Personal Development Planning

PDP for Staff

Personal Development Planning is an integral and a required element of all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes:        

integral in that PDP is delivered, wherever possible, in the context of subject-specific study, to maximise the benefits of academic and personal skill development and employability, and to make students aware of its relevance;

required in that all students are introduced to PDP, and dependent on their course and level of study, are normally assessed on PDP-related tasks at the start of their programme of study.  All students are expected to engage with further PDP-related activities throughout their programme of study, and are given guidance in doing so. 

Personal Development Planning is designed to build capacity in students to:

a) plan, manage, evaluate and reflect upon their own learning;

b) identify and develop their academic, transferable and study skills and habits/attitudes in order to become more self-assured, independent learners;

c) think creatively and constructively about personal, academic and career goals and plan an effective strategy towards achieving those goals;

d) demonstrate their ‘employability’ and /or continued professional development, by fostering their personal responsibility and self-reliance;

e) integrate their learning from a range of activities, including work-based and voluntary activities, into their own personal development planning, and use evidence from learning to obtain credit against their programme of study.

This policy aligns with the University Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategic Framework and in particular the promotion of Learner Empowerment:

‘Students will become effective learners for life by developing their knowledge, confidence and capacities to reflect on, plan and manage their own learning. Learner empowerment enhances employability and other opportunities for personal fulfilment. Key mechanisms for promoting empowerment are the development of effective and meaningful personal development planning and reflection on constructive formative assessment feedback’  (December, 2007)

Principles of delivery

These principles apply to undergraduate and postgraduate provision and they comply with QAA guidance: 

a) Development of PDP within a programme of studies must be appropriate to the level and area/subject of study;

b) All students must be given the opportunity to engage with an explicit, structured and supported process for PDP;

c) Responsibility for facilitating students’ PDP rests with Departments and Faculties in conjunction with the Careers Centre;

d) Course and / or Course Groups should provide a delivery plan that identifies the approach(es) used (both within and in addition to the formal taught programme) and lines of responsibility.  A delivery plan should demonstrate how PDP is provided in each Course within a Course Group;
 
e) All students must be introduced to PDP at the start of their programme of studies;

f) All students should be introduced to the range of  e-learning material available to support their learning; 

g) Certain aspects of PDP will be assessed in modules (at undergraduate level only);

h) Implementation of PDP, by each Course Group, will be formally monitored and reviewed, annually in the first instance, by presentation of an evaluation of PDP delivery per level at a Course Board of Studies.  This may lead to inclusion in the Annual Monitoring Action Plan;

i) Information about PDP should be made available to all students in electronic and/or hard copy format, normally in a Course guide.

MEH/3/10/08