1. Anglia Ruskin University jill.cosh@anglia.ac.uk
PDP in the Curriculum
Anglia Ruskin University

2. Why integrate? It supports learning Reaches all students
Relevance/discipline related
Value perception – not just seen as an add on
Effective use of resources
Supports work experience/volunteering

3. Challenges to Integration
Staff engagement and awareness
How to organise within programmes – level of integration/continuity
Level or direction or autonomy in approach
Variable across programmes (+/-)
Integrating/valuing non-academic skills

4. The Context A new 15/30 curriculum State of the tutorial system
Faculty level implementation with guidelines

5. The Evaluation Projects
Questionnaires
Monitoring of the use of WebCT resources
PDP champions/links in departments

6. Results of the Projects - Students
Integrated/linked to their discipline
Employability focus
A light touch
Introduce early with clear introduction and rationale
Form-filling is unpopular
Web materials were only used if ‘supported’ by staff
Access problems with WebCT
Staff attitude is crucial

7. Results of the projects – Staff questionnaires
A focus for student learning
It needs embedding in modules
We need to convince students
There is a need for a clear, concise guide
‘Pointless’
Bureaucratic form-filling
Time-consuming for staff and students

8. Results of the projects – Link staff
Useful for insights into and engagement with students
Staff gradually began to see the advantage of students taking responsibility for their learning
PDP often seen as an add-on rather than using existing reflective processes
Problem of grading/marking PDP activities

9. The way forward A working party More focus on employability
Simplified web resources, including useful staff resources
A concise staff handbook?
PDP champions?
Tutorials? Single or group?

10. Outcomes of the Working Party
A short portfolio template based on Anglia Ruskin generic learning outcomes
Web resources at 3 levels – Level 1 containing only the portfolio, level 2 containing resources considered the most relevant, level 3 containing further resources
Staff resources including career relevance of PDP and links to Careers Service

11. The Portfolio
Your portfolio has been divided into six skills sets: communication skills; teamwork and leadership; self-awareness and critical reflection; problem solving; organisational skills; basic and extended skill set. There is an example of the type of evidence you may like to collect and record, and an example of a written summary. There is currently one page for each skills set, and one page to assist with planning, but it is recommended that you extend these as you collect and record evidence during your time at university.
The following process should help you to identify, develop and record the skills:
Self-evaluate to identify where you want to be, your needs, and skills gaps
Plan how these needs will be addressed
Act to meet the needs and supplement skills and experience
Record the evidence in a way that is easy to understand and re-use
Keep reflecting on achievement and gaps, in the context of self-evaluation and action planning

15. What next? Further evaluation How to engage students?
How to engage staff?
Clearer embedding within programmes