Key Stages in the Development of the University Of Dundee's Personal Development
Planning (PDP) Scheme
In 1997, the Dearing (England and Wales) and Garrick (Scotland) reports
on Higher Education are published. These propose that universities develop
a Progress File, consisting of two elements; namely a transcript and 'a means
by which students can monitor, build and reflect upon their personal development'.
In May 2000, a Joint Policy Statement is issued to all universities by the
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Universities UK (UUK) which contained
a policy on transcripts and on Personal Development Planning(1). In February
2001, the 'Guidelines for HE Progress Files', suggests that the PDP element
of the policy objectives should be operational across the whole HE system
and for all HE awards by 2005/06(2). No detailed model is specified, and
implementation is devolved to individual institutions. It emerges that Scottish
universities' PDP schemes will be audited by the QAA through its Enhancement
Led Institutional Review (ELIR) process.
Between, 1997 and 2003, various interested parties at the University of
Dundee meet informally to discuss how progress files might be implemented
here. This group includes members of the Centre for Learning and Teaching,
the Careers Service, and representatives of a number of faculties. Members
of this group attend various related seminars and conferences to assess different
aspects and approaches to PDP.
In 2004, the Academic Secretary sets up a working party to propose a University
policy for PDP and how this might be put into practice. This group drafts
a PDP policy for the initial consideration of the University's Learning and
Teaching Committee which reports to Senate.
In 2004, the University makes further investment in Blackboard, its virtual
learning environment (VLE), following a proposal from the Directors of eLearning
and the Learning Enhancement Unit. A significant feature of this VLE upgrade
is the ability to create student ePortfolios.
At the start of the 2004-5 academic year, the draft University policy on
PDP and progress files is ratified by Senate and Court. This proposes that
every student will have access to an online resource within the University's
VLE that will provide electronic access to their developing academic transcript
and will support the creation of a PDP ePortfolio. Faculties will have freedom
to embed PDPs and structure and amend their content, as appropriate, particularly
for professional and vocational degrees where accrediting bodies specify
a model. The further development of this PDP scheme and resource is agreed
to be under the management of the Directors of the Careers Service and the
Learning Enhancement Unit.
Late in 2004, a working group, reporting to the Academic Secretary, is
set up to design and develop the PDP resource to be known as My PDP. This
includes representatives of the Careers Service, Learning Enhancement Unit,
Dundee University Students' Association, Human Resources (re academic personal
development issues), Student Services (re disability issues) and Academic
Affairs (minutes of meetings, project organisation and management)(3). This
group agrees on a model for the PDP process, a design concept for the PDP
resource, the My PDP branding and polo logo design, the design of templates
to populate the ePortfolio and student support material including a My PDP
handbook. Proof of concept is confirmed by the creation of a model PDP portfolio.
In December 2004, the model and design concept are introduced to staff
through a well-attended academic professional development session, including
representatives of all Faculties. The same occurs for students (including
disabled students) through a range of focus groups. The My PDP notion is
well received, and feedback is taken into account in design modifications.
At later focus groups, students fill in templates to create their own ePortfolios
and indicate that technological aspects of the proposed process will cause
few problems.
In February 2005, the University responds to a consultation on the QAA's
Effective Learning Framework (ELF), a model developed by a Joint SACCA/Universities
Scotland Working Group (JWG), which aims to provide the HE sector in Scotland
with guidance on broad concepts underlying the implementation of Personal
Development Planning (PDP). Due attention is paid to this guidance in the
development of My PDP.
Early in 2005, the design of the My PDP resource is further refined and
detailed content produced by Kirsty Miller (Careers Service), Jonathan Weyers
and Oormi Khaled (Learning Enhancement Unit) and others. It emerges that
most specialised faculty needs (as noted in 5. above) can be accommodated
via three key design elements:
A My Degree area where faculties, schools and departments are given
scope to explain how PDP will be implemented and embedded within degree
courses;
Module- and degree- specific templates that students can be asked
to incorporate in their ePortfolios in place of the standard (generic)
ones, for example, related to benchmark statements on transferable
skills
Example portfolios created by students studying in specific faculties
and courses, which can be presented to students as exemplars.
The conclusion is reached that all undergraduate students could use a
common PDP model, tailored as above to their specific needs, and where
necessary, involving the creation of a number of distinct ePortfolios.
In March 2005, a Case Study, Developing a Generic ePDP Resource with Student
and Staff Consultation, is successfully delivered at a QAA Enhancement Themes
Conference on Employability, hosted by Dundee University Students' Association(4).
