1. National Action Research Network
on Researching and Evaluating Personal Development Planning and e-Portfolio Practice
The University of Salford Project Julie Savory, Carole Conroy, Donna Berwick

2. How PDP provision for part time students can best support the staff development outcomes required by sponsoring employers

3. Aims of the project
To gain insight into sponsoring employers views on the potential contribution PDP can play in facilitating the links between course learning outcomes and vocationally relevant skills and competency
In above context gain insight into student views
Make suggestions for enhancement of PDP provision

4. Background
Previous small scale evaluation of PDP provision for p/t employer sponsored students, found ambivalence about relevance to their needs (Savory,J 2008)
“I’m already in employment…”
“duplicates reviews in workplace…..”
“came here to study housing, PDP takes up time that could be used on core subjects”
Support materials felt to be more relevant to fulltime UG students “a bit patronising”

5. Background contd
Employer engagement agenda (Mandelson/BIS Nov 2009,Hefce Strategic Plan )
Workforce development agenda (Leitch 2006)
Employability concerns (CBI March 2009)
QAA 2009 guidelines
HEAR (Burgess Report Oct 2007)
Maintain Salford’s position as recognised regional centre of excellence for vocational courses/employer engagement Housing, Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health
Cbi 2009 – Future fit – preparing graduates for the world of work

6. Approach
Involvement with National Action Research Network (NARN) – community of interest, introduction to different methodological approaches, structure provided by project leadership
Regional network – support for research process, sounding board
Extended project remit to include other Salford colleagues – benefits of team working, link with overarching NTF NARN project ethos

7. Methodology
Inspired by ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ approach (Cooperrider and Whitney 2005, Glynis Cousins 2009)
Define the problem
Discovery – what has worked well to date, what has been valued
Dream – how can we best use PDP provision (processes and product) to meet student and employer expectations regarding learning outcomes from the course?
Design – what would work and how
Cousin,G 2009 Researching Learning in Higher Education.Routledge
Cooperrider and Whitney 2005 Appreciative Inquiry handbook Crown Custom Publishing

8. Methodology Literature review findings :
main focus has been on
traditional UGs
problems of engagement (HE staff/students)
role of e-portfolios
very little on employers perceptions of value of PDP with HE courses, particularly p/t employer sponsored
Student questionnaire (2 cohorts Fd Housing Yr 2 (17 students and Msc Occupational Health and Safety 6 students)
Semi structured interviews with sponsoring employers (9 completed – aiming for 12)
Combination of Organisational Development managers and Line managers

9. Methodology contd Student questionnaire focus:
- which elements of support for PDP currently work well
- which PDP activities/materials support work related CPD requirements
- what activities could be included to support CPD in workplace

10. Methodology contd Employer interview question focus:
Reasons for sponsoring students
Staff development outcomes anticipated
Have those outcomes been met?
Awareness of PDP provision within courses
Exploration of potential of PDP input to support their staff development needs

11. Methodology contd Next steps :
- complete interviews and analysis of transcripts
- employer focus group/workshop Jan 2010 This will explore how best PDP processes within p/t vocational courses could be developed to meet their staff development needs and complement existing CPD and in house staff development strategies
- Will involve Housing and Occupational Health and Safety practitioners and organisation development managers

12. Interim findings
UG Students (based on 17 completed questionnaires by p/t housing students)
Mixed messages – majority (70%) felt that inclusion of PDP activities was not that
useful BUT
Majority (75%) felt that PDP support, especially through personal tutor, had helped to develop their personal confidence with studies and identify and achieve goals for work and the course
Approx half found reflective commentaries useful. Views ranged from
“ makes me think back to what went well, what didn’t, what and how could things be improved” to “find it pointless”
83% did not find PDP support materials useful for encouraging reflection and recording achievements
Majority felt there was little linkage with their professional development in workplace
83% = 14 students

13. Interim findings contd
Employers
- Lack of awareness that support for PDP is included within HE provision
- General view that sponsored staff ‘added value’ to their organisations – greater confidence, ability to take responsibility
- Interest in exploring how such provision could better support organisational staff development needs

14. Our learning to date
Collaborative working brings both benefits and challenges :
Time to meet
Roles and responsibilities
Leadership and the process of managing a project
Practicalities of organising interviews and administering questionnaires
How to consolidate research findings into a cohesive whole
The importance of having research goals and short term targets in order to meet them
The challenge of combining research with teaching, programme management, administration, the list goes on……
The discovery that our understanding of what HE education seeks to achieve does not necessarily align with employers perceptions
different agendas and priorities
HE has a clearly defined role in people development
Business employers are driven primarily by targets set by government departments or shareholders

15. Any questions?

16. Sources
Cousin, G 2009 Researching Learning in Higher Education. Routledge
Cooperrider and Whitney 2005 Appreciative Inquiry handbook Crown Custom Publishing
CBI ((March 2009) Future fit – preparing graduates for the world of work. Accessed on 23rd November 2009 on
Dept for Business, Innovation and Skills (Nov 2009) Higher Ambitions: the future of Universities in a knowledge economy. Accessed on 23rd November 2009 on
Hefce Strategic Plan (updated July 2009). Accessed on
Leitch Review of Skills December Accessed on
QAA 2009 PDP Guidelines. Accessed on
Savory, J (2008) “An Evaluation of the Impact of Embedding Personal Development Planning” in O’Doherty, E (Ed) “Papers from the Fourth Education in a Changing Environment International Conference” .Informing Science Press, California 2008.