With digital technologies, accessing continuing professional development (CPD or PD) is easier than ever (Drude et al., 2019). The challenge, however, lies in ensuring that our PD is sticky: that we get value from the effort of self-development, and the opportunity cost that this has in our busy lives.
But it is not only ensuring that the learning stays with us: how do organisations assess how effective our learning has been? Because, despite decades of research, accurate assessment of effective training seems to continue to elude the professional development field (Drude et al., 2019; Thalheimer, 2024). Professional development assessment is "inadequate", with most - read "90%" of - programmes using what are known as 'smile sheets', which focus on superficial yet measurable attributes of speaker performance and premises over meaningful learning outcomes (Drude et al., 2019, p. 457). It is also difficult to track whether there were meaningful changes in participant knowledge, skills, or attitudes over time (Drude et al., 2019; Thalheimer, 2024). How many courses have we completed where there has been a follow-up survey some months later (Drude et al., 2019)? I think I remember one such course survey in my career, and I would roughly complete over a hundred hours of PD annually.
To stay current in our practice, we need lifelong learning. If we don't, each year our clients progress further and further away from our practice abilities, culture, language and technology level. To ensure then that we stay relevant, we need PD: and our professional development activities must add value to our practice. And if we can't meaningfully assess whether our upskilling is doing what it should, why would/should we continue doing it?
Additionally, what if we are undertaking self-directed learning? How do we assess our learning in that case: without any framework, not even smile sheets? Rather than simply taking notes, a potential approach could be to create and periodically review action-oriented to-do lists. This moves us from comprehending material to taking action and building our learning into our practice (Drude et al., 2019). We focus instead on making practical changes, working with our clients, to apply our learning (Drude et al., 2019). Although this is a suggested solution for self-directed learning, I think this is a solution that works for any training: we practice it.
Further, the Career Development Association of New Zealand has a great set of skills and experience we need in a competency framework (online here; see image accompanying this post; CDANZ, 2025). We can use the framework to evaluate where our practice needs a bit of a refresh, and seek out appropriate training. This doesn't need to be complicated: it could be as simple as popping an annual note in our diary to find training in a particular topic area.
Even action-oriented to do lists are relatively easy to organise: if we use a hardcopy diary or planner, write the action on a post it note and move it back each week until we have practiced the item. If using a digital diary, create an event and do the same. This is not inappropriate 'practicing' on clients: this is a considered exploration with an appropriate client, trying a new method together, and to see if it adds value to the client, and to you. Co-discovery of potential solutions, in a safe and measured way.
Good luck with practicing good practice!
Sam
References:
CDANZ. (2025). Competency Framework. Career Development Association of New Zealand. https://cdanz.org.nz/ModularPage?Action=View&ModularPage_id=27
Drude, K. P., Maheu, M., & Hilty, D. M. (2019). Continuing professional development: Reflections on a lifelong learning process. Psychiatric Clinics, 42(3), 447-461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2019.05.002
Thalheimer, W. (2024, October). The New LTEM Reveal [slide deck]. https://woexgg.clicks.mlsend.com/tf/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjIzMTM0NCxcImxcIjoxMzc4ODY5NDMwMDk1NzIxODQsXCJyXCI6MTM3ODg2OTU2NDk2MzU2NDIxfSIsInMiOiJmZTNiZTVhMzVlMzVhY2UwIn0
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