It is decided that support for students carrying out PDP will take the
following forms:
A brief introduction to the PDP resource as part of the University's
universal IT induction (ITi) scheme, supported by a document within
the ITi folder.
A statement in course handbooks, a model of which is supplied by
the working group.
A one-hour introduction to PDP (PDPi) delivered jointly by the appropriate
Careers Service Adviser and departmental representative. This will
use a jointly agreed PowerPoint 'script'.
A booklet explaining PDP concepts, how the online PDP resource is
structured and providing starter instructions.
Curriculum-embedded PDP activities incorporating assessment and feedback.
Follow-up workshops to assist students to create and refine their
portfolios.
Through Spring and Summer 2005, work continues to develop the above support
materials.
During spring and early summer of 2005, a series of meetings is set up
with deans of faculties to discuss implementation of the PDP policy. Deans
are asked to identify faculty PDP contacts to take the matter forward, and
for example to set up the My Degree area, and decide when and how PDP will
be introduced. Further meetings occur with these representatives, where typically,
models for My Degree, template design and ideas for assessment are discussed.
During spring and early summer of 2005, further meetings are held with
focus groups, individuals and disabled students to gain feedback on the latest
iteration of the My PDP resource. Some of these meetings result in important
changes to My PDP, for example, to the design and working of some of the
standard templates.
A second staff development session is held that provides an update on the
development of the My PDP resource and allows staff to gain hands-on experience
of using it. Again, the resource is well received and valuable feedback is
obtained.
In mid-summer, 2005, a fundamental change to the resource design is suggested
by the LEU's learning technologists and agreed by the working group. This
does not involve a change to the concept, but allows better linking between
parts of the resource and facilitates navigation through it. The design and
content is agreed and finalised for the next academic year.
From September 2005, the 'maintenance' of the My PDP resource and organisation
and delivery of PDPi sessions becomes a Careers Service responsibility, with
support from the Learning Enhancement Unit in areas of learning technology
and specialist workshops. The Academic Secretary and PDP working party will
continue to oversee the operation of the PDP scheme.
All students are enrolled on the new PDP resource from the start of session
2005-6. Academic staff and administrators are enrolled on request to the
LEU (vle@dundee.ac.uk).
From September 2005, faculties will introduce My PDP to targetted groups
of their students (mainly at Level 1 and at appropriate points in the curriculum,
selected by them) through joint faculty/Careers Service induction sessions.
All students entering in September 2005, will receive a brief introduction
to the resource as part of the University's IT induction scheme and a 2 sided
document entitled My PDP is included in the ITi Folder and online ITi Resource
Centre.
The working group will monitor and obtain student and staff feedback on
the operation and effectiveness of My PDP during the 2005-6 academic year.
A report will be submitted to the Learning and Teaching Committee by the
Directors of the Careers Service and the Learning Enhancement Unit.
In late summer 2005, the possibility of developing a corresponding PDP
resource for research students, provisionally entitled My PDP Research, is
discussed with the Deputy Director of the Registry in the context of the
findings of the Roberts Report. The PDP working group aims to submit a proposal
to fund this development to the University's Postgraduate School Board in
academic session 2005/06.
In September 2005, Dr Jonathan Weyers contributes to a workshop run by
ISLE (Individualised Support for Learning through ePortfolios - http://isle.paisley.ac.uk/eportfolios.html)
where the University's My PDP concept and design is well received, and Kirsty
Miller and Jonathan Weyers present a talk at Paisley University entitled
'Personal Development Planning (PDP) and Employability Enhanced by an ePortfolio
Approach' (5) under the auspices of the Higher Education Academy (conference
title: Enhancing Learning: Personal dEvelopment Planning, employability & Empowering
Learners). Information about the University's approach to PDP is submitted
to the HEA PDP database.
In 2007, the University established a SHEEN Management Group in the context of the Scottish Higher Education Employability Network (SHEEN) initiative to oversee the further development of My PDP and the further embedding of the resource in College and schools. This Group is chaired by the Director of the Careers Service, Mr Graham Nicholson, and includes school and student representatives.
The My PDP working group comprised: Ian Francis and Eric Monaghan (Academic
Affairs); Andrew Millar, Kirsty Miller and Graham Nicholson (Careers Service);
Shirley Hill (Disability Services); Jadwiga Koprowska (Dundee University
Students Association); Lorraine Walsh (Human Resources); Oormi Khaled, Jonathan
Weyers and Hannah Whaley (Learning Enhancement Unit).
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