The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
1
Personal Development Planning and the Economics Tribe
A paper for HEA Conference Nottingham 3-5 July 2006
Dr Anne Lee and Penny Burden
Acknowledgements
Professor Rickman and Dr Gage put a great deal of energy into supporting the work and enabling us to
understand the pedagogy that is central to economists, we are also grateful to the post-graduate and
undergraduate students who participated in the work.
Introduction
This paper looks at how the Economics Department chose to introduce personal development
planning (PDP) within the University context, and asks whether that choice gives us any indication
of a prevailing pedagogy in that discipline.
In essence the methodology behind this study is phenomenological. We presumed that there is an
‘essence to shared experience’ (Patton 1990 p70), and we focused on the participants descriptions
of what they experienced and how it was they experienced what they experienced. We accessed
the information through unstructured and structured surveys, analysing the output of discussion
groups, an analysis of 120 essays, observation and interviews.
We found examples of a prevailing pedagogy in Economics. Firstly as Economics is a social
science we would expect to see evidence of commitment to the whole person. The Economics
Department chose to introduce their students to skills for personal development planning at a time
when it was not compulsory. They put considerable senior management time behind planning how
this should be done. Secondly, we found evidence of using economic models. As economists
they used the model of opportunity cost and outsourcing to identify the model which would provide
maximum development opportunity for the students at a minimum additional cost of academic staff
time. Thirdly, there was some evidence that Economics is defined by and bound by its seminal
textbooks. Fourthly, there was alignment between the academic staff requirements and their
marking criteria and some alignment of these with student perceptions. Broad knowledge, the
ability to analyse, synthesise and put into context are some of the economics department’s
marking criteria. Both staff and students recognised this. Finally we found an increasing
awareness of the need to improve students’ mathematical skills. The discipline of Economics is
increasingly becoming recognised as sharing a common frontier with maths as econometrics
(mathematics applied to economic modelling) becomes more important.
Defining PDP
Universities were asked to develop progress files: “a means by which students can monitor, build
and reflect upon their personal development” (Dearing 1997)
There is no universally recognised definition of what personal development planning (PDP) really is
(Brennan and Shah, 2003).
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) guidelines state that PDP is
concerned with learning in a holistic sense (both academic and non-academic) and a “process that
involves self-reflection, the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress
towards the achievement of personal objectives”. The guidelines also give statements as to the
intended purpose of PDP, i.e: to enable students to become more effective, independent and
confident self-directed learners, to understand how they are learning, to relate their learning to a
wider context and to improve their general skills for study and career management.
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
2
Thus Universities have considerable freedom to define PDP. At Surrey we consulted widely on a
framework which defined learning objectives and target outcomes.
The learning objectives needed to reflect various perspectives: those of the University itself,
academics, students and employers. They were derived from an analysis of the University’s
mission statement and other policy documents, the work of Barrie on Graduate Attributes (2004)
and work looking at the stages of maturation that graduates and adults may move through. (Perry
1970 and Hall 1994). It also took into account an analysis of employers’ requirements for graduate
competencies.
The University of Surrey emphasises employability and the recognition of a need to understand
humanity. The following comes from Article 2 of its Royal Charter:
“The objects of the University shall be the pursuit of learning and the advancement and
dissemination of knowledge, in Science and Technology and all that pertains to a fuller
understanding of humanity, in close co-operation with the industrial life of the country and
with commerce and the professions...”
We also needed to take account of the objectives included in the Surrey Skills statement (see
appendix 1) and the postgraduate research students’ skills training strategy. This latter strategy
stated that the University would organise a comprehensive skills programme and an appropriate
personal development planning policy for all doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers.
