Developing Business Practice – 302LON

Developing a Personal Development Plan

Unit: 10 Knowledgecast: 1

In this Knowledgecast, we will:

• Analyse a range of learning styles and the factors that influence successful study

• Discuss the value of reflection and self-evaluation as a learner• Prepare a Personal Development Plan to address areas in need of

development throughout your programme of study

Module Learning Outcomes

Module Overview

Unit

1 Developing as a learner

2 Working independently and with others

3 Academic writing

4 Critical thinking, reading and taking notes

5 Using data in your studies

6 Business and management research

7 Career development strategies

8 Effective self marketing tools

9 Successful work experience

10 Personal Development Planning

• “Lifelong, lifewide, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons”

• Lifelong learning enhances: – social inclusion and active citizenship– personal development– competitiveness and employability.

• Continually adapting to change by acquiring:– New skills– New ways of thinking

Lifelong Learning

Source: UK Department of Education (2000)

Source: EU Commission (2006)

Your Core SkillsCognitive skills: critical thinking, analysis and synthesis

Problem solving and decision making: using quantitative and qualitative data

Research and investigative skills: as part of individual and team assignments

Information and communications technology skills: using a range of business applications

Numeracy and quantitative skills: data analysis, interpretation and extrapolation

Communication skills: oral and written English, using a range of media

Interpersonal skills: talking, listening and negotiation

Team-working skills: leadership, team-building, influencing others

Personal management skills: time management and planning, motivating yourself, using initiative

Learning skills: reflective, adaptive and collaborative

Self-awareness: sensitivity and openness to others who are different to you, emotional intelligence

Source: www.qaa.ac.uk

How Do People Learn?

Kolb’s Learning

Cycle

Honey & Mumford Learning Styles

How can I use this information?

- Effective learners will be able to learn in all 4 styles

- Identify your strengths or preferred learning style

- Reflect on your past experiences of learning where learning was not successful

- Identify opportunities to learn using each of the 4 styles

Honey & Mumford Learning

Styles

1. Schedule sufficient time to reflect on your experiences

2. Being clear about what specific experience you are reflecting on

3. Choose a suitable method to record your reflections

4. Use the skill of ‘critical thinking’ to consider ideas and evidence

5. Be honest with yourself about your thoughts and your feelings

6. Be open to feedback

Reflection: How do you do it?

Managing Your Studies

Based on Fayol’s 5 Elements of Management (1916)

‘…still recognised as relevant for the managers of today and tomorrow.’

Moorcroft (2000:8-10)

Clearly Defined

Challenging

Committed to

Receive Regular Feedback

Recognise Complexity

Motivation – Achieving Your Goals

Based on Goal Theory (Locke, 1968)

‘At present, goal-setting is one of the most influential theories of work motivation applicable to all cultures’. Hannagan (2005:363)

1. Clear and shared goals

2. Agreed ways of working

3. Effective communication

4. Support and cooperation

5. Regular review of progress

5 Factors for Successful Team Working

A Simple Communication Framework

Sender Receiver MessagePresentat

ion

4 Assessment Steps: No 4 – Plan the Time

Ability To Pass:

Ability To Manage:

Why Don’t All Students Succeed?

Stages of Research

‘An acknowledgement

of the implications

and significance of

a researcher’s choices

as designer, observer and writer.’

Being a Reflexive Practitioner

The aims of reflexivity include:

- Examine your unconscious reactions to the research methodology

- Explore the dynamic between the researcher and the researched

- Understand the role of the researcher in the construction of knowledge

In our next Knowledgecast, we will look at:

• Analyse a range of learning styles and the factors that influence successful study

• Discuss the value of reflection and self-evaluation as a learner• Prepare a Personal Development Plan to address areas in need of

development throughout your programme of study

What are we going to cover next?

In this Knowledgecast, we have looked at:

• Analyse a range of learning styles and the factors that influence successful study

– Recognising the link between learning through experience and reflection as a key management skill

• Discuss the value of reflection and self-evaluation as a learner– Reflection as a key academic and business skill to support deep learning

• Prepare a Personal Development Plan to address areas in need of development throughout your programme of study

– The use of skills frameworks to help identify and create your academic and lifelong learning plans

Knowledgecast Summary

Seminar - Module Overview

1. Developing as a learner

2. Working independently and with others

3. Academic writing

4. Critical thinking, reading and taking notes

5. Using data in your studies

6. Business and management research

7. Career development strategies

8. Effective self marketing tools

9. Successful work experience

10. Personal Development Planning

Student ‘Teach-Ins’ increase motivation to learn, promote deep learning and enhance self-esteem

(Wagner and Gansemer-Topf, 2005)

• Choose a topic from this module• Prepare a 5 minute ‘teach-in’• Everyone actively participates• Recognise how your strengths have been used to produce your

Teach-In• Be ready to run your session in our last Group Activity

Seminar: Group Teach-In

Student ‘Teach-Ins’ increase motivation to learn, promote deep learning and enhance self-esteem

(Wagner and Gansemer-Topf, 2005)

• Choose a topic from this module• Prepare a 5 minute ‘teach-in’• Everyone actively participates• Recognise how your strengths have been used to produce your

Teach-In• Be ready to run your session in our last Group Activity

Group Activity: Group Teach-In