QQI Level 6 6N1949 Personal & Professional Development Assessment | The Open College

6N1949 Assessment 

Portfolio / Collection of Work

A portfolio or collection of work is a collection and/or selection of pieces of work produced by the learner over a period of time that demonstrates achievement of a range of learning outcomes. The collection may be self-generated or may be generated in response to a particular brief or tasks/activities devised by the assessor.

Guidelines:

In this Portfolio/Collection of Work, the learner will demonstrate their understanding and application of topics studied in the Personal and Professional Development module and illustrate how these concepts can enhance and contribute to their own performance in the work place, to the management process of the organisation and to the organisation in general. The Portfolio/Collection of Work will comprise the following sections:

1. Theoretical Understanding                                                                    (15 marks)

In this section, the learner will outline their understanding of the theory and practice of Personal and Professional Development under the following headings:

• Models of Personal and Professional Development.
• Key steps in the process to include Career Plan, Skills Audit, Reflective Practice and Development Plan. A copy of a career plan, a skills audit and a development plan in relation to identified skills gap will be included.
• Key skills (select at least 3).
• The learner will include reference to both their own personal and professional development and to the theory.

2. Organisational and Personal Application of knowledge                                   (15 marks)

In this section, the learner will demonstrate their understanding of how Personal and Professional Development impacts on both the individual and the organisation. In so doing, the learner will consider the following key areas:

• Time Management
• Problem solving & decision making
• Budgeting & financial planning
• Change and how it impacts on both the individual and on the organisation
• Conflict and its management
• Delegation
• Stress and how it’s managed

This section should include both the individuals’ perspective and the organisations perspective where appropriate. In addition, work based examples and/or reference to theory/research to support the discussion should be provided where appropriate.

3. Evaluation & Conclusion                                                                         (10 marks)
   • The learner will outline the importance of Personal and Professional Development for the individual. In this piece, the learner will provide reference to the theory and/or their own experiences to support this discussion.
   • Outline two ways in which an individual can be supported in their Personal and Professional Development. Ensure to justify your choices with reference to the theory and/or relevant personal work experience.
4. Relevant Research                                                                                               (10 marks)

The learner does not need to complete a separate written account for this section as this is assessed across the Portfolio/Collection of Work. The learner should ensure that all information included is relevant to the specific sections, sources are clearly acknowledged in text and a separate reference page is provided at the end of the Portfolio/Collection of Work

The suggested word count for this section of the assessment is 2,200 – 2,600 words.

Please note if you do go over your word count deduction will be at tutor discretion, based on the relevance of the information submitted.

PLEASE ENSURE TO CLEARLY REFERENCE All INFORMATION SOURCED IN YOUR WORK WITH EVIDENCE OF IN-TEXT REFERENCING AND SUPPORTING BIBLIOGRAPHY. TO ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT REFERENCING FORMAT IS APPLIED LEARNERS SHOULD REFER TO THE ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES ON REFERENCING DOC. 

PENALTIES WILL BE APPLICABLE (REF MOST UP TO DATE VERSION OF THE PLAGIARISIM POLICY) TO THOSE ASSESSMENTS THAT DO NOT CONSIDER THESE REFERENCING GUIDELINES.

Any results issued are provisional and subject to confirmation from the QQI External Authenticator.

Assessment Criterion:

The assessment criterion for the Portfolio/Collection of Work is as follows:

• Relevant information researched and used to support analysis (10)
• Thorough understanding of Personal and Professional Development theories (15)
• Effective understanding of concepts of professional development both from an organisational viewpoint and a personal viewpoint (15)
• Considered evaluations and conclusions (10)

6N1949 Personal & Professional Development Unit 1

Overview of Personal and Professional Development Module – 6N1949:

The purpose of this award is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence to utilise a range of advanced personal and interpersonal skills in a variety of personal, civic and specific vocational contexts, operating autonomously and/or in a supervisory capacity.

The module presents you with key theory in relation to the specific topics. In addition, there are various activities for you to complete as you proceed through your study. Please note these activities are included to support you with your learning and do not form part of the assessment process and as such these activities do not need to be submitted for marking or as part of your assessment submission.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:

1. Evaluate the principles and practice of personal development.
2. Identify the personal qualities and skills needed for effective participation in a chosen job or organisation, to include opportunities for further personal development and associated action plans.
3. Assess the role and practice of time management to include aids and strategies for good time management, the impact of poor time management and personal time management behaviour.
4. Research the processes of problem-solving and decision making, to include different approaches, strategies to handle difficult problems, contingency plans, and methods of implementing and evaluating a solution.
5. Analyse the uses of goals or objectives, to include their characteristics, the role of planning and prioritisation, a range of tools and strategies to assist with achieving personal, civic or vocational goals or objectives, and the role of review and evaluation.
6. Evaluate how organisations manage change, to include information, communication and analysis of the forces behind change, motivating staff and other partners, and handling reactions to change.
7. Determine strategies to resolve personal or interpersonal conflict, to include an understanding of different personalities and how they react to conflict, common causes of conflict and the role of assertiveness and co-operation in conflict resolution.
8. Link goals or objectives to available budgets and financial plans, to include periodic review and adaptation of resources to plans.
9. Delegate tasks to others, to include appropriate planning, identification of skills and strengths in others, review and management of any issues arising.
10. Respond appropriately to feedback and constructive criticism on personal performance.
11. Use strategies to recognise and cope with stress, setback and workplace pressure.
12. Reflect on own personal and professional development to include goal or objectivesetting, action planning, implementation, ongoing review, personal initiative.

Assessment

This module is assessed by a Portfolio/Collection of Work and Skills Demonstration in which the learner will demonstrate their understanding and application of topics studied in the Personal and Professional Development module and illustrate how these concepts can enhance and contribute to their own performance in the work place, to the management process of the organisation, and to the organisation in general.

As part of your assessment for this module, you are required to complete a skills demonstration. This skills demonstration can be carried out in the work placement for the Work Experience module or other appropriate work placement – you should not need to complete a separate work placement if you are either employed, or have to undertake a work placement for another module. If you encounter any difficulties with this, please email me through the College tutor email service.

The assessment brief which accompanies this module outlines the specific requirements for the assessment and learners are advised to read this carefully to ensure that their response fully addresses the requirements. If you have any queries in relation to the module content or the assignment, please contact me through the College tutor email service.

Introduction

Personal and professional development form an integral part of one’s life; it is hard to separate the personal from the professional development and vice versa, as development in one area will undoubtedly impact on the other area. To clarify the different areas, personal development is concerned with you the person and the various skills you possess and develop through life, whereas professional development is more concerned with the professional skills associated with your career, such as the specific skills required for your role and to advance your career.

Personal and professional development does not just ‘happen’ to you; it is not something that you stumble upon or which occurs by chance. Personal and professional development is an active, subjective process which you have control over. As you progress through life (and career), you encounter various opportunities which, if taken advantage of, will help you to develop both personally and professionally.

Such opportunities may include (though are not limited to) training courses, which not only provide the opportunity to up-skill, but also involve varying degrees of networking dependent on the attendance options; membership of various clubs, which again provide for networking opportunities, but also help to develop your team working capabilities and people skills; life’s challenges will also provide development opportunities as will life’s celebrations. Indeed, any life event will lead to personal and professional development, as there is learning to be had from every situation or life event.

An understanding of the theory behind personal and professional development will undoubtedly support you to make the most of such events/activities as they occur.

In studying personal and professional development, we are learning to develop the skills we need and use in developing, both personally and professionally. Such skills involve completing a skills audit, creating a personal skills gap, creating a career plan, creating a career development plan, job hunting skills and CV preparation. This may initially seem like a lot, but in reality these are simple steps which occur in a logical process as you proceed through the process of personal and professional development – we will return to this process again in Unit 1 and consider the steps required in personal and professional development in more detail.

While there is a lot of theory to consider in this module, there is also a lot of practical activities which will set you on the road to personal and professional development. It is recommended that you complete each of the learning activities and in so doing, be completely honest with yourself – remember, no-one else will see your responses to the different questions/activities, but in any form of self-analysis, strict honesty is definitely required! For the most effective results, no rose coloured glasses allowed!

Before we commence the main units of this module, take some time to think about your personal and professional development to date and complete the chart below. In this activity, consider where you have developed, whether it was personal, professional, or both and what/who helped you to develop in the particular area. A sample line has been completed to assist you:

Activity:

Having reflected on what you have completed to date, take some time now to consider how you may like to see your career develop in the future; complete the career development template below – this is just a wish list at this stage, so put it all down, even that trip to Mars! When you have completed this activity, please proceed to Unit 1.

CAREER PLAN TEMPLATE:

Unit 1: The Principles and Practice of Personal and Professional Development

This unit will introduce you to the principles and practice of Personal and Professional Development. By the end of this unit, you will have sound base in the theory which will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of your personal and professional development to date, and equip you with the knowledge to enhance future personal and professional development.

Guskey (2000) describes professional development as the processes and activities which are designed to enhance and develop our professional knowledge. He outlines three key features of the process of professional development as follows:

1. Intentional
2. Ongoing
3. Systemic

Therefore, we can see that in order for our personal and professional development activities to be successful, we should make a determined, deliberate effort to achieve such development (intentional); this means seizing opportunities as they arise and availing of opportunities when they happen, as well as the more obvious actions of creating such opportunities through courses and training.