Looking internationally and for the academic view point, the University of Sydney’s graduate
attributes project asked lecturers to agree on the values that they wanted to see every student to
espouse. They identified the following as its lodestones:
“SCHOLARSHIP: An attitude or stance towards knowledge:
Graduates of the University will have a scholarly attitude to knowledge and understanding. As Scholars, the
University's graduates will be leaders in the production of new knowledge and understanding through inquiry, critique
and synthesis. They will be able to apply their knowledge to solve consequential problems and communicate their
knowledge confidently and effectively.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: An attitude or stance towards the world:
Graduates of the University will be Global Citizens, who will aspire to contribute to society in a full and meaningful
way through their roles as members of local, national and global communities.
LIFELONG LEARNING: An attitude or stance towards themselves:
Graduates of the University will be Lifelong Learners committed to and capable of continuous learning and reflection
for the purpose of furthering their understanding of the world and their place in it.”
Barrie S Graduate Attributes Project http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/GraduateAttributes
It became clear that the learning objectives that we chose to espouse could have a powerful effect
on the long-term direction of both students and the university. Whilst the structure and some of the
observations were useful, there was no academic support (for example) for following the Sydney
example of highlighting global citizenship – the implications that both staff and students would be
expected to donate a percentage of their time to voluntary work was not tenable in our
environment.
In their book The Bases of Competence: Skills for Lifelong Learning and Employability, the
Canadian authors Evers, Rush and Berdrow (1998) identified the essential graduate skills as
managing self; communicating; managing people and tasks; and mobilising innovation and
change. John Daniels (1999) (then Vice Chancellor of the Open University) added a UK
perspective when he commented that employers “find that students and graduates are most
confident of their skills in managing themselves and communicating. They are much less sure of
their skills for managing people and tasks and for mobilising innovation and change, although
these skills are much sought after by employers.” This suggested that skills of lifelong and
independent learning are going to be key for employability as well as for academic success.
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
3
Perry (1970) wrote about the stages he identified that students at Harvard went through during
their college years. This study has been criticised for being dated and gender specific (mostly
male), but later studies have replicated condensed versions of these stages which start at basic
duality (there is a right and a wrong) through perceiving relativism to understanding the role of
reflection and self-identity. Hall (1994) wrote about the different values that adults may have as
they examine them: moving from surviving through self-initiating to interdepending. This
highlighted the need for a developmental approach.
The framework chosen was similar to that designed by Barrie, but the implications of the words
within the framework were different. It was agreed that the learning objectives should cover three
main areas:
1. Learning research and scholarship;
2. Employability and engagement with society:
3. Personal and communication skills
Appendix 2 lists the learning outcomes for first year students.
In terms of identifying target outcomes for students, the University offers resources for students to
become engaged with personal development planning and asks them to take responsibility for
becoming an independent learner, getting the most out of the University and enhancing their
employability. Support and guidance was available through a mixture of personal tutorials, study
modules, web materials and centrally provided services such as Careers and the Language
Centre.
One core strand of the Economics PDP programme was to encourage meta-learning. “Metalearning is basically about a process of being aware and taking control of one’s own learning”
Meyer and Shanahan (2004 p 444).
The discipline of economics?
Economics is classified as a social science but there is room for further analysis of economics as a
disciplinary community (Becher and Trowler 2001 p 52).
The Economics Department wanted to find some way of offering PDP to their students. They had
limited spare staff capacity or skill in this area. What did they do and how did they do it?
In consultation with staff in the Skills and Personal Development team (SPD), various approaches
were examined. The economics staff as a whole were supportive of the need to develop skills in
undergraduates, but hitherto had not been particularly involved in the evolving discussions about
PDP.
Within the team we faced two questions:
1.
2.
How could we support Economics staff in their search to deepen their understanding of
the concept of PDP and find cost-effective methods of delivery?
How could we support them in making it available to their students?
At Surrey there are two main routes for introducing PDP. It can take place through the assessed
curriculum and/or it can take place through personal tutorials. The Skills and Personal
Development (SPD) team had previously run a ten week module on skills for economics
undergraduates, but we needed to alter this pattern. One of the SPD team’s objectives was to
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
4
inform the economics staff about PDP and give them some encouragement to take over this
initiative themselves.
