
• Approaches to embedding PDP (e.g. embedded in
  module, in personal tutorials, optional classes)
• PDP Practitioners Group allows pilot leaders to
  share good practice and discuss common issues
• Evaluation of pilots by questionnaires focus
  groups and interviews to be conducted by p/t
  research associate from May 2005

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PDP Pilot with Staff - rationale

• Bring greater continuity and cohesiveness to
  current appraisal system
• Help staff to view their personal development
  more holistically (not just job-related!)
• Practise what we preach to students!

8
PDP Pilot with Staff - outline

• Participants 10 members of staff in Information
  Services
• Support from line manager/independent mentor
• Training session for participants and mentors
• Evaluation questionnaires
• Skills analysis snapshots
• Goal setting and review
• Reflective diary (30 minutes/week)
• Mid-year review/social

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Key Challenges for Staff PDP

• Lack of time
• Lack of motivation (the WIIFM factor!)
• Potential conflict of interests
  (personal/institutional)
• Role of line manager/mentor
• Risk of raising unrealistic expectations (re
  career progression)

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University PDP Policy overview

• PDP one of the 6 key commitments in the
  University Employability Policy (January 2004)
• PDP Policy approved by LTEC on 27 January 2005
• Based on QAA guidelines, adapted to Staffordshire
  University context
• Sets out the core elements of PDP (e.g.
  continuous reflection, skills analysis and goal
  setting) in which all students on all awards will
  ultimately have the opportunity to engage
• Identifies 3 means of access to PDP opportunities
• Policy applies to all level one, full-time, on
  campus undergraduates from September 2005.
  Timescales for implementation for other groups,
  e.g. postgraduates tbc
• Responsibility for implementation lies with
  Faculties

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PDP at Staffordshire University Key elements

• Introduction to ideas underpinning PDP
• Analysis of transferable and professional skills
• Identification of areas for self-development and
  goal setting
• Continuous reflection on learning and skills etc
• Career planning skills
• Introduction to other opportunities and resources
  at the University
• Appropriate referrals, e.g. to Careers,
  Counselling
• Opportunities to develop skills identified as
  areas for development

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PDP Policy means of access (how PDP elements
are made available)

• Personal tutoring
• Elements embedded in the curriculum (in
  modules/pathways)
• Use of a PDP e-learning resource

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Means of Access1) One-to-one support

• Rationale
• Provides vital individually tailored support
• Meets diversity of needs, thus promoting
  retention and widening participation
• Enables students to reach their personal and
  academic potential
• Strengthens student-tutor relationship

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Means of Access 2) Core modules/pathway

• Rationale
• Many PDP elements already exist!
• Other elements can be embedded quite easily
• Cost-effective way of delivering PDP elements
  that all students need (e.g. presentation skills)
• Students see PDP as an important part of their
  academic development (not an extra burden)

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Means of Access 3) Electronic system for PDP

• Rationale
• Students take responsibility for own personal
  development
• Relieves pressure on tutors
• Can add value to one-to-one meetings
• Students see personal development planning
  broadly and holistically. (Highlights linkages
  between academic study and other areas of life,
  e.g. work, social)
• Portable and manipulable

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PDP E-Learning Resource

• Interactive web-based system My Portfolio will
  allow students to
• Analyse their skills
• View their skills development over time
• Set and monitor goals
• Record a reflective journal
• Record their experiences, achievements, interests
  and qualifications
• Maintain all this information in their online
  portfolio and use it to help prepare for job
  applications
• Beta version of system piloted in March/April and
  a full version will be available for use in
  modules/personal tutorials from September 05

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Motivation Factors

• Let them sell it to themselves
• Focus on the outcomes of PDP (in order to get
  buy in to the process)
• Link it with employability
• Use recent graduates and employers to sell it
• Encourage students to personalise/tailor it
• Embed PDP activity in delivery of subject matter
• Demonstrate your own enthusiasm
• Make it fun
• Be patient!

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Contact Details

• For further information on any aspect of PDP
  implementation at Staffordshire University
  contact
• Helen PownallPDP Project ManagerAcademic
  Development Institutec/o Careers Employability
  ServiceCadman Building, College Road, StokeTel
  01782 294926h.c.pownall_at_staffs.ac.uk