Personal Development Planning (PDP) and ePortfolios: Arranged Marriage or True Love?

As a long-life learning process Personal Development Planning (PDP) has often been associated in recent years with the use of a portfolio, in particular an ePortfolio. In this paper we report on two pilot studies carried out with language students at the Open University (OU) in the UK using PDP and two different types of ePortfolio. We describe the activities used in the pilots and the design of the ePortfolios, and present the experiences of students working with PDP and their perceptions. Drawing from these findings, this study reflects on the nature of both PDP and ePortfolios, and critically discusses their supposedly intrinsic relationship. It finishes with considerations about possible directions and trends for the development of PDP and ePortfolios.