The Economics Department did not have the staffing to increase the number of personal tutorials,
and did not feel able to run a personal development module themselves.
We agreed to introduce PDP to the economics undergraduates in a new way. We ran a half day
conference for over one hundred students. The SPD team provided most of the materials and
delivery, but needed the support of senior economics staff who introduced the conference and
were there all the time, as well as four post graduate students who helped to manage some
administration and led some of the small group work.
The SPD team’s suggested model reflected ‘economies of scale’ and this proved attractive to the
department. We proposed a conference for the whole year group which would be a mixture of
short lectures, exercises and discussion groups. At this stage it required little time from the
economics staff (although considerable time from SPD). The opportunity cost for economics staff
was low, they were enthusiastic about a model which appeared to outsource PDP so that they
could spend more time on where they see they have a comparative advantage (ie: on research).
Here the SPD team and the Economics Department had apparently conflicting agendas, but we
also had a willingness to work together on this model to explore its potential.
The conference covered: the characteristics of a top economics student; approaches to learning
and academic writing. A later session for the same group included an exercise on accessing
materials from the library.
In one fell swoop the Economics Department fulfilled the University’s minimum requirements for
introducing some PDP opportunities for their undergraduates. There were also opportunities
created for building upon this initiative throughout the year. Students were asked to submit a
1,500 word assignment, and the marked assignments were handed back by personal tutors. The
assignment asked the students to reflect on the differences between learning at school and at
university and to identify what steps they would take to become a top economics graduate.
In this study we wanted to see if we found any evidence to support the prevailing view that there
are ‘threshold concepts’ (such as ‘opportunity cost’, ‘incentives’ or the concept of an economic
model) for economics students to grasp which act as ‘portals’ to understanding their subject (Meyer
and Land 2003, Entwistle 2003). According to Meyer and Land a threshold concept may possess
a number of characteristics, it is likely to be (i) integrative, in that it exposes the previously hidden
interrelatedness of something: (ii) Transformative so that once understood, it produces a
significant shift in the perception of the subject: (iii) potentially irreversible, that is, once acquired it
is likely to permanently alter the individual’s perspective (iv) potentially troublesome. (Meyer &
Shanahan 2003 p 4).
There was some evidence from their essays and the conference itself that the students faced two
threshold concepts: understanding approaches to learning and the need for conceptual
understanding. We also found that we needed to take a step back and look at what felt like a
threshold concept of enabling economists to feel confident in their skills in moving outside the
familiar concepts of teaching economics.
Whilst Economics has historically been classified as a social science (and therefore a ‘soft, applied’
subject according to Biglan 1973) mathematics has become an increasingly important part of the
subject. In fact Becher and Trowler (2001) argue that the subject shares ‘one common frontier with
mathematics and another with political science; some trade relations with history and sociology;
and a lesser measure of shared ground with psychology, philosophy and law’ (p59).
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
5
We had the support of the Head of the Economics Department. We used this to try to deepen
everyone’s understanding of what they were looking for in an outstanding economics graduate.
An e-mail survey of economics staff yielded a series of requirements which were synthesised and
the results of this synthesis was fed back to staff for further evaluation. A discourse analysis
identified the characteristics below.
The range of interests identified and the requirements for conceptual understanding supports
Becher and Trowler’s identification of political science, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy
and law as linked to economics. The interesting part of this list (in terms of discipline analysis) is
the absence of the physical sciences. Biglan (1973b) said “scholars in social science emphasize
educating the whole student and evidence a more personal commitment to students than do those
in physical sciences” (p2005). Whilst it was wise to be considering PDP at this stage, the
Economics department did not have to. Thus they were demonstrating some interest in
‘emphasizing educating the whole student.’
Mathematics also appeared as a highly rated skill for the top economics graduate. Biglan does
include Maths (along with the physical sciences, geology and astronomy) as a pure non-life system
hard subject. (p207) This suggests that Economics is on the cusp of both the hard and soft
subjects and that Economics students do need a broad interest and a wide range of conceptual
abilities to be able to study successfully.
