Personal and Professional Development Planning (PDP) for Students 2007 What is PDP? A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development process. (Quality Assurance Agency (2001) Guidelines for HE progress files, Gloucester, QAA) At Napier University this will additionally mean helping students to make best use of the opportunities their modular programme offers Individualising the HE experience for all students, enabling them to meet their full potential by gaining well-founded self-awareness & confidence Why PDP? Research is showing that students who engage in effective PDP activities: Understand how they learn and how this affects themselves and their personal, academic & career activities and choices both now and in the future Improve their general skills for study, personal and career management, including self-evaluation Gain increased confidence and self-direction by developing an ability to articulate their goals, their learning and their own strengths and weaknesses (Adapted from PDP (2006)The higher Education Academy) Principles of Personal & Professional Development Planning Personal and professional development planning should: Have the enhancement of student academic achievement, career planning and personal development as its core aim. Be recognised as a valuable mainstream programme activity for all undergraduate and postgraduate students. Encourage students to develop a well-founded confidence and stronger sense of identity as their knowledge and understanding about themselves increases. Consist of a clearly articulated and coherent range of directed and supported activities that are designed to provide students with opportunities to develop themselves both now and in the future. Begin during the recruitment process, carry on from induction onwards and build on current local good practices throughout the life of the programme. Motivate students to develop their learning and their thinking skills by encouraging them to engage in and connect: with activities[1].that encourage them to: identify (their goals/targets/intentions and their current strengths/weaknesses) plan (for learning and achievement) do (aligning plans and intentions with actions) recognise and record (both the process and the results of learning and achievement) review (evaluate experiences and results of learning and achievement) 7. Enhance students’ chances of progress and success by ongoing encouragement and exploration of: their expanding knowledge and understanding of their subject area their increasing range of skills and attributes both their strengths and areas for improvement how these can be used and built upon at university and beyond how they can affect the world around them[2]. 8. Be stimulated, supported and guided by the student’s personal development tutor (PDT) and enhanced by a range of high quality educational activities that encourage high quality student achievements, skills and attributes. [1] Adapted from Supporting Learning: Personal Development Planning (2005)The Higher Educational Academy PDP page. [2] Adapted from p.37 of Knight, P.T. and Yorke, M. (2003) Assessment, Learning and Employability, Maidenhead, SHRE & OUP. The PDP cycle Recognise Review Record Identify Plan Do Student Entitlement Model Dedicated time and focus Purposeful personal development tutor support Programme coherence and transparency Well-planned learning and teaching experiences Significant & appropriate opportunities and choices, including co-curricular activities Screen Beansã A Bit Better Corporation Napier University’s PDP Group: contact Jenny Westwood (EdDev in first instance