Surfacing skills… in a personal development plan
What is it?
This activity introduces students to a structured Personal Development Plan (PDP) that includes reflective questions designed to help them identify, develop and articulate the skills they are building throughout their course. It supports students to take ownership of their employability by encouraging reflection on their skills and areas for growth while providing a tool to help them make progress with their personal development.
PDPs are recognised across the HE sector as a key tool for enhancing employability (The Higher Education Academy, 2014; QAA, 2009). They help students connect academic learning with personal and professional goals, which can lead to increased career readiness.
How does it work?
A PDP can be embedded into a course and this can involve the following steps:
- Academic identifies opportunity to embed PDP (e.g. within a course focused on skills, placement preparation or a final-year project).
- Students are introduced to the PDP within a lecture or seminar. This could include:
- Providing an overview of the purpose and benefits of PDP
- Sharing a PDP template with guidance on how to complete it. (e.g. an example completed PDP)
- Highlighting examples of future skills they may develop during the course (e.g. communication, problem-solving, teamwork, digital literacy).
- Students are asked to complete the PDP at a certain point in the course (e.g. start, mid-point, end), which will involve them reflecting on:
- What skills they are developing.
- What activity or context that will support this development.
- What actions they need to do to achieve their development goal.
- What support and resources they will need (and how they can access these).
- How they know they have achieved their goal.
- Optional peer discussion or tutorial support to deepen reflection and share insights can be offered.
- Students revisit and update their PDP throughout the course, building a portfolio of reflections and evidence.
Does it work?
If well designed and supported, this activity can (University of Bedfordshire, n.d.):
- Help students recognise areas for improvement, set goals (short- or long-term), and have a roadmap with personalised actions to achieve them.
- Allow students to anticipate challenges (and obstacles) and plan to overcome them.
- Support students' personal development through helping them to relate their learning to a wider professional context, so they understand it's employability value.
- Help students become more effective learners. By identifying their skills (and strengths) and weaknesses, students can tailor their learning strategies and improve their overall performance.
What do I need?
To deliver this activity, you will need:
- A clear plan for when and how the PDP will be introduced and revisited.
- A PDP template or framework with structured prompts (an example PDP template has been provided).
- Guidance materials for students (e.g. examples of skills, how to reflect, example completed PDP).
- A mechanism for students to record and revisit their reflections (e.g. portfolio, journal, online tool).
You may also wish to consider:
- How the PDP links to assessment (formative or summative).
- How feedback will be provided.
- How the activity will be evaluated and improved.
- Incorporating opportunities for peer discussion or tutorial support.