The ongoing element is also crucial, as regardless of our work role, we are always seeing new things and therefore, learning new things, which in turn impacts on our personal and professional development.

In addition, the experiences we encounter throughout our life – be it formal work experience or life experience – will also greatly impact on our personal and professional development; again, such experiences happen on a continuous basis.

As we previously outlined, personal and professional development are essentially intertwined, impacting on each other regardless of the intention, giving a systemic or holistic result to each area of development.

Guskey also reminds us of the three key steps we must take before we begin, to help ensure optimum results:

1. A clear goal is essential – what do you want to achieve? You need to be quite specific here – an unclear goal is almost impossible to plan for and achieve – if you do not know where you are going, how do you plan to get there? Therefore, a very clear goal is required.
2. This goal must be meaningful to you – a goal which is not meaningful to you will most likely not motivate you to start or keep you motivated over time and if difficulties arise. The more meaningful the goal is to you, the more likely you are to stick with it.
3. What is the criterion for success? How will you know if you have achieved your goal? Some goals have a more obvious completion point i.e. if the goal is to obtain a qualification, then receipt of the qualification indicates the achievement of the goal. Likewise, if the goal is career advancement, then obtaining promotion (may) indicate the achievement of that goal.

However, for something less tangible, such as improving one’s confidence, what is the criterion for success? Will it be speaking up at team meetings? Or will it be speaking to a parent/manager/HSE staff? Perhaps it might be making a presentation to staff/families? As it is your goal, you decide the criterion for success, but remember to be realistic yet challenging.

A good idea for a long term goal, is to establish short term goals within the bigger goal to help keep you motivated – these are referred to as ‘short-wins’ (ibid).

Take some time to think about past or current personal and professional development goals and complete the chart below – while similar to what you completed in the Introduction, this chart/activity will help you to further explore your goals. Again, be honest with yourself here! As before, a sample line has been completed.

There are many models and theories of professional development which can support the process; however, it is beyond the remit of this module to consider each of these individually. Therefore, we will consider the following five models as identified by Sparks and Loucks-Horsley (1989).

1. Individually Guided Development:

In this model, the individual designs his or her own learning activities. In order for this model to be effective though, the individual concerned must be motivated and committed, be able to select their own learning goals and the means for accomplishing those goals. This model is underwritten by the belief that self-directed development empowers individuals to address their own problems and by so doing, creates a sense of professionalism.

An example of this model in practice, is a childcare staff member recognising the need to develop a particular skill – for example, arts and crafts – and seeking methods of achieving this – for example, joining Pinterest for ideas or completing an arts and crafts course (informal courses at local groups etc. or more formal training such as FETAC accredited courses – this particular example would also link in with the Training method which will be discussed later), purchasing arts and crafts books or watching arts and crafts programmes such as Art Attack.

The individual is motivated to access the methods of achieving this goal on their own, rather than waiting for someone to suggest both the area to develop, and the means of achieving it.

Learning Activity:

Take some time to think of a time/example of when you engaged in ‘Individually Guided Development’ and complete the chart below:

Having completed this chart, consider this method and how successful (or not) you felt it was.

Would you use this method again? (Yes/No)

Why?

______________________________________________________________________

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2. Observation and Assessment:

In this model of development, a colleague will observe the individual in completing their daily tasks and provide feedback on same. Having someone else in the room to view the individual’s work practice and provide feedback or reflection on the methods used etc., can be a powerful and effective method of impacting on an individual’s professional behaviour.

The person observing acts as another set of “eyes and ears” for the individual seeking to develop their practice. This method also provides an opportunity for the observer to learn, as they view their colleagues in action.

An example of this model of development in action is a colleague sitting in the room while the individual carries out play activities or circle time.

The colleague (observer) may take notes and provides the individual with feedback on their performance, for example, in relation to the methods used and communication with the children and other staff (if applicable).

This method is frequently used on an informal basis where staff/colleagues may note an action which warrants praise (such as an activity which went particularly well = well done), or sometimes an action which needs to be addressed (perhaps communication was somewhat sharp and therefore, the individual needs to be mindful of their communication methods).

Regardless of whether this method is used formally or informally, it can be extremely beneficial. However, individuals should be mindful that this method is not an excuse to ridicule a staff or engage in unprofessional behaviour. It is also preferable that the observer be someone of greater experience and/or qualifications than the individual being observed.

Learning Activity:

Take some time now to think about a time when you either consciously used this method or when you received feedback from a colleague. Complete the chart below:

Having completed this chart, consider this method and how successful (or not) you felt it was.

Would you use this method again? (Yes/No)

Why?

