RAPPORT
Volume 3 Issue 1 (2018)
participants the quantitative data in terms
of percentages are not significant.
However as the questionnaires were semi-
structured we collected a significant
number of open comments. We also
carried out 11 in-depth interviews with
students. It should also be noted that,
despite the low numbers, the student
profiles reflected a typical range of OU
language students.
Findings
The Three-Layered Model of PDP enabled
distance students to understand and
experience a complex but very useful way
of working, and to relate it holistically to
their learning and to themselves as
learners.
Students responded very positively to the
Three-Layered Model: it guided them
through the PDP process. One student
said “I did find the format of this PDP to be
more in depth than previous PDP’s I have
completed before”. The students perceived
that it helped them to make connections
with their modules and other modules they
were studying, and to develop their
awareness and confidence of more
effective approaches to learning. Students
acknowledged the need to invest time and
effort in PDP, and that it was worthwhile
engaging with it.
One student wrote: “You have to go
through the activities to see the benefits of
it. The more you use it, the more benefits
you will get out of it”.
Table 1: A comparison of Pilot A and Pilot B.
Participants
ePortfolio
tool
PDP
activities
Pilot A Pilot B
Level 1 L161 Exploring languages
and culture students (11 completed
responses) Level 2 Spanish alumni
EPOS (Mahara-based ePortfolio
developed by the University of
Bremen, Germany) OneNote template (desktop and
online versions, part of Microsoft
Office 365)
3 Activities. Each of them with a
special focus on: Academic,
Personal or Career 2 Activities.
(15 completed responses)
Activity 1 focused on the three
areas (Academic, personal,
career)
Activity 2 focused on the self-
regulation cycle (identify, plan,
record, review) whilst relating
the current studies with career
and personal goals.
Data
collection
Pre-survey questionnaire, post-
survey questionnaire, open
comments, interviews
Pre-survey questionnaire, post-
survey questionnaire, open
comments, interviews
33