The Benefits of Personal Development Planning - Coursework Example

Personal Development Planning s Personal Development Planning Introduction Personal development planning (PDP) is defined by Cottrell (2010, p.12) as a structured and a supported process that is usually undertaken in order for a person to make a reflection of their own learning, performance as well as planning for their educational, personal and career development. It is also referred to as an individual development plan or a personal enterprise plan. It usually comprises of an individual’s aspirations, education and training, strengths and weaknesses, and steps to show the manner in which the steps would be taken for the plan to be realized. The paper will discuss the benefits of studying PDP at a higher education level. It will also highlight on the changes the changes that I would like to bring into PDP for the future students’ justifying the change with a rationale behind it. Lastly, the paper will provide a reflection on how PDP has helped me at the university. Benefits of studying PDP at higher education level PDP in higher education usually comprise of portfolio that contains evidence if the skills that have been acquired over a specific time period. Studying PDP at the university is very crucial since it assists in creating self-directed independent learners who have a higher probability of progressing to higher levels of academic achievement (Rughani, 2001). As cited by Grellier and Goerke (2006), the other benefit is that students can take responsibility for and personalise their learning. Essentially, personal development is a process and not a final product. Therefore, it can be utilised to support the personalisation of learning by facilitating pathways selection that suit individual learner. Through the utilisation of tools like auditing of personal transferable skills that are often used in the personal development frameworks linked with employability, the students can actually make links between their extra-curricular and curricular activities and what the employers value. These particular activities are advantageous in the context of work placements, work-based learning, or internships. Generally, students usually report in questionnaires and focus groups that CV development is something that they find very beneficial. PDP assists the university students to be effective in reviewing and monitoring their own progress and make use of their own evidence and records to show to others what they know they can actually do (Fry, Ketteridge, & Marshall, 2008). According to Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall (2008, p. 120), PDP promotes deeper learning through increasing awareness of the students are actually learning and to what level. It also establishes life-long learning habits, as well as offering a mechanism for monitoring the career-linked abilities in order to prepare for searching for professional practice after the university education, thus building confidence. The other benefit of studying PDP at the university is that the student is able to establish their career positioning, a statement of their lifestyle and career priorities, develop a curriculum vitae, analyse risks and opportunities, and also come up with alternative plans. Module overview PDP is an entitlement for every first year student. There is a cohort of the students taking part in PDP activities throughout their study periods. The module will address various approaches to learning that connects doing (aligning actions to intentions), planning (a person’s objectives and intentions for learning and achievement, recording (ideas, experiences and thoughts) so as to have an understanding and evidence on the learning process and results. The personal development planning will also enable the students to reflect through reviewing and making an evaluation of the results and experiences of learning. Therefore, having the ability to reflect on the progress attained, establishing the significant areas for improvements and following the strategies to ensure success is a very crucial facet of professional, academic, and career development aspirations. The module aims at developing this ability by means of facilitating self-awareness through self-reflection and group work. Careers input will be a very crucial element in this module and the students will be obliged to conduct a CV. This implies that the module also makes the effort of offering opportunities to enhance vital study and transferable skills. Changes in the PDP module and reasons for change The changes in the personal development plan will offer an avenue for a more synoptic view of what is being learnt, as well the opportunity to plan ahead and come up with a program that actually suits the study for every student. Indicative sources: the library catalogue will have all the details of the reading list for the module. Additional details can also be accessed on the module guide. The module will changed to cover the following topics: Personal skills assessment Personal development planning Academic  writing skills Referencing and plagiarism Presentation skills Utilising library resources Time and stress management Group work Goal setting Learning and memory. This will ensure that the module covers all the required material for a proper personal development planning of the students. The assessment criteria will include class assignments and group work activities as there will be no traditional examinations at the end of the module. There will also be online tests that will be done every fortnight in order to assess the student development. The results will be collated and shared in the group activities as learning outcomes in order to enable the students to make a comparison of their answers with those of the entire group and utilize these as the basis for further discussion. An assessment will be done on the oral group presentations as well as a reflective account of writing first essay. There will also be a CV assessment that will be supported by a lecture on CV production. This change will streamline the student’s employability skills. There will also be assignment one: 40% coursework: individual, standard written: 800 words and assignment two: 60% coursework: individual, portfolio: 800-1000 words Learning and teaching activities: schedules hours 38, independent learning hours 112. The other changes will