Personal and Professional Development Planning PPDP Jennifer Graham Jenny Westwood Napier University

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Personal and ProfessionalDevelopment
Planning(PPDP)Jennifer GrahamJenny
WestwoodNapier University, Edinburgh19
October2004
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PPDP Module(level two)Where am I now? . Where
do I want to be? .How do I get there?

• Underlying philosophy and links to
• employability
• Design, structure, delivery and
• assessment of the module
• The student voice

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Underlying philosophy of PPDP module

• Help students to
• take responsibility for own learning
• self-evaluate
• develop practice critical reflective skills
• practice action planning for future development
• By
• engaging them in a series of semi-structured
  activities
• giving them a range of appropriate tools

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Underlying philosophy of PDP

• Self-awareness
• Development
• Claims making
• CV building
• Peter Knight Enhancement Themes 2004
  Conference, Dundee

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Student Employability Skills and Attributes
Personal qualities self- motivation self-
reliance adaptability/ flexibility personal
values nous/ commonsense creativity
Key skills time management study
skills communication written oral application
of number information/communication
technology working with
others problem-solving
Reflective skills learning to learn identificatio
n of own strengths and development
needs continuously improving one's own performance
Reflective skills
NAPIER UNIVERSITY, EDINBURGH
Understanding of how organisations
work knowledge of working practices professional
behaviour recognition of organisational culture
Traditional intellectual skills critical
evaluation of evidence argue logically apply
theory to practice model problems qualitatively
quantitatively chal
lenge taken-for-granted assumptions
NAPIER UNIVERSITY
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PPDP Aim and learning outcomes (1)

• Aim
• To introduce and develop the concept of
  reflective practice to inform personal and
  professional development.

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PPDP Aim and learning outcomes (2)

• Learning outcomes enable the student to
• identify key components required for reflective
  practice
• explore strategies for learning and the
  implications on personal and professional
  development
• review a range of employability skills and
  attributes and identify their own current status
• draw up an appropriate plan with objectives for
  future action

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Modes of delivery

• Focus self-directed study in 2 workbooks
• Taught route
• 1 hour workshop per week
• discussion, role plays, simulation exercises
• Flexible route
• independent work
• three workshops (start, mid, end semester)
• weekly informal email bulletins support, pose
  questions and give advice
• Plans to use WebCT discussion groups this year

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Structure of the module

• A. Reflective learning practice - from
  academic studies and
• outwith the university- work related,
  sport, etc
• includes
• concept and theory of independent learning
• reflective practices and models
• keeping a reflective learning journal
• B. Developing skills and action planning
• - uses a range of tools eg for problem solving,
• effective communication, teamwork
  leadership
• includes
• identifying and writing SMART objectives
• action planning for continuous personal and
  professional development

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Assessment

• Personal development portfolio - 40
• 10 prescribed portfolio activities
• - record current strengths and weaknesses
• - over of skills and attributes
• - critical reflection on learning experiences
• Personal professional development plan 60
• 12-15 SMART objectives
• in an action plan that is appropriate and
  realistic to their background, personal profile
  future aspirations
• Additionally both elements require
  self-evaluation,
• critical reflection on experiences and the
  learning
• processes

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Portfolio activity Reflection on learning
experiences

• Introduces students to a range of suitable tools
  and techniques to help with reflective activities
  
• such as
• Kolbs and Bouds reflective cycles
• Critical incident analysis
• Johns model of structured reflection
• The reflective cycle, Atkins and Murphy
• Keeping a learning journal
• Self-evaluation
• The portfolio activities require them to select,
  use and analyse appropriate models on a range of
  their own different learning experiences

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Portfolio activity example Working with others

• Choose as an example one of the teams that
  you identified earlier and then, by responding to
  the issues and questions below for each level
  reflect on the extent to which your need has been
  met in that group.
• Secondly, try and identify an incident, a
  remark or an issue that has arisen in the group
  which would exemplify how these needs tend to
  surface.
• The encounter may or may not have involved
  you.

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Student quotes from assessments

• This module has helped me understand the key
  areas of both my personal life and professional
  life which require development. I am now glad I
  chose this module because it has been worthwhile.
  I leave this module with a clear action plan on
  what I need to do to enhance my skills.
• By taking this module in PPDP I have learnt how
  important it is to be involved in my own learning
  and development. I have learnt that I need to
  reflect on what I am doing to be able to
  improve.

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Student quotes from assessments

• I would recommend this module to anyone, it not
  only identifies your weak skills it also
  identifies weaknesses in your stronger skills. It
  has been a very difficult exercise for me because
  I am certainly not accustomed to analysing or
  reflecting upon myself or my skills need.

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Student quotes from assessments

• Next year is my final year and I feel more
  confident and motivated in my studies since
  completing this module and have learnt a lot
  about myself and my learning style, through
  keeping the journal and I am going to start
  keeping one permanently so my reflective learning
  process can be enhanced.
• I now know the skills that graduate employers
  will be looking for and I must have them to get a
  good job my action plan will help me to do
  this.