Practices: Skills, PDP and Employability
- Planning and Recording Mechanisms
- Embedded Skills Development
- Standalone Skills Modules
- Resources
- Placements, Work-based learning and Employers
- Personal Tutorials
Planning and Recording Mechanisms
PDP “The use [on a professionally-oriented PGT programme] of experience evaluation whereby the students identify for themselves at the start of the year where there may be gaps in their knowledge, skills and experience, and formulate a professional development plan for the year. ARCHI Sarah Lupton APRE 2005/06 |
Reflective logbooks maintained by students in which they record all patient contacts and treatments undertaken together with staff feedback and assessment. DENTL Mr R McAndrew APRE 2006/07 |
Introduction of improved patient-episode monitoring processes and expansion in the use of evidence-based log-books. OPTOM APRE 2005/06 |
| A feature of the Master of Pharmacy programme is the experience gained by all students of both community and hospital pharmacy. In a few cases, students have extensive recent experience in one or other of these practice settings and on proof of such are exempted, but for the most part of the student body practice experience is from/within placements in Year 3 arranged by the School. Students are required to reflect on their experience in the format of a practice diary/log/portfolio. PHRMY Dr M.L. Hughes APRE 2006/07 |
Introduction of a structured reflective logbook focussing on the completion of a competency framework at four different stages of diploma. PHRMY Dr Delyth James APRE 2005/06 |
Requirement for a CPD portfolio to be submitted, a current professional requirement for pharmacists. PHRMY Dr Dai John APRE 2005/06 |
Assessment criteria have been devised for learning journals in order to encourage and enable the embedding of PDP in summative assessment. RELIG Dr James Hegarty APRE 2005/06 |
| PDP-MA in Social Work PDP is an integral part of practice learning and is discussed both with practice assessors and personal tutors. During 2006/07 this was strengthened by introducing a PDP planning meeting between student and tutor at the end of the first period of practice learning, and an exemplar was produced for students and tutors to use from 2007 onwards. SOCSI Sally Holland APRE 2006/07 |
| Personal Development Plan-this is developed by the respective PDP team and it's encouraged by all Personal Tutors. All students keep a portfolio which is developed as they progress through the Programmes. This portfolio is further developed within the clinical/practical Placements. an electronic portfolio has been developed by the PDP Team in Physiotherapy. SOHCS Liz Evans APRE 2006/07 |
| Recruitment Book Rationale To enhance graduate employability and aid recognition of Cardiff Business School and Graduates as a quality resource for business. Method At the start of the academic year, students are invited to provide a brief CV in a standard format and a photograph for inclusion in a recruitment book, which is produced by the Business School for publication in February of the year of study. Students are provided with guidance and training to assist with the creation of their CVs, and the cost of being included in this book is covered by the course fees. The book is distributed to many major businesses in the UK and the students’ home country not only to aid visibility and employability of individual students, but also to enhance recognition of the Cardiff Business School brand. It is anticipated that this recruitment book, which also serves as a year book and invaluable networking tool for the graduates themselves, will be produced online in future to save on production costs. CARBS Don Barry barryd@cardiff.ac.uk |
Embedded Skills Development
Incorporation of an “adjudication exercise and feasibility study” within a professionally-oriented programme, over and above the requirements of the professional body. ARCHI APRE 2005/06 Sarah Lupton |
Embedding context-specific communication instruction into existing Masters schemes across the four Schools. ENCAP Funded Project 2005/06 Prof S Sarangi |
Career Management Lectures/PDP – in conjunction with the University Careers Management Service and as a supplement to engagement with PDP, establishment of a comprehensive and tailor-made programme of career management lectures and seminars (CMS contact Sally Blake, Politics contact Peter Sutch, EUROS PDP contact Mark Donovan). EUROS Sally Blake/Peter Sutch APRE 2005/06 |
Student involvement in the planning and delivery of professional development workshops MEDIC APRE 2005/06 |
Increased assessment of practical skills (checking and writing prescriptions, adverse drug reaction reporting, pharmaceutical calculations, consultation skills) in May, just prior to graduation, to assist in graduates' preparedness for practice. PHRMY Dr Dai John APRE 2005/06 |
‘Mock OSCE’ workshop is structured so that each student has the opportunity to act as an examiner and as an examinee, thereby experiencing the assessment from both sides. The students are provided with reflection sheets to complete after each half of the workshop (i.e. each student completes one form reflecting on their experiences as an examiner and one form reflecting on their experiences as an examinee). This allows students to identify knowledge and skills which require further improvement prior to the actual assessment. PHRMY Dr Dai John APRE 2005/06 |
“The development of [objective structured assessments (OSCE and OSPE assessments)] over the years from paper based to fully interactive provides a sequenced development of student skills with a sensitive use of staff resources”. PHRMY External Examiner's Report 2005/06 |
Standalone Skills Modules
Year 1 Module: BI 1010 Problem Solving in Biology BIOSI APRE 2005/06 |
Critical Skills module, 10 credit standalone (in addition to 120 credits at level 1) CARBS APRE 2005/06 |