entail the learning outcomes. At the end of the module, the student needs to be able to: Show an awareness of the core relationship between transferable skills such as presentation skills, group work and written work and study skills Exhibit an understanding of the significance of being a reflective learner so as to establish personal learning weaknesses and strengths. Appreciate of the relationship between employability and lifelong skill development. Exhibit the skills involved in academic study and personal development planning, in addition to self-reflection. Come up with personal goals within the context of PDP, and make an evaluation of the progress towards their achievement. In relation to the teaching strategy, several new topics will be introduced for every week. In week 1, besides the topic academic SWOT analysis, a SWOT analysis of studying PDP needs also to be done. It helps in personal and career development. It provides one with the ability to reflect on the progress attained, establishing the significant areas for improvements and following the strategies to ensure success in professional, academic, and career development aspirations. Week 2 will incorporate visual learning. Preparation of a good number of videos possibly showing workers being unprofessional and make them analyse, improves their analysis skills and learning the things not to do in the working environment. Studies have shown that adolescents learn best through reading, manipulative activity, visual stimulation (just pictures), visual demonstration, visual stimulation (electronic), and teacher explanation (Eiszler, 2002). Week 3 will involve online studying. In the era of information technology, all students are obliged to acquire basic skills in computer that will enable them to perform well in their respective subject areas using computers such as using the internet. This will assist in online teaching and make assessments on the web. The lecturer will also make videos of herself of the topic that week. And to make sure everyone has seen it, she will tell them to make notes on the topic she was teaching. Week 4 will involve current debates on current affairs. For instance, do we apply science or religion to search for the missing Malaysian plane? Reports indicate that the black box of the plane got lost; meaning that it may not be easy to determine what caused the plane’s disappearance. Besides, the students will also debate if it was justified for the UK parliament to legalise the sale of home tests for HIV. In week 5, there will be group presentation. Group presentations provide great opportunities to come up with something much greater than what an individual can normally do. Most of us feel to be more effective as part of a team that combines the knowledge and talents of several people. Group presentation will help build some confidence to make the individual presentation easier for the students. Week 6 will involve CV writing. PDPs are frequently required in the employee’s CVs. The students will create a professional CV representing their own personal brand, skills and experience. Week 7 will entail interview practice. The best way to practice interviewing is by reviewing various possible interview questions that will be asked during a job interview. In that respect, the lecturer will carry out real life interviews for each student in the class and give them feedback on how to improve. In week 8, the topic on work experience will be taught. The students will conduct a SWOT analysis of themselves and establish their employability skills. For the students, work experience can be attained through internship and voluntary working. This will assist the students to get a feel of the working environment. In week 9, the topic will be on personal presentation. This will be after group presentation. I chose this topic because it assists the students to develop confidence and self esteem. This is because presentation entails learning about yourself, accepting of who you are, being inner-directed, and being comfortable with yourself.  Finally, week 10 will focus on the use of focus group. This was proposed in order for the lecturer to gain feedback on how to improve the module for future students. The students will be asked about their opinion, ideas and attitudes towards the PDP module. The lecturer will utilize their responses to enhance the PDP module for the future students. How PDP benefited me My motivation as a student has increased due to the personalised outcomes of the PDP process, for example a well-developed CV and prioritised action plans. Another benefit is that increased understanding of process of PDP’s value and its outcomes will support my future career management. I will also use PDP in my professional life in human resource management. Next, PDP assists me to plan and integrate my career, personal and academic development, taking note of the opportunities for learning within my own academic programs. Knowledge of PDP also assisted me to value, recognise and evidence their learning and development both outside and inside the curriculum. PDP has helped me to be aware of what learning and teaching strategies are attempting to achieve. The other benefit of learning PDP is that it assisted me to recognise and evaluate my weaknesses and strengths and determine ways in which the perceived weaknesses may be improved. PDP will help me to be better equipped for searching employment after school or self-employment and also be more articulate on the knowledge and skills I have gained from other students. Lastly, PDP has enabled me to be better prepared for the continuing progression demands and career development in professional and academic areas. Bibliography Cottrell, S. (2003). Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Eiszler, C. F. (2002). Perceptual Preferences as an Aspect of Adolescent Learning Styles. London: Prentice Hall. Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., & Marshall, S. (2008). A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. New York: Routledge. Grellier, J., & Goerke, V. 2006. Communication Skills Toolkit: Unlocking the Secrets of Tertiary Success. Higgins, M. (2002). Personal Development Planning in the Built Environment, Centre for Education in the Built Environment, Cardiff University. Rughani, A. (2001). The GPs Guide to Personal Development Plans. London: Radcliffe Publishing. Read More