______________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ____________

3. Involvement in a Development or Improvement Process:

Systemic industry-specific improvement processes typically involve assessing current practices and determining a problem whose solution will improve the outcomes for the client body of the specific industry – in this case, the children availing of early childhood care and education services. The possible solutions can include developing new curricula, designing new/alternative programmes, or changing individual and therefore, service/classroom practice.

New skills or knowledge may be required to participate in this method of development. Such new skills and knowledge may be acquired through reading, discussion, observation, training, and experimentation. Consequently, involvement in the improvement process can result in many new skills, attitudes, and behaviours.

Examples of this method in action in the early childhood care and education sector, can include involvement in the consultation process for policies and best practice guidelines at a national and a county level. In recent times, this could include Aistear and/or Siolta consultation meetings.

This method can also be successfully used at a local level in your particular service, though it should be noted that the networking opportunities – and therefore, the peer learning opportunities – are much less; however, even at local level, there is still learning and development to be had from engaging in the process. Examples at local level may include discussions with the management of the service, the board of management or the parents’ council etc. on improvements within the service, fundraising ideas or future activities.

Learning Activity:

Take some time now to reflect on this method of development and identify opportunities where you engaged in this model of development. The examples you refer to can be either from a national, regional or local context – the important thing is that you identify both the opportunity that you were involved in, and the learning you experienced within that opportunity.

Complete the activity below in relation to this:

Having completed this chart, consider this method and how successful (or not) you felt it was.

Would you use this method again? (Yes/No)

Why?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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4. Training:

Within the training method, an expert trainer/presenter will select the learning experience – i.e. the learning objectives, learning activities and the outcomes. In most cases, the outcomes will involve increased awareness and knowledge, as well as skill development. Other essential elements which should also be considered in any training, include a change in attitude as a result of the new found knowledge and skills, transfer of training from the learning environment to the workplace and executive control* needs to be addressed as well.

A key outcome of any training is the improvement of the trainees’ thinking. The most effective training programmes should include an exploration of the theory, demonstrations of best practice, supervised trial of new skills with feedback on performance, and coaching within the workplace.

In current times, much training is delivered online and as such, the practical element of training can often be lost. Best practice would suggest the use of videos and/or webinars to replace this element of training. YouTube is an excellent tool as a training resource for both trainers and learners, providing video demonstrations of work place skills and best practice.

Current training can take many forms, including face-to-face training (traditional classroom style), online training, distance training or blended training (a combination of face-to-face and online).

Any training completed should be meaningful to the learner so as to ensure optimum results and retention, and therefore, impact on practice.

*executive control refers to the capacity of an individual to reflect on their situation and life, to be able to evaluate what is working and what is not working, to be able to develop and implement a plan of action. It also includes the capacity to learn from our mistakes.

Learning Activity:

Take some time to reflect on the training you have experienced to date and complete the chart below:

Having completed this chart, consider this method and how successful (or not) you felt it was.

Would you use this method again? (Yes/No)

Why?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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5. Inquiry:

This method involves the individual formulating questions about their own practice and then seeking the answers to those questions. In order for the Inquiry method to succeed, the individual must identify a problem, complete data collection from relevant sources, analyse the data collected, and then implement changes in practice, followed by the collection of additional data. The inquiry method can be done individually or in small groups. The model is built on the belief that the mark of a professional is the ability to engage in reflective practice.

A working example of this method in the early childhood care and education sector is as follows:

A staff member identifies that communication with the parents was not effective (identifies a problem); the staff member looks up effective methods of communication and finds out what other services do in terms of communicating with parents (research); the staff reads the information collected several times, to determine what works well and why, and what elements can be introduced to current practice (analyses data); new methods of communicating with the parents is introduced (implement changes); the staff asks staff and parents how the new method is working and continues to keep abreast of new developments in terms of communicating information (collection of additional data).

While the above example was completed by the individual, a group could also complete the research, analysis and implementation – the numbers involved in any given problem will be determined by many factors, including the actual problem, staff numbers and day-to-day demands of the setting.

Learning Activity:

Take some time to reflect on what you have read in relation to the Inquiry method before completing the chart below in relation to a situation you have experienced:

Having completed this chart, consider this method and how successful (or not) you felt it was.

Would you use this method again? (Yes/No)

Why?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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By now you should have a good sense of how important personal and professional development is, both to you as an individual and to your professional life. From completing the various learning activities, you should also have a good insight into your personal and professional development journey to date, and also a good sense of the direction and requirements of future development.

The following units will take you through some of the more important key skills required for effective participation in the workplace. As you proceed through the remainder of this module, bear in mind what you have learned about yourself from the activities completed so far.

End of Unit 1.

NOTES:

QQI Level 6 6N1949 Personal & Professional Development Assessment Unit 2
QQI Level 6 6N1949 Personal & Professional Development Assessment Unit 3
QQI Level 6 6N1949 Personal & Professional Development Assessment Unit 4

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