Focus On Personal Development Planning for Research Students

A guide to using the Personal Development Planning (PDP) support system on the MLE

Research Student View First Supervisor View

Produced by staff in Careers DMU and the Managed Learning Environment (MLE) Team

Updated January 2007

Focus On Personal Development Planning for Research Students

A guide to using the Personal Development Planning (PDP) support system on the MLE

This guide is also available electronically at:http://mle.dmu.ac.uk/mle-media/docs/PDPResearch-walkthrough.doc

Feedback on this guide will help us develop future editions. Please use the feedback buttons on the Research Student and First Supervisor views on the MLE.

Alternatively contact:

Sue BloyPDP (Research) Co-ordinatorCareers DMUEmail: sbloy@dmu.ac.uk

CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP) FOR RESEARCH STUDENTS

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2 RESEARCH STUDENT VIEW ON THE MLE 2

2.1 Research student access to the Managed Learning Environment (MLE) 22.2 Personal development planning (PDP) home page 22.3 Personal development record (PDR) – input form 32.4 Help on completing a PDR input form 42.5 Verifying that the PDR is complete 52.6 Current/completed PDR printer-friendly version 5

3 FIRST SUPERVISOR VIEW ON THE MLE 6

3.1 Research supervisor access to the Managed Learning Environment (MLE)3.2 First supervisor student details panel 63.3 View for staff who are not first supervisors 63.4 Notes on using the students details view 7

4 FAQs AND SOLUTIONS 8

1 INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP) FOR RESEARCH STUDENTS

From 2005/06, all new research students have been required to complete a training needs analysis. This can be the starting point for personal development planning (PDP); a cycle of reflection, action planning and review.

Reflect on experience Formulate action plans Implement action plans Review personal, academic and

career development

Unlike the training needs analysis, PDP is not compulsory. However we hope that students will see value in using it as a means of making the most of their research experience.

Research students have their own secure, personalised space on the Managed Learning Environment (MLE). This includes the means to create and maintain a personal development record. Students may choose to keep this for their own personal use, or they can allow their first supervisor to view the record in preparation for a review meeting.

Here are the views of two DMU research students.

“I found the training needs analysis extremely useful as it alerted me to resources, as well as issues, I hadn’t really considered, such as some of the more long term career planning aims. As a student embarking on perhaps years of study, it was well worth the short time it took to complete. For me, the PDP part will just help me keep a record of my progress and ensure I follow through.

Heather Conboy, Faculty of Humanities

"Personal development planning is widely used in industry to help the individual and the organisation. This system is more about you as an individual, and is an excellent way of getting you into the PDP mindset for your future working life."

Andrew Wallace, Institute for Energy and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering

While the training needs analysis and PDP are being introduced primarily for new research students, existing students may also find it beneficial to keep a personal development record – consequently the on-line PDP support system is accessible to all research students.

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2 RESEARCH STUDENT VIEW ON THE MLE 2.1 Research Student Access to the Managed Learning Environment (MLE)

Research students should go to http://mle.dmu.ac.uk for access to the MLE. Details of how to log on are available via a HELP button.

2.2 Personal development planning (PDP) home page

The PDP home page explains the context of Personal Development Planning and how research students can make use of the on-line system. The page also provides links to:

A new blank record (“Create record”) Providing feedback on the system via email

As students create records and save them, the “Create record” link changes to “Review or update current record”.

Once a student has decided that a record is finished and has saved it as a “Completed PDR” - these will appear listed by date of completion.

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2.3 Personal development record (PDR) – input form

This is a Web form which enables students to create and maintain a personal development record (PDR) and save it to a central database.

The form is pre-populated with information giving the student’s name, student number (P number), faculty, programme, year and the name of their first supervisor.

Instructions on how to use the Web form are provided, together with the facility to hide the instructions.

The input form provides: Further guidance on what to enter in the ‘Evidence’, ‘Reflection’ and ‘Action’

columns, via pop-up “Help” boxes (see section 2.4). A tick box to allow the student’s first supervisor to view the record on-line. A tick box to indicate that the record is complete (see section 2.5). A facility to produce a printer friendly version of the form (see section 2.6).

NB It is essential to click on (every 5 minutes) to avoid losing changes to the record.

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2.4 Help on completing a PDR input form

Pop-up “Help” boxes provides guidance on what to record in the ‘Evidence’, ‘Reflection’ and ‘Action’ panels.

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2.5 Verifying that the PDR is complete

After ticking the “record complete” box, the screen below prompts the student to verify this by clicking a “Confirm Record Completed” button.

The completed record will be added to the list on the student’s PDP front page, with the date of completion.

NB Once completed, a record can only be viewed, not edited.

2.6 Current/completed PDR printer-friendly version

This enables a paper-based version to be printed off by the student.

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3 FIRST SUPERVISOR VIEW ON THE MLE

3.1 Research Supervisor Access to the Managed Learning Environment (MLE)

Research supervisors should go to the Staff Portal at http://staffportal.dmu.ac.uk for access to the MLE. Details of how to log on are available via a HELP button.

3.2 First supervisor student details panel

The first supervisor panel as illustrated below is accessed via the Student Support tab on the Staff Portal of the MLE. This view provides details of the research students for whom the member of staff is the first supervisor. Staff who are personal tutors will also see details of their undergraduate and taught postgraduate personal tutees.

The list of students is given in alphabetical order, by family name. However, first supervisors have the facility to sort the list by name, year or programme.

Notes on using the using the students details view are provided (see section 3.4).

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3.3 View for staff who are not first supervisors

The screen below will appear for all staff who do not have research students. Please contact the Research Office if you believe that you should have students listed.

3.4 Notes on using the student details view

Notes on using the student details view are provided, including a new facility to send emails to groups of students as well as to individual students.

Click here to hide the Notes View and return to the Student Details home page.

Please use the feedback facility to send any comments you have on the system and suggestions for improvements.

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4 FAQs AND SOLUTIONSThe system has been designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible and users should be able to navigate their way through it with little difficulty, so long as they read and follow the instructions. The table below provides solutions to the most common problems that may be encountered.

Staff can contact the ISAS Helpdesk directly on ext. 6050.

NB: Please note that the ISAS Helpdesk is a staff facility only. Students can, however, use the feedback button facility on the front page of the PDR to report any problems they encounter and they will be responded to by email.

RESEARCH STUDENT VIEW

Problem What to doNo first supervisor shown on Personal Development Record

OR

Wrong first supervisor shown on PDR.

Student should inform the Research Office.

Research Office should check the Research database and make any necessary corrections.

Student has problems navigating the PDP system, or saving/viewing their PDR.

Students should contact their Faculty IT technicians or the Research Office.

Student is unsure about how to complete their PDR.

Student should refer to the PDP home page and the instructions and “Help” buttons on the PDR input form.

Student can also use the feedback button for any issues not covered.

FIRST SUPERVISOR STUDENT DETAILS VIEW

Problem What to doThe list of students in the “Student Details” panel is missing or incorrect.

OR

The user is not a first supervisor, but a list of students is displayed in the “Student Details” panel.

User should inform the Research Office.

Research Office should check the Research database and make any necessary corrections.

User has problems navigating or using the on-line system.

Staff can telephone the ISAS Helpdesk (6050). NB – the Helpdesk is a facility for staff only.

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