Continuing Professional Development

CPD – Continuing Professional Development may be a term you dread.

• “I had to go on this course as I was told to by my line manager”
• “I had to pick a course to do this year as part of my PDR. It seemed the best option …”
• “None of the courses are run at convenient times”
• “I have to fill in my CPD log for professional recognition.”

For a definition and purpose of CPD – see here.

CPD isn’t just about attending a course. CPD (or sometime CPL – Continual Professional Learning) can take a variety of approaches depending on its “formality” (See https://www.icsa.org.uk/professional-development/cpd/formal-and-informal-cpd).

At one end of the formality continuum are organised activities, e.g. accredited course or programmes leading to a formal qualifications (PhD, MA, PG Certificate in learning and teaching fall in this category). Moving along, there are seminars and workshops, conferences, conducting research, delivering teaching to peers, external examiner duties, committee contribution and participation leading to the ultimate in informality in ‘teacher’ contact – self-directed reading and learning. (Students themselves are encouraged to undertake CPD or PDP – Personal Development Planning – at Swansea they can complete the Swansea Employability Award and often in professionally accredited programmes, reflection is critical.)

Evidencing the informal CPD can be difficult, but open digital badges which SALT will be piloting can be one means of doing that.

Whatever CPD you choose to undertake to support your development in supporting learning in higher education, it’s probably good to have a variety. However, the most important feature of your CPD is that you are reflective about what issues have arisen for your own improvement, whether what you attended/did/read has influenced that, and what you will do about it in the future. Put simply:

(Borton, 1970)

There is a substantial body of literature on reflective practice and reflective writing, with some selected readings on the SALT website. However, for a short explanation, this website offers a good start about this important key life skill.

Key to this is keeping a Reflective portfolio of what you did and learnt. You can do this in a written journal, in a spreadsheet with your notes against the CPD that you’ve done, or in electronic means through creating your own blog, in software such as Pebble+ or other means such as PADLET. Just ensure that you fill in the key questions and provide evidence for whether you know that it works. You should keep a link (or print out if maintaining a paper portfolio) to the material that you read/activity you undertook wherever possible.

This reflective approach is fundamental to your continual development as a teacher (and a researcher too – reflect on what you’ve learnt through that process), provide a foundation for an application for Fellowship of the HEA or demonstrate that you remain in good standing.

We’d be pleased to help you in your reflection.