Edwards, G. (2005) Connecting PDP to Employer Needs and the World of Work, The Higher Education Academy

Edwards, G. (2005) Connecting PDP to Employer Needs and the World of Work, The Higher Education Academy

The author summarises research undertaken in 2000 and refers to the research question, “In what ways can personal development planning be implemented in HEIs to be of maximum benefit in recruitment processes and later career mangement?”

Indications reported are that employers are interested in seeing the documented process that has been facilitated by PDP, not the outputs, suggesting that this mode (PDP) is not an intrinsic desirable. Nonetheless, the report begins to define competencies based on responses from graduate employers. These are generic, and at the top of the list come flexibility, adaptability and capacity to cope with change; self-motivation and drive; analytical ability and decision making; and communication and interpersonal skills.

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education, [online] 16 (2), pp177-191 Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=101&sid=2bdd4244-5c85-48ae-9785-f6e19a7cfad4%40SRCSM2 (accessed 24 July 2007)

Spendlover and Hopper’s article describes the way that they see the use of e-portfolios for presenting an initial teacher training design and technology activity. As such, the content has a significant emphasis on presentation of a design process. In this context, the authors state that the primary use for an e-portfolio is for “reflective, design practice within a structured educational design challenge.”

Additionally, there is recognition of this output being of use in terms of employability, so it’s significance related to our wider context is of presentation of capabilities for employability. Interestingly, the findings report that “The majority of undergraduates within the group had completed courses at Advanced level in their chosen discipline and arrived at university with a firmly established perception of the ‘legitimised’ purpose, content and mode of presentation of the ‘design portfolio’.” (p.181) This adds substance to the understanding that practitioners are heavily influenced by their subject culture, and here, as to what they see as culturally (subject) valid for their peer and employer networks.

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

The author reflects on five discrete ‘minds’ that equate to skills for life. Each of the skills is discussed as a grounded concept and distilled into an anticipated requirement for survival in the future of learning and employment.

“- The disciplined mind has mastered at least one way of thinking – a distinctive modes of cognition that characterizes a specific scholarly discipline, craft, or profession.

- The synthesizing mind takes information from disparate sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that make sense to the synthesizer and to other persons.

- The creating mind breaks new ground. It puts forth new ideas, poses unfamiliar questions, conjures up Fresh ways of thinking, arrives at unexpected answers.

- The respectful mind notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand these ‘others’, and seeks to work effectively with them.

- The ethical mind ponders the nature of one’s work and the needs and desires of the society in which one lives. The mind conceptualizes how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.” (p.3)

Dillon, S. & Brown, A. (2006) ‘The Art of E-Portfolios: Insights from the Creative Arts Experience’ In Jafari, A. & Kaufman, C. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on E-Portfolios pp420-433 Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference

Dillon, S. & Brown, A. (2006) ‘The Art of E-Portfolios: Insights from the Creative Arts Experience’ In Jafari, A. & Kaufman, C. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on E-Portfolios pp420-433 Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference

The authors aim to examine the creative production context in order to reveal challenges potentially encountered using portfolios in the creative arts through case studies in diverse creative fields. Initially there is an acknowledgement of the “intensive media-rich nature of creative production contexts” being a significant challenge for electronic portfolio use. The article goes on to describe the generic elements of traditional creative arts portfolios to represent the intrinsic creative processes associated:

“When creative product and experience are textualised, the explanation is privileged over a representation of the knowledge itself in its original symbolic form. Artefacts of artistic practice can be organized into a system that documents creative practice in a way that combines both the experience of the work and the explanation of the work to provide a rigorous, accountable, and compelling presentation of the work.” (p.421)

The trend for multimedia richness made possible and driven by technology, is suggested to “level the playing field” for contexts beyond the creative arts (there is a historical and cultural tendency for prioritising text and numerical modes of description). The authors highlight ways in which multimedia can be utilised to extrude metaphors for creative arts, citing music and the performing arts’ temporal nature as being well suited to such outputs.

