Key Stages in the Development of the University Of Dundee's Personal Development Planning (PDP) Scheme

• 1. 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.
  
  
• 2. 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.
  
  
• 3. 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.
  
  
• 4. 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.
  
  
• 5. 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.
  
  
• 6. 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.
  
  
• 7. 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.
  
  
• 8. 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.
  
  
• 9.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.
• 10. 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). 
  
  
• 11.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.
    
    
• 12. 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.
  
  
• 13. 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.
  
  
• 14. 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.
  
  
• 15. 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.
  
  
• 16. 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.
  
  
• 17. 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).
  
  
• 18. 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.
  
  
• 19. 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.
  
  
• 20. 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. 
  
  
• 21. 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.

• A. 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.
• B. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressFiles/archive/policystatement/default.asp
• C. Guidelines for HE Progress Files
• D. 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).
• E. http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/events/20050323/230305_dundeePDP_PPTPDF.pdf
• F. Paisley Talk  (Powerpoint File - 2.2Mb)