The options for working towards offering PDP opportunities which would enable personal growth
and increased self-awareness for the students were limited. There was little staff time available for
additional tutorials and little staff time to develop assessed modules.
What progress did students make?
At the time of writing it is too soon to assess (if ever we really can) the full impact of the conference
on student achievement. We would need to organise a longitudinal study to assess this over
several years. However, in terms of PDP, there is evidence from the assignments that progress
was made towards independent learning and working with others.
The list of skills required that emerged from an email survey of academic staff in the Economics
Department may be generic to all students, and further research is needed to assess this.
Characteristics of a Top Economics Graduate
Interest
 In economics and the subject as it is now (ie the formal/mathematical presentation of issues)
 In the world around them
 In what motivates people
Skill
 To master mathematical skills/to cope with the maths and the statistics/to translate economic theory
into a mathematical format
 Communication skills: ability to communicate clearly and succinctly
 Analytical skills
 To work hard/to a regular pattern
 Problem solving skills
Conceptual Understanding
 Tolerance of ambiguity
 A good understanding of the concepts and procedures of hypothesis testing
 Some capacity for economic thinking
 To distinguish between central and peripheral issues (to distinguish the
wood from the trees)
Results of an email survey of Economics Academic Staff at the University of Surrey Jan 2006
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
6
The students during the conference also undertook an exercise which illuminated their beliefs. In
some (but not total) contrast they believed that academic staff were looking for: interest, analytical
skills, determination and self confidence. The concept of conceptual understanding, problem
solving and tolerance of ambiguity did not surface so clearly. (See the students’ evaluation of the
conference in Appendix Three). From this we concluded that there is some evidence that the need
for conceptual understanding is a ‘threshold concept’ for economics students.
The assignments revealed a wide disparity in previous experiences of independent learning.
Some students said that there was little difference between learning at school and university,
except that they had more control over their time, others said that there was a big difference now
that they were not being spoon-fed.
The assignments also reflected issues about self motivation. Some students reported a feeling of
‘being dictated to’, so self-motivation becomes even more important. Below are some examples of
students increased awareness of purpose:
“Learning at UniS is more real than studying at school, I am aware of where this course is taking
me and what it will help to achieve in future. Instead of learning because I have to, I am
learning because I want to and I know that I will benefit from it in future.”
“Having fun within the subject is something I feel is necessary to become an outstanding
economics graduate. Although admittedly economics isn’t a hugely interesting subject, it has its
moments, and to capitalise on such moments is very important.”
“The conference really opened my eyes on how much work is expected of me and in the past,
even though I have known this, I have maybe not taken my studying as seriously as I should
have.”
“During the group presentations of ‘characteristics of a good economics student’ certain
features such as ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘an eagerness to learn more about the subject’ were
mentioned. Honestly this made me and a few of my friends feel slightly guilty and after the
conference we told each other that we needed to ‘fix up’. I certainly need to change my attitude
towards studying.”
“However, because of my (school) teacher helped me too much, this becomes the hidden
trouble in my university life.”
There were also comments which exemplified a more practical and limited (although in one case,
admittedly mathematical) attitude:
“Any economics student must gain 120 credits over an academic year, which is 9 months. It
means I have an average of 2.25 days to collect 1 credit.”
“An outstanding Economics graduate (assuming ceteris paribus) we imagine to be a person
who is to achieve high grades and marks in pieces of coursework and exams.”
There were comments reflecting learning about working with others
“There is a chance that someone in my group may understand some of the things that I don’t
and conversely, giving rise to ‘gains to trade’, When a study partner makes me understand
something that I previously just couldn’t get, then it is an obvious benefit to me. And I also
benefit even if I am teaching others. As I explain a concept to my classmate, I have first to
process the material in my mind and formulate a coherent verbal explanation.”
“I also thought the conference was good for meeting new people as it is impossible to know
everyone on the course…the group work enabled me to meet a few new people that you often
see but have never really had a chance to talk (to)..”