A key question raised is; “Is the artefact of the production sufficiently representative of the quality of the work?” A focus on understanding subjects and the tools and processes intrinsic to them is provided as a basis for a solution; “Understanding the ways of knowing within a discipline is critical to the effective use of ePortfolios, and understanding within creative arts is tightly bound with the mediums of those practices.” (p.431)

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy.

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy. [Online] Available at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Main_menu___Research/Student_employability/p!efbLLca (accessed 24 July 07)

The employability profile for art and design has been extracted from the HEA’s Student Employability Profiles: A guide for Higher Education Practitioners. The profile template maps subject benchmark indicators developed by the Quality Assurance Agency to six skill sets:

• Cognitive Skills; The ability to identify, and solve problems, work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions.
• Generic Competencies; High level and transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, communicate, persuade and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Personal Capabilities; The ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve ones self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self-starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job (flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).
• Technical Ability; For example, having the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
• Business and/or Organisation Awareness; An appreciation of how businesses operate through having had (preferably relevant) work experience. Appreciation of organisational culture, policies and processes.
• Practical and Professional Elements; Critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice, reflect and review own practice, participate in and review quality control processes and risk management.

Creative Review (2004) ‘How to get a Job’ Creative Review, Nov 2004, p37

Creative Review (2004) ‘How to get a Job’ Creative Review, Nov 2004, p37

Significantly, the article talks extensively about the use of traditional paper-based portfolios during interviews for jobs in the design sector. This goes against the other emerging idea of digital portfolios being used by graduates and employers aside of the interview period. The implication is that the physical portfolio is still seen as important; “…it is always good to include hard copies for the ‘feel factor’.”

The article also focuses on the need for graduates to tailor their portfolio for the individual company that they are aiming to gain employment with one interviewee stating that they are including information about how to do this on their website. “Candidates themselves can prepare by tailoring their portfolio to suit the job which they are up for.”

Burgoyne, P. (2004) ‘Experience Necessary’ Creative Review, March 2004, p10

Burgoyne, P. (2004) ‘Experience Necessary’ Creative Review, March 2004, p10

This short editorial from the popular art and design publication, Creative Review, describes the magazine’s focus for the month, work placement. It highlights the importance of placement in enabling graduates to get work in art and design, but also acknowledges the other elements of employability. “Placements, along with the right personality and a portfolio that demonstrates the ability to think conceptually as well as handle type and images competently, are the essential ingredients for any graduate CV.”

Booth, H. (2004) ‘Products of Placement’ Design Week, 18 Mar 2004, pp22-23

Booth, H. (2004) ‘Products of Placement’ Design Week, 18 Mar 2004, pp22-23

The author describes a portfolio as being a vital element in the arsenal of a graduate in their search for employment. The article describes exemplary processes from the student perspective to getting a job. Invariably this involves the development of a flexible and portable portfolio; “I wanted them to see I understood what makes a good idea.” The article also highlights the need for expression of individuality and personality in graduate portfolios, re-affirming the basis of design industries being selected themselves on their stylistic approaches.

Another student experiences also identifies peer assessment of a representational portfolio as having facilitated employment opportunities. However, the focus of the article does show that ‘reciprocal’ placement is perceived as playing a far more important role in seeking and gaining employment.

Eisenmann, S. (2006) Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting your Work, Gloucester MA: Rockport

Eisenmann, S. (2006) Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting your Work, Gloucester MA: Rockport

The author considers the concept of a portfolio from the perspective of a creative professional. The orientation of her perspective is based on her own experience of generating a portfolio, and the observation of others’ development. There is quick and focussed recognition of the wide range of media available to generate a portfolio of evidence, “send me your URL is beoming a more common response than send me your CV.”

Some sections dedicated to the concepts of a professional portfolio, and how content for graduates can often be heavily weighted by work undertaken as a student, sometimes suggesting the influence of a tutor. The author also describes other skills and competencies that a portfolio can be used to demonstrate, some of which are those of the author, some are more generic.