Hi All

I've found that by 'formally' assessing PDP students believe it to be of greater value.  No matter how much we encourage students to engage in reflective practice and advice them of the benefits of undertaking a programme of study similar to PDP, I believe that there would be far fewer students completing this programme if it was not a compulsory and assessed part of their course.

Kath Ackers
Deputy Director of Adult Programmes  
Holy Cross College in partnership with Liverpool Hope University College

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion and support list for PDP UK Network members
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Patricia Clift
Sent: 28 February 2005 09:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PDP-UK Issue 2 - upgrade


Hello all
We've found that there are very different levels of student engagement with
PDP. In the main we don't assess or credit PDP activity but try to build it
in to the curriculum. We have found that our students don't like doing
modules that aren't discipline based, particularly if they are compulsory.
They see it as detracting from their academic experience as it limits their
discipline choices. Of course this isn't the case for all students and in
the disciplines where the students have indicated that they would like to
receive credits for their engagement, this has been tried.
Regards
Patricia

Patricia Clift
Senior Officer (Progress Files and PDP)
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Office
University of Manchester
t: 0161 27 57286
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion and support list for PDP UK Network members
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Thompson
Sent: 28 February 2005 08:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PDP-UK Issue 2 - upgrade

Hi

I think both perspectives are true.

I think PDP will need to be assessed, but it shouldn't worry people that
somehow PDP is unworkable unless it is and  therefore might be de-valued.
Let's face it; would students take an exam or write an essay if it wasn't
assessed or they didn't receive feedback? I see few students that would
voluntary do any of these things without anything in return.

Regards

David Thompson
Progress Files Development Officer
Aston University

At 16:15 26/02/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>This issue of student engagement only if assessed and/or accredited
>seems to be a very often recurring theme in PDP debate.
>
>Does anyone have substantial experience of school- or student-age learners
>being so motivated by PDP provision that the majority engage without their
>being required to do so in any way?  If not, what do readers think are
>promising
>ways of working towards achieving this?
>
>One reason I think this is really important is that without this kind of
>intrinsic
>motivation, PDP is unlikely to reach the "excluded" or disadvantaged people
>who are not in education (or employment), thus risking widening the
>"digital divide".
>
>Simon
>
>At 14:26 2005-02-25, Arti Kumar wrote:
>>Adding to this debate, I would like to present the view our university
>>has adopted: that students (and indeed staff) do not seriously engage
>>with PDP unless it is an accredited and assessed part of the curriculum.
>>  We have core modules which integrate Personal, Professional and
>>Academic Development in most subject fields at Levels 1 and 2, and are
>>currently developing career-related elements linked to the final year
>>project or dissertation.
>
>--
>Simon Grant, of North-West England
>http://www.simongrant.org/home.html
>Information Systems Strategist
>http://www.inst.co.uk/

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