Why have an individual learning plan?

The purpose of an individual learning plan (ILP) is to help you get the most out of your candidature.

The Deakin PhD Xtra is designed with opportunities for you to deepen and broaden your discipline knowledge base. Through an enhanced learning experience, you will be better equipped to identify learning objectives and pursue your chosen career pathway. Your individual learning program will help you build a solid foundation leading to real expertise in your discipline.

Your ILP provides a means of establishing a close working relationship with your supervisor from the outset. With their assistance you are encouraged to design an ILP which will help you plan your time better through the course of your candidature and record achievements so Deakin can formally acknowledge them.

Your ILP gives you direct access to a list of training components here at Deakin plus the ability to incorporate external training opportunities. Completed training components may be recorded in your Australian Higher Education Graduate (AHEG) statement and/or the documentation contained in a portfolio of assets which can be used as an employability tool.

What is an individual learning plan?

The ILP is an online tool that allows you to plan, document and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills you acquire during your candidature.

Working with your supervisor, you will develop a learning plan that includes training components of specific value to you in terms of your research or intended career pathway.

Once implemented, the learning plan can be monitored and modified as required throughout your candidature as your research or career aspirations become more sharply focused.

How to use an individual learning plan

Your learning plan can be developed to suit your personal preferences and goals. There are two main elements and steps to developing a learning plan:

1. Add a learning plan entry – allows training components to be added individually or in groups
2. Add a training component – allows individual training activities to be added from a catalogue

There are three ways to develop a plan. You can:

1. create a new learning plan entry for every training component
2. group training components into one learning plan entry
3. combine the two options.

Learning plan entries may be grouped by related training components to reach a common goal or objective. Or you may group training components by years or stage of candidature (eg. Year 1, Year 2016, early candidature). You can determine which method works best for you in structuring and managing your learning plan. You can also change your grouping choices at any time.

Access ILP

If you experience difficulties logging in to DeakinSync please contact the IT help desk.

Training components

Training components encompass all training activities that you may undertake during your candidature. A catalogue of Deakin training  can be found through your ILP by adding a learning plan entry or browsing the catalogue. You may also add external training activities and record placements.

Some examples of training components include:

• research skills workshop
• advanced training in methods
• equipment training certification
• laboratory induction
• occupational health and safety training.

AHEGS worthy vs non-AHEGS worthy

The Australian Higher Education Graduate Statement (AHEGS) is a standardised format for Australian qualifications which is recognised and renowned throughout the world. It provides information on your qualification, the institution, and the Australian higher education system.

ILP training components are classified as either ‘AHEGS worthy’ or ‘non-AHEGS worthy’.

To qualify for inclusion in a student’s AHEG statement, the activity or training component should satisfy all of the following criteria.

• Reflect one or more of the three categories specified within the Australian Qualifications Framework for level 10, i.e. knowledge, skills and application.
• Be equivalent in volume to at least ¼ of an accredited unit of study – 20 hours of contact time and task completion time.
• Be capable of verification as to the student’s completion and demonstration of mastery.

You have the option to add 'external training component - non-AHEGS worthy' or 'external training component - AHEGS worthy' to your plan. You may need to seek approval for classifying an external training component as AHEGS worthy if you believe it meets the criteria above. You should contact your supervisor or school HDR coordinator for advice. Approval to classify an external training component as AHEGS worthy must be sought from Deakin Research. You should seek approval prior to adding an external training component to your plan. Search for 'external' in the search field.

Optional vs mandatory training components

Every learning plan has a minimum of two pre-populated mandatory training components: Deakin Research Induction and Deakin Research Integrity training. These should be completed early in your candidature and before your confirmation. Your plan may also include additional mandatory training components that have been set by your academic unit.

All other training components are classified as optional. These can be added to or removed from your plan at any time as deemed appropriate by you and your supervisor.