Personal Development Planning for Lifelong Learning
This project (PDP4Life) attempted to address the issue of the little attention paid to developing frameworks within these systems to enable learners to merge formal and informal records of learning into a single database, to transfer records from one institutional learning environment to another, and to access and manipulate their learner records when not registered within a place of study.
Executive Summary
Many HEIs have developed electronic Personal Development Planning (e-PDP) systems that support the learner through the processes of personal development planning, however, little attention appeared to have been paid to developing frameworks within these systems to enable learners to merge formal and informal records of learning into a single database, to transfer records from one institutional learning environment to another, and to access and manipulate their learner records when not registered within a place of study. PDP4Life attempted to address these issues.
The original five aims of the project were:
- To work towards the extension of the existing specification for an Individual Learner Record that currently records formal qualifications, in order for it to accept learner generated records of informal learning from local PDP systems
- To compare the nature of the formal learner records of PDP4Life partners with those generated by SHELL and work towards establishing common data export and transfer protocols for a CSV file for import into the ioNode system. This will enable PDP4Life institutions to link into the ioNode/database framework when they have appropriate hardware and software
- To pilot the ioNode technology through the installation of ioNode at Bournemouth to enable comparison of data transfer between sites by ioNode and VPN architectures and through further roll out the ioNode infrastructure
- To establish the extent of local ePDP systems within the PDP4Life partners and encourage further development and sharing of good practice
- To raise awareness within the PDP4Life partners of the availability of IMS LIP/UK LeaP compatible ePDP/ePortfolio systems that have been or are being developed within the JISC community and pilot appropriate tools if feasible within the timescale of this project
The overall approach of the project was to encourage networking between the partners in the SW region to share experiences and practice in PDP and to develop an extended specification for a learner record that merged formal and informal records of learning. A specific focus on PDP for the creative industries (CI) sector was adopted in recognition of the importance of this economic sector to the regional economy and the inclusion of three specialist arts institutions within the partnership.
The main achievements of the project have been the development of a User Specification for an Extended Lifelong Learner Record, a successful test of the feasibility of transferring learner records data securely between institutions and from institutions to a repository using the ioNode technology and research into the perceptions of students, academics and employers on the value of PDP and lifelong learner records. Development of the ioPortal as a test system for ePortfolios and as a PDP planning tool has also been achieved; it is intended to continue this development during the JISC Capital Programme project, PDP4XL2, which Bournemouth University is also leading.
A highly successful project dissemination conference, entitled PDP and E-portfolios: listening to the voices of the learners, was hosted by Dartington College of Arts in March 2006. The final project conference was held at the Miramar Hotel, Bournemouth, 26-27 April 2007.