Actors and Radiographers: A comparison of approaches to embedding PDP and Employability Fiona Boyle Employability Coordinator Centre for Academic Practice fboyle@qmu.ac.uk
Background to Employability in Scotland and QMU Enhancement theme followed by specific SFC funding (all HEIs) Audit: employer links, volunteering, curriculum, careers service, Jobshop, PDP, Students’ Union Facilitation, integration, dissemination and sustainability SFC Evaluation: engaging at the strategic level, frontline academic staff, student bodies and learners, employers
BA (Hons) Acting and Performance World of Work Modules Embedded in all years (one continuous PDP?!) Development of skills, knowledge and the ability to be a reflective practitioner Year 1: Introduction to reflection and research (journal) Year 2: Development of a professional attitude Year 3:Transition from student-actor to professional actor Year 4: A comprehensive professional portfolio that can include visual and aural material
BA Acting and Performance The Actor’s Journal 1st year: 5 entries per week Hand-written – can include anything Personalised – choice of materials, photos, textures Reflection on workshops, rehearsals, watching TV, films, observations of people, animals Identifying something that resonates with life and course The journal is the student’s voice: a conduit Assessed
BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography e-Portfolio for clinical placements Professional body requirements Pebblepad: 2nd – 4th year and introduction to 1st yr 08/09 (replacement of paper-based portfolios) Generic induction + subject specific guidelines 13 submissions through the Gateway (one for each week of placement) Mandatory elements + allowance for personalisation Pass/fail assessment Failures: wrong gateway, inadequate standard of reflection e.g. 20 words for 1 week’s practice
Issues to consider Is one approach “better” than the other? (Does it matter?) Small groups of students – possible for much larger groups? Assessment Implications for subject-specific staff? Implications for support staff? Implications for the rest of the university? What do employers think? After graduation – what next for our students’ PDP?