Understanding Students' Experiences of e-PDP and the Factors that Shape their Attitudes

Using an action research approach, e-PDP (electronically-supported Personal Development Planning) was embedded within an undergraduate psychology curriculum at an English university for more than two years. e-PDP was embedded in three ways: (a) information literacy micro-tasks, (b) blogs of learning activities, and (c) eportfolios submitted at the end of each academic year in which the students assessed their experiences and development across all units. This paper focuses on findings from the qualitative analysis of a sample of interviews with students. A system of five interconnected categories was identified at the center of which were the students’ attitudes towards reflective writing and the construction of eportfolios. These attitudes were closely related to a perception of purpose (many different purposes, but also lack of purpose), as well as technical aspects (experiences of using the software), the students’ willingness (or reluctance) to disclose personal aspects in their eportfolios, and the guidance received from tutors.