Active Learning and Occupational Therapy Theory: A Mixed Methods Study of a Course Redesign

The use of theory to guide practice is what distinguishes an occupational therapist’s professional judgment and reasoning from simply technical skills. However, occupational therapists continue to lack confidence and skills in understanding application of theory to inform practice. Thus, effective course design related to theory is imperative in professional formation. This study assessed the effectiveness of a graduate-level occupational therapy theory course redesigned using andragogical, learner-centered, and active learning principles to address gaps in applying and understanding theory. A mixed methods retrospective cohort design was utilized. This included a pretest/post-test