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
7
“I barely work in groups, but during the group discussion about essay techniques when everyone was
feeding ideas of each other, I realised that it might not be such a bad thing to meet up with
friends regularly to discuss work. A week after the conference I met up with a friend for a while
to discuss a topic in statistics that we both found complicated. We talked through examples
together and finally figured out how to use the formulas. I think that regular group work would
certain benefit me as it is a good way to keep each other motivated.”
These comments suggest that meta-learning had taken place, that there was some increasing
awareness amongst these students of the need to understand how they learned and to direct that
learning.
We also looked to see if there is any supporting evidence for the omnipresence of the economics
textbook (and lack of presence of journal articles) as identified by Richardson (2004).
One of the economics staff commented on textbooks, “I think they are increasingly popular
because, firstly it is now accepted (for good or ill) that there is a core of economic principles, and
because these (and their extensions) are increasingly being discussed in the journals in rather
mathematical ways. Textbooks distil these developments, link them back to basics and, I think,
can help prevent the fragmentation of the discipline. Many of our textbooks are written by top
theorists and I sometimes wonder whether they also seek this unifying goal (as well as shedloads
of cash!).”
Unifying and protecting the discipline is an interesting thread to come out of this commentary –
perhaps this need is particularly felt in a discipline which has so many boundaries with adjacent
subjects.
The Economics department had an explicit marking criteria, used for marking all their assignments.
The judgements these criteria lead the economists to make illuminate the the ‘terms through which
the devotees of a scholarly pursuit represent their aims, judgements, justification and so on’.
Geertz 1983 (in Becher and Trowler p 46). The marking criteria cover: knowledge of material,
focus, analysis, synthesis and content and evaluation. They explicitly value the ability to think
independently and critically, integration of concepts and information, a strong recognition of the
wider context, excellence in analysis and knowledge beyond curriculum content. The marking
guidelines are consistent with the values that the academic staff hold (interest, skill and conceptual
understanding) and are mostly consistent with the values that the students thought they needed
(active interest and analytical skill are clearly included but the students’ values of self-confidence
and determination are important but not part of the explicit marking criteria).
Conclusions
We began with the overall question about whether we could identify any aspects of pedagogy
within Economics which would drive the way that academics chose to deliver PDP. Within that
were two further questions.
1.
How could we support Economics staff in their search to deepen their understanding of
the concept of PDP and find cost-effective methods of delivery?
2.
How could we support them in making it available to their students?
Economics staff were aware of the short-term opportunity costs of investing staff time in delivering
PDP, but wanted to make it usefully available to their students and gather information about how it
could be delivered in future. They did use economic models to make their decisions (economies of
scale, outsourcing and opportunity cost) rather than (for example) change management models.
The proposal of creating a conference to introduce some PDP skills was eagerly pursued. The
SPD team took the opportunity to do more than ‘teach skills’. At least half of the programme was
about reflection and meta-learning. Senior members of staff introduced and then observed the
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
8
conference, participating when they felt it relevant. Post-graduate students supervised the small
group working.
There was evidence from the assignments of some meta-learning. There was also evidence that
some students considered themselves advanced in study skills, and that there was little more for
them to learn. A more detailed conference evaluation is in Appendix 3.
In summary, it could be argued that the way that the Economics Department chose to begin to
introduce their first-year undergraduates to PDP and the fact that they chose to do anything at all,
were indicative of some of the prevailing ‘Economics tribe’ values. Other departments have
chosen to deliver PDP through ‘light touch’ tutorials, through individualised workbook sessions or
through taught modules, and at the time of planning this conference, one or two departments were
not actively considering PDP at all.
There was also some evidence that Economics is defined by and bound by its seminal textbooks
and as a subject seeking to ‘mark out its territory’ this is important to it. There was alignment
between the academic staff requirements and their marking criteria and some alignment of these
with student perceptions. Broad knowledge, the ability to analyse, synthesise and put into context
are all elements within the Economics Department’s marking criteria. Both staff and students
recognised this. Finally we found an increasing awareness of the need to improve students’
mathematical skills. The discipline of Economics is increasingly becoming recognised as sharing
one of its frontiers with maths.