Development of LLM Skills Module with an emphasis on the provision of e-learning materials on Blackboard CLAWS Nicola Langton APRE 2005/06 |
New Y2 module on Research Skills in Language and Communication, "reinforcing the idea of research-led learning" ENCAP Michelle Aldridge APRE 2005/06 |
Introduction of new Undergraduate and Postgraduate language training modules - 'German for Historians' and 'French for Historians' - to extend language and translation skills relevant to History students. HISAR APRE 2006/07 |
Lecture series on study skills for all new first year students OPTOM APRE 2005/06 |
Development of a new Level 1 module in Psychological Research. This includes 11 research seminars given by individual members of staff , supplemented by structured materials for reading and critical thinking and supported through additional tutorial meetings with members of staff. The module aims “to introduce students at the beginning of their programme of study to the actual process involved in critical engagement with psychological research”. PSYCH Dr Simon Rushton APRE 2005/06 |
Students on the PGCE programme have attended leadership and assertiveness courses organised by the Students’ Union. SOCSI APRE 2005/06 John Parnell |
Contemporary Professional Work introduced as a core module on all professional doctorate programmes to address, at the start of the programme, “some key skills issues, including critical reflective practice and some tools of research” SOCSI APRE 2005/06 Jonathan Scourfield |
| Study skills workshop A three day MSc Study Skills workshop was held in September 2008 prior to commencement of the new programme. This was evaluated very well and will be developed and offered in 2009 SONMS APRE 2007/08 Colin Rees; Rhian Barnes; Judith Benbow |
Resources
To develop a definitive, web-based guide to study and transferable skills development opportunities for staff and students. CARSV Funded Project 2005/06 Sally Blake |
Use of Blackboard e-portfolio functions for PDP provision. CHEMY APRE 2005/06 |
Increased skills support in the 'Legal Foundations' module, especially through interactive materials on Blackboard CLAWS APRE 2005/06 |
To develop 3 user/learner friendly web-portals providing learning support for professional ethics, IT ethics and medical law and ethics. CLAWS Funded Project 2005/06 Prof S Holm |
| Maths Surgery Rationale: Making tutorials more informal teaching sessions, with one to one interaction between students and tutors, can improve learning mathematics significantly, especially for students who are not strong in the subject. Method: Maths Surgery, sometimes called Drop-in Maths Surgery, is currently run for foundation, first and second year students from all disciplines in the School of Engineering. Maths Surgery is conducted by 4-5 one hour sessions every week. In general, students work independently for the most part of each session, seeking help as and when they need it. Sometimes they work in pairs or in groups of 3 or more. In each session, 2-3 tutors will be providing help on a one to one basis to students. Students can come in any time during the session and can leave once they have discussed their problems with tutors. At the beginning of each academic year, during enrolment, all first year students across the School of Engineering are requested to take an online Maths Diagnostic Test. A cut-off mark is set for the test and students who score below the cut-off mark are strongly advised to attend Maths Surgery. In the following semesters students can decide whether they need to attend the Maths Surgery or not based on their performances in tests and exams. Maths Surgery has been running at the school level for the last two years. ENGIN Dr Sivakumar Kulasegaram kulasegarams@cardiff.ac.uk |
| School Jobs Fair The School holds two Jobs Fairs per academic year. These are supported by the local NHS trusts and include a presentation from the Trusts, with information that updates students on the current employment market. The School continues to offer sessions to students with regard to the construction of CVs and preparation for interview. SONMS APRE 2007/08 Jan Campsie |
Placements, Work-based learning and Employers
| The use of an external professional speaker to inform students about the career implications of their degree. ENCAP APRE 2006/07Adam Jaworski |
| City and Guilds Accreditation for Placements Rationale: The City and Guilds Licentiateship offers students a means of gaining recognised accreditation for their placement experience, enhancing their profile and offering tangible evidence of professional competency and skills to prospective employers. Method: Students undertaking a Professional Training Period spend a year in salaried employment working as a mathematician or statistician. Personal tutors visit the placement twice in the course of the year, liaising with the student and placement supervisor and compiling a report on the site visits. Students are required to submit a diary providing a day-to-day record of their placement, a 1000 word report detailing the nature of the placement and their personal development and deliver a presentation of their professional training experience to an audience of staff and fellow students. Reports are assessed by the personal tutor and the Professional Training Period coordinator and moderated by an external examiner.These assessments provide the evidence of the demonstration of personal and technical competence required for the award of the City and Guilds Licentiateship. Students may then choose to apply for City and Guilds accreditation by the completion of an additional one page summary of their report. Half of the £50 fee for City and Guilds certification is met by the School, and the processing of candidate names for certification is handled by Registry. MATHS Dr Janet Williams williamsje@cardiff.ac.uk |
Full weekly programme of careers events during semester time, including presentations by prospective employers (contact Julie Price). CLAWS APRE 2005/06Julie Price |
