What is CPD or continuing Professional Development? I feel it is not:
·30 hours a year of "private study" logged in a CPD book
·Attending a set number of "certified" professional events
·Reading a minimum number of paper or books
·A professional assessment of how you do your role by a fellow role holder
Certainly, all of these activities may help you with CPD but they are not CPD in themselves. For me CPD tracks my growth each year so reading a few somber books, attending professional events or spending a lot of money on some accreditation process may not provide any growth. To grow I also need to take time to reflect, critically review my current practice and consciously decide to change something or apply something new, often it is something outside of my usual behaviour pattern and or comfort level.
I have met many people who have attended CPD events and asked them "what did you learn?" to which the usual answer is "we learned about the latest techniques". If I ask for a description they then refer me to a large file of papers which they tell me they will "get around to reading at some stage".
I have a very simple and effective model which is to focus on one behavioural change at a time and to keep on working with it until it is part of my natural behaviour. On this basis the number of hours of CPD could be argued to be 100% of my waking hours. Realistically I focus on a change within a specific context so its probably more like 10 to 15 hours per month.
All the best.
Nick
Hours of CPD
I agree that good quality CPD cannot be quantified into hours.
I see memebers of some preofessions attending workshops etc just so they can tick the box to say they have done their quota of CPD. They seem to get more out of the lunch accompanying the session than the session itself!
For my own CPD I attend seminars/talks/workshops that seem interesting, useful and affordable to me. I read books and articles that are relevant and interesting. And I have continued to keep the learning log I started at college when doing my CIPD qualification.
My learning log is in the form of a diary, which I complete every week. I look back on the events of that week and analyse what I’ve learned from it, what went well and what I could have done better. Quarterly I go back and do a review of the previous 3 months and do another review to see what difference distance from the event(s) has made.
I’ve been doing this for 10 years now and, once you get into the discipline of keeping it up to date it is a great way of managing your CPD, being able to reflect on your learning, see how you’ve grown and pick up on areas where you really need to put some work in.
How much CPD
Those in FE are required to undertake a minimum of 30 hours CPD each year in order to stay "in good standing" with the IfL to which they must all subscribe. There are no clear definitions of what constitutes "CPD" but generally a very broad approach is used. There are a number of helpful/not so helpful "templates" for staff to use to assist them in not only recording what they have done but also to reflect upon the impact.
At present there are many staff in the FE sector who have failed to record their CPD and the IfL is trying hard to bring them into line.
Moving away from FE requirements I count as personal development anything I need to do in order to be effective in my role as a trainer/consultant and with all of the changes happening in the 14+ sector at the moment this is a continuous process. However without it I don’t think I am keeping on top of things in order to be able to assist those for whom I work.
It depends?
Hi Fiona,
I thought you might like an opinion from another job role.
For me, I take my learning and development seriously, but I don’t specifically put aside time for CPD.
Each day a number of emails (usually digests) arrive in my inbox, there are 2 or 3 events that I attend each year, plus a few websites that I regularly read for technical updates.
As a TAP qualified trainer, I have taken the decision to continue down that route and I’m about to start the Foundation Degree with The Training Foundation.
My CPD isn’t quantifiable in blocks of time, but remains a little everyday, with additional larger ‘chunks’ as I choose (ie courses).
I don’t try to achieve a certain amount within a time span, but allow my learning to continue all the time.
To me CPD is what I record and Continuous Professional Development is what I d, the changes I make, the insights I have and the awareness I use.
I KNOW they MEAN the same thing and frequently they DO overlap. (- and as an associate the only stipulation is 10 hours per annum).
but I probably actually ‘develop’ more whilst wandering the countryside pondering how best to engage with a reluctant delegate or discussing the issue with a fellow trainer, than attending a formal meeting which, at least sometimes, is not relevant to what I need to know now.
6 Responses
What is CPD – that is question?
What is CPD or continuing Professional Development? I feel it is not:
Hours of CPD
I agree that good quality CPD cannot be quantified into hours.
I see memebers of some preofessions attending workshops etc just so they can tick the box to say they have done their quota of CPD. They seem to get more out of the lunch accompanying the session than the session itself!
For my own CPD I attend seminars/talks/workshops that seem interesting, useful and affordable to me. I read books and articles that are relevant and interesting. And I have continued to keep the learning log I started at college when doing my CIPD qualification.
My learning log is in the form of a diary, which I complete every week. I look back on the events of that week and analyse what I’ve learned from it, what went well and what I could have done better. Quarterly I go back and do a review of the previous 3 months and do another review to see what difference distance from the event(s) has made.
I’ve been doing this for 10 years now and, once you get into the discipline of keeping it up to date it is a great way of managing your CPD, being able to reflect on your learning, see how you’ve grown and pick up on areas where you really need to put some work in.
How much CPD
Those in FE are required to undertake a minimum of 30 hours CPD each year in order to stay "in good standing" with the IfL to which they must all subscribe. There are no clear definitions of what constitutes "CPD" but generally a very broad approach is used. There are a number of helpful/not so helpful "templates" for staff to use to assist them in not only recording what they have done but also to reflect upon the impact.
At present there are many staff in the FE sector who have failed to record their CPD and the IfL is trying hard to bring them into line.
Moving away from FE requirements I count as personal development anything I need to do in order to be effective in my role as a trainer/consultant and with all of the changes happening in the 14+ sector at the moment this is a continuous process. However without it I don’t think I am keeping on top of things in order to be able to assist those for whom I work.
It depends?
Hi Fiona,
I thought you might like an opinion from another job role.
For me, I take my learning and development seriously, but I don’t specifically put aside time for CPD.
Each day a number of emails (usually digests) arrive in my inbox, there are 2 or 3 events that I attend each year, plus a few websites that I regularly read for technical updates.
As a TAP qualified trainer, I have taken the decision to continue down that route and I’m about to start the Foundation Degree with The Training Foundation.
My CPD isn’t quantifiable in blocks of time, but remains a little everyday, with additional larger ‘chunks’ as I choose (ie courses).
I don’t try to achieve a certain amount within a time span, but allow my learning to continue all the time.
Not specific I know, but just my own thoughts.
— Michelle Kaye IT Trainer Boodle Hatfield
CPD
You might find this video useful??
http://www.teachers.tv/videos/20474
CPD or Continuous Professional Development
To me CPD is what I record and Continuous Professional Development is what I d, the changes I make, the insights I have and the awareness I use.
I KNOW they MEAN the same thing and frequently they DO overlap. (- and as an associate the only stipulation is 10 hours per annum).
but I probably actually ‘develop’ more whilst wandering the countryside pondering how best to engage with a reluctant delegate or discussing the issue with a fellow trainer, than attending a formal meeting which, at least sometimes, is not relevant to what I need to know now.