MDD2PDM1: Personal Development

Module code: MDD2PDM1

Module provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour; Henley Business School

Credits: 0

Level: NA

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / Summer

Module convenor: Dr Chris Dalton, email: chris.dalton@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: na

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The doctoral programme is a journey of identity formation and self-knowledge. This compulsory and non-credit-bearing module explores and facilitates questions of growth and development as engaged scholars during the DBA.  

Through a process of self-awareness and reflection, participants are invited to engage in guided dialogue (intrapersonal and interpersonal) that informs their personal and professional development.  

The module culminates in a Personal Action Research Project (PARP) in which candidates collect data on themselves and reflect on either competency in research, teaching or consulting, or an aspect of identity formation as an Engaged Scholar. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Develop enhanced self-awareness, critical self-reflection, a commitment and capability for both collaborative and independent continuous learning, and relevant personal development; 

2. Encourage reflective thought in relation to theory and practice in order to contribute to a community of practice in the development of knowledge. 

Module content

The core concept informing the personal development module is awareness, which is examined over two workshops grounded in experiential concepts, frameworks, models and theories that evoke the practitioner-doctoral journey, in particular, Life-span development (Sugarman, 2001) and life-story narrative (McAdams, 1997) The Reflective Practitioner (Schön 1983), Action Research (McNiff 1988, Pedler 2011). 

The face-to-face sessions are linked by tutor-monitored online journaling and group discussions. Programme members are expected to undertake guided self-study, including set readings and tutor-monitored learning journal entries. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

PD Workshop 1 takes place in the Introduction to Academic Research workshop (normally held at Greenlands) at the start of the programme. This opening workshop is informed by life-span development and explores the themes of Ignorance and Insecurity. The session focuses on: 

1. attuning to being at Henley and with the other people on the course, as well as Henley staff and faculty 

2. sharing, in confidence, our stories with one another and establishing what has brought you to the programme 

3. Preparing for the reflective journaling tasks 

PD Workshop 2, half-day, takes place during the mandatory Qualitative Research Techniques workshop, and is informed by two themes, Interaction and Interdependence. The session focuses on: 

1. activities to bring to the surface hidden assumptions of change and learning that may be present in the liminal zone of change in identity and individual reflections from or about the journaling exercise 

2. paradoxes in the practitioner academic divide 

3. preliminary ideas for a personal action research project for relevant teaching, personal or consultancy development on the DBA 

The contact hours are shown for one semester in the table below for illustrative purposes only. The actual timing will vary depending on your cohort start date. 

Study hours

At least 8 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

This module is marked on a pass/fail basis. Students must pass each item of assessment to pass the module. 

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

Assessments marked Pass/Fail 

• where the piece of work is submitted up to 30 days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): no penalty will be applied; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than 30 days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded, and a resubmission will be required. 

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Personal Development is assessed by the Tutor and is a proceed/revise assessment, therefore no penalties will apply. 

Reassessment

Additional costs