We also found evidence pointing towards the proposal that ‘conceptual understanding’ could be a
threshold concept for the students.
This paper raises several questions for further research. Further investigation into the definition of
‘conceptual understanding’ would be helpful. It would also be helpful to understand the barriers
that academic staff face when dealing with personal development skills. Another possible question
for further research is whether economic models (some of which have similarities to those used in
complexity theory) could be used to identify pedagogic traits in other disciplines.
Dr Anne Lee and Penny Burden
Skills & Personal Development, CLD
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 7XH
Tel: 01483 683350
a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
9
Appendix One
UNIVERSITY OF SURREY SKILLS STATEMENT
Programmes offered by the University of Surrey are intended to ensure that graduates are professional, self-reliant, adaptable,
creative and ethically aware individuals, equipped with an excellent mix of subject knowledge and related skills, experience of the
wider world and the graduate skills necessary for their careers and personal development.

In the light of the above and building on its excellent links with the world of work, the University of Surrey expects graduate skills to be an
essential element of all programmes of study, with their aims and learning outcomes being clearly spelt out in programme specifications in a
way which is informative for both the students and the wider community.

The graduate skills which all students at UniS should possess are closely linked to the University’s outstanding reputation for links with
industry and the world of work. These are:




Communication skills – e.g. written, oral, listening, visual
Intellectual and cognitive skills – e.g. critical analysis, synthesis, evaluation, ability to challenge given views
Interpersonal skills – e.g. working with others, leading others, flexibility, reliability
Research skills – e.g. competence systematically to explore existing knowledge, develop research questions and devise appropriate
methodologies to arrive at results that add to knowledge
 Self-management skills – e.g. ability to accept responsibility for and manage personal learning and development, time management,
taking initiative
In addition, through the emphasis on skills in the curriculum, professional training and extra-curricular opportunities, all Surrey graduates
will also have had the opportunity to develop graduate skills such as computing, numeracy and modern foreign languages.
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
10
Appendix Two
LEVEL ONE
(The minimum requirement is for a programme to meet one objective from each group)
At the end of the year the student should be able to:
LEARNING,
RESEARCH &
SCHOLARSHIP
1. Be able to communicate the knowledge base of the area of study and
demonstrate understanding of the terminology.
2. Use and access a range of learning resources (including IT) and know
how to plan work to meet deadlines
http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/itservices/as/training/online/onlineskills
and http://www.surrey.ac.uk/ComputingServices/as/cbt/
EMPLOYABILITY &
ENGAGEMENT
WITH SOCIETY
3. Develop a commitment to and an interest in assessing their own learning
in this discipline
4. Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues in current areas of study and
be able to discuss these in relation to personal beliefs and attitudes
1. Record their achievements and identify personal development needs
2. Complete a skills assessment, http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Skills/pack/audit.html
which has a realistic idea about their strengths and development needs
and have a discussion with their tutor/appropriate other about the
opportunities for further developing their skills.
3. Apply given tools and methods accurately and carefully to a well defined
problem and begin to appreciate the complexity of issues in the discipline
4. Be able to describe a way in which they have contributed to University
life eg:






PERSONAL &
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
USSU – www.ussu.co.uk
The DAVE Project - www.thedaveproject.co.uk
Volunteering - http://www.ussu.co.uk/main/development/volunteering
Societies - http://www.ussu.co.uk/main/societies
Sports - http://www.ussu.co.uk/main/sports
Educational Liaison Centre's Tutoring and Mentoring scheme at
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/mets/
1. Demonstrate that they can work independently, and have been
encouraged to manage a balanced lifestyle.
2. Locate the resources the University has for all students and know how to
access them
3. Work effectively with others as a member of a group and meet
obligations to others (eg tutors, peers and colleagues).
4. Be able to demonstrate cross-cultural awareness and understanding
5. Write cogently in plain English http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Skills/pack/comms.html
6. Communicate clearly to individuals and groups and report
solutions/problems accurately http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Skills/pack/comms.html
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
11
Appendix Three
Developing Academic Skills for Economists – an evaluation
Summary of feedback on the conference
Background
Over two Friday afternoon sessions in February 2006, 120 first year undergraduates were
introduced to the importance of developing their goals, identifying their approach to studying and
some work on essay writing, under the umbrella of personal development planning.
The method of delivery was innovative both at a macro and a micro level. It was decided to do this
in a conference style because there insufficient Economics staff were available to help to teach this
session. The teaching for both sessions was carried out by Penny Burden and Dr Anne Lee from
the Centre for Learning Development, aided by two post-graduate students. The conferences were
also attended by Professor Rickman and Dr Heather Gage respectively who both made important
contributions to the sessions.
For the second conference we made particular effort to give more information on referencing,
because of the comments made by students in response to the session on plagiarism. We also
introduced an exercise on assessing sample essays.
The carrot and the stick
Attendance at the session was compulsory, but it was intended to make it more attractive by
publishing a conference programme, organising displays from various student support groups and
providing refreshments. 5 credits were available for those students who registered at the beginning,
completed the evaluation form at the end of the session, handed in a subsequent information
retrieval exercise and completed a reflective assignment.
Summary of findings
The feedback from the two workshops was similar and the statistical tables show a reasonable level
of satisfaction overall with the conference.
Student Evaluation of Conference
Ranking
Helpful
Mostly helpful
Academic writing
Unsure
Approaches to learning
Mostly unhelpful
PDP
Unhelpful
0
20
40
60
Number of students
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
12
The overall satisfaction levels show a normal distribution curve for all the sessions: approaches to
learning, PDP and academic writing.
Students were also asked to identify what aspects of their studies they would most like further help
with. The responses from the two groups have been aggregated in the table below.
Mathematics for economists
Information retrieval from the Library
Surviving exams successfully
Career management
Group communication skills
Time management
Using ICT
Study skills
Presentation skills
Other
No need
Low priority
Unsure
More support
Definitely more
support
16
15
9
1
12
14
23
20
10
11
22
26
14
8
31
28
33
28
17
5
13
24
14
16
21
19
21
19
22
14
31
32
55
49
32
40
12
29
32
1
21
7
14
26
8
8
2
4
16
3
Students understanding of the Economics Tribe
They think lecturers are looking for:
ACTIVE INTEREST
Clear, deep and profound
understanding of subject
Ability to apply knowledge
Knowledgeable. Up to date
with current issues
Interested in topic
DETERMINED
Motivated, , Enthusiastic
Determined, Challenging
Committed
Persistent
ANALYTICAL
APPLICATION
Organised, Logical
Accurate and understanding
Good organisational skills
Analytical, Competent
Intelligent. Good maths
SELF
CONFIDENT
Articulate, Good personality,
Argumentative
Shows initiative, Good
looking
The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
13
The diagram above was created from the following list created by various student discussion groups, and is
included here to demonstrate the results of a process of content analysis.
Organisation
Show initiative
Clear, deep and profound understanding of subject
Ability to apply knowledge
Motivation
Logical
Confidence/enthusiasm
Determination
Analytical
Argumentative
Attendance
Enthusiasm
Challenging
Accuracy and understanding
Intelligence and knowledge
Articulate
Good looksAnalytical
Commitment
Good organisational skills
Hardworking
Good maths
Persistence
Up to date with current issues
Dedicated
Competent
Enthusiasm
Good personality
Interested in topic
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The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference July 2006 – Session papers
14
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The Economics Tribe and PDP. A working paper prepared for the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006
© Dr Anne Lee 2006. Contact: Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, University of Surrey a.lee@surrey.ac.uk