Revised publicity material in Cultural Criticism in Cultural Criticism to emphasise career pathways of graduates from the discipline. ENCAP APRE 2005/06 Neil Badmington |
| Alumni Involvement in UG Careers Conference Rationale: Presentations by alumni enhance a careers conference programme with specific exemplars and guidance for employment paths within a disciplinary field. Method: A successful, well-attended undergraduate conference was held by the Centre for Language and Communication Research in which former students contributed sessions on their career progression, either in person or remotely via PowerPoint presentations. Current undergraduates disseminated aspects of their project, dissertation or research work by means of a poster session, providing an opportunity to further enhance their presentation and discussion skills. ENCAP Dr Adam Jaworski jaworski@cardiff.ac.uk |
Involvement of School Teaching Executive Committee with CARSV and of the School Teaching Office with prospective employers to improve ultimate student placement. Such moves include establishment of an Engineering Careers Fair in the Autumn of 2007. ENGIN APRE 2005/06 Prof Tim Hughes |
| I commend particularly the oral presentation of Special Subject proposals to an audience of peers and staff. This helps students clarify their ideas, identify a manageable topic, review source material and present their views clearly and articulately to listeners. HISAR External Examiner's Report 2006/07 |
Dissemination of Placement Experiences Rationale Presentations from students who have recently returned from a placement year in industry help publicise the opportunities for gaining work experience and provide an additional means by which those involved may reflect upon how their employment has enhanced their skills development. Method Students returning from year long placements in industry present an account of their experience to second year students who are at the point of exploring whether to undertake a placement year. The presentations provide valuable details of the kinds of roles students may expect to take up, demystify the recruitment and application process and provide first-hand feedback of the interest and value of undertaking the placement within a particular company. MATHS Dr Janet Williams |
The experience of inter-professional working and learning provided by the year 2 placement in ward management with a student nurse. MEDIC APRE 2005/06 |
Links between the School and the Institute of Rural Health, and the valuable experience this provides for students in terms of the health care needs of rural populations MEDIC APRE 2005/06 |
| UG and PG students are offered the experience of public performance on the Tesco Stage, Wales Millenium Centre. MUSIC APRE 2006/07Dr Caroline Rae |
Opportunities for MMus Composition students to work with professional ensembles. MUSIC APRE 2005/06 Prof Anthony Powers/Dr Arlene Sierra |
Opportunities for UG and PG students to assist with front-of-house operations for MUSIC concerts MUSIC APRE 2005/06 Mrs Helen Conway |
Continuing lunchtime lecture series of careers talks using alumni volunteers. MUSIC APRE 2005/06 Dr Charles Wilson |
| Continued engagement with the profession for on-going MPharm curriculum review. Meetings have been held in mid-and North-Wales as well as more locally. These meetings have resulted in new or strengthened links with the profession in ways not only relating to the MPharm curriculum. PHRMY APRE 2006/07 Dr Dai John |
| Similar processes as above, including a stakeholder day, for the Community Pharmacy PGDiploma/MSc programme. PHRMY APRE 2006/07 Dr D James |
| Transferable Employability Skills In the undergraduate programmes a strong emphasis on 'transferable skills' (literacy, numeracy, IT skills) is being developed. Moreover, the imaginative initiatives being rolled out by our Innovation and Engagement Officer (Ian Jones) are expected to make a strong contribution to the employability of our graduates, since students play a major role in these projects. They include: *creativity workshops in the early weeks of Year One; *local school mentoring schemes; *development of the Certificate of Professional Development; *study skills workshops, with special emphasis on essay writing and oral presentation skills. These are run in partnership with the Student Development Unit of the Students Union; *a careers 'shadowing' scheme, working with the Careers Service Programme Manager to bring the lessons already learned in CARBS and CLAWS into SOCSI; *volunteering and understanding how charities work (eg. setting up special links with HIV/AIDS programmes in Africa); *further development of PDP (eg. through links to student exchange overseas); *training in web design for student groups who will support academic staff and research centres as they develop their cfNexus presence. SOCSI APRE 2006/07 Dr Ian Jones |
| Students on the MA in Welsh (Creative Writing route) are offered work experience. In 2006/07, one student worked with the National Theatre of Wales. Students are also given the opportunity to have one-to-one workshops with prominent Welsh writers. WELSH APRE 2006/07 Dr E.Wyn Jones |
Personal Tutorials
Protected time in the timetable for students to meet with Tutors three times per year. DENTL APRE 2005/06 Prof Dummer |
Allocation of two Personal Tutors on the International Foundation Year (one from the English language side of the programme and one from the academic subject). INTER APRE 2005/06 |
PDP is allied to students’ reflective journals which form an integral component of the tutor role. Tutors provide formative feedback to students which may be used to further their individual reflections and PDP. These are made available to external examiners and may be used to support student progress. Activities during the course relating to PDP are incorporated within the student reflective journal. PGMDE APRE 2005/06 |