PDP and blogs – review and rethink….

For the last few weeks I have been going around the university pointing out that PDP (according to the QAA approved definition) can include the use of blogs to record informal learning (or learning from experience); similarly, blogs can (and now do) include a specialist section to encourage PDP activity. Imagine a Venn diagram of PDP and Blogs overlapping by about 1/5th…. In other words – 'PDP is not a blog' and 'a blog is not PDP’. But looking through the postings of staff and students I'm beginning to think that the second statement (a blog is not PDP) is over-stating the case.

If PDP is seen as a natural reflective practice, just a new name for the considered 'learning from experience' thinking of all mature adults, (and should we even include the unconscious process by which everybody makes sense of their lives – whether reflected upon or not?), then many – even most – of the blog entries so far are examples of PDP in practice.

I'm thinking of back-tracking on my message to academics and others new to blogs and to PDP. The new message is:
'Students encouraged to keep a personal blog will usually grow towards a reflective style which is the necessary – if not sufficient – foundation for PDP'

Not quite so snappy – but more accurate – than 'A blog is not a PDP'

: 23 Aug 2004 15:42 |  Tags: PDP And Cpd |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem