Value Added: Service-Learning Outcomes for Physical Therapy Students and Community Partners in Belize

This study comprised a follow up to a two-week interdisciplinary service-learning (SL) trip to Belize for graduate students from a private Midwestern university. Trip participants engaged in SL activities with multiple partnering agencies in various locations. The purpose of the study, which employed a qualitative, constructivist, focus-group design, was to explore the perceptions of students and community partners about the services provided. Data were analyzed for common themes using line-by-line and constant comparative methods. Six themes emerged from the data.  Community partners complimented the education and training provided, and requested additional time and programming for future visits. Some identified the need for increased collaboration and additional preparation of students prior to the visit. Students demonstrated increased appreciation for interdisciplinary practice, enhanced professionalism, and greater sensitivity to cultural differences, and expressed their desire to participate in future international service trips. These findings supported the conclusion that interdisciplinary international SL activities are mutually beneficial to students and community partners

Perceptions of Academic Fieldwork Coordinators Regarding the Value of Fieldwork in Emerging Areas of Practice

This study investigated the perceptions of academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs) regarding emerging areas of practice as fieldwork experiences for entry-level occupational therapy (OT) students. Further, this study explored several aspects of fieldwork experiences in emerging areas of practice on student personal and professional development, academic curriculum, partnering community agencies, and the profession at large. A survey designed through Qualtrics®, an electronic survey system, was sent to 163 AFWCs of fully accredited master’s and doctoral entry-level OT programs. Forty-four participants (27%) completed the 16-question survey. Significance at p \u3c .05 was found in higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy student performance when compared to traditional areas of practice. Common perceptions found among the AFWCs related to emerging areas of practice fieldwork experiences included: improved student professional and personal skills, increased connections and collaborations across and in health care disciplines, an enhanced ability to define and understand OT. Continued opportunities for fieldwork in emerging areas of practice are essential as the profession contemplates new markets and avenues in a changing health care environment