Queens University Belfast

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Personal Development Planning and Personal
Tutoring

• Janet Strivens
• Senior Associate Director

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Some policy enablers.

• Growing interest in the student experience, and
  helping students to make the most of this
• Revisions to the QAA Guidelines on PDP (likely to
  be launched at the CRA Residential Seminar in
  November)
• The Burgess agenda (academics, employers and
  students as stakeholders potential for delivery
  partnerships, recognition of the importance of
  lifelong learning)
• PLUS (a personal view) institutions increasingly
  interested in recognising wider learning and of
  the importance of articulating for audience)

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Some headlines from a national survey

• 73 of institutions have a written policy on PDP
• 75 refer to PDP in their Learning Teaching
  Strategy documentation
• 65 thought staff saw PDP as an increase in
  workload
• 57 have an individual/team with special remit
• At ug level 43 mostly established, 16 very
  well established
• At PGT 60 development has started at PGR
  slightly higher established
• 13 require staff to be trained but 52 offer
  specific training
• 75 have generic support tool, of these 55
  electronic only, 5 paper only

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N number of respondents answered the question
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• What do practitioners think they need?

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N number of respondents answered the question
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• Why is it important for a student to have a
  personal tutor, and to have regular one-to-one
  meetings with that tutor?

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The staff perspective

• Government funding per student halved in real
  terms in the last fifteen years
• Staff-student ratios in some institutions have
  more than doubled
• More pressure from RAE more time spent meeting
  quality requirements
• The concept of a large class shifted from under
  200 students to well over 400 students.
• There have been some economies of scale in
  teachingbutassessment costs usually increase in
  direct proportion to the number of students
  (Gibbs 2006 p.12)
• Therefore fewer assignments, less time for
  detailed feedback

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The student perspective

• Fear of debt means many need to work excessive
  hours shown to have a negative effect on
  achievement
• Large classes plus (sometimes) effects of
  modularisation lead to anonymity and lack of
  engagement
• Less small group teaching offers less opportunity
  to check understanding and correct
  misapprehensions with peers- and staff may appear
  to be too busy to be bothered
• This environment encourages students to be
  strategic, thus minimum time spent on study,
  study strategy dictated by requirements of
  summative assessment
• Lack of sense of community belonging may lead to
  increased mental health problems
• Widening participation may mean more students
  finding initial adjustment difficult

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• So a trend towards revitalising the personal
  tutor role, with an emphasis on structured review
  and shared responsibility

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What the personal tutor needs to know

• University policy on the role and expectations
• Knowledge of regulations applicable to most
  common academic problems
• Knowledge of legal requirements and restrictions
  related to role
• Good knowledge of sources of support to students
  within the department/university
• Knowledge of sources of support for him/herself

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Skills needed by the personal tutor

• Good listening/facilitation skills
• Setting and managing expectations - key aspect of
  1st meeting?
• Ability to refer student to appropriate
  specialised source of support without appearing
  to be uncaring
• Ability to take a strategic approach to meetings

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The student must know

• The purpose of the meetings
• The tutors role and also its boundaries and
  limits
• When and where to meet
• How to use any supporting tool
• What sanctions, if any, there are for
  non-participation
• What preparation is required, by when (and what
  is meant by reflect!)

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Common issues

• Academic vs. pastoral
• Personal problems may lie behind what presents
  itself as an academic issue
• AND
• Students personal problems will almost
  inevitably have a knock-on effect on their
  academic progress/performance
• Tutors are not counsellors
• Counselling techniques both powerful and
  potentially dangerous
• BUT
• Good interpersonal skills crucial
• Should every academic be a personal tutor?