Using personal development plans (PDP) to improve students' understanding of economics

An Economics Network funded project, 2004-5

This project focus and timing aligns with the QAA's Progress File Initiative and the associated recommendations for the implementation of Personal Development Plans (PDPs). The aim of the project is to facilitate and encourage economics students to adopt a more reflective approach to their learning. The vehicle to achieve this aim (and a final product of the project) is the creation of eight study packs covering the core topics found on a typical level one Economic Principles and Applications course. Each pack or unit will prompt the student to reflect and evaluate their cognitive abilities against an inventory of specified learning objectives. It will help to develop students' awareness of their own learning and support greater alignment and transparency of assessment methods with the aims and learning objectives of the module.

Institution: University of the West of England
Project leader: David Allen

Output: "Metacognition and your learning of Economics" (Word document)
Output: Sample units:

• Unit 1: Supply and Demand, Elasticity
• Unit 2: Rational Decision Making
• Unit 3: Allocative Efficiency: Evaluating the Free Market
• Unit 4: Free Markets and Government Intervention

Continuation funding 2005-6

The objectives this year are:

1. improving the existing product
2. extending the scope of the product's evaluation and
3. exploring possible links between reflectivity in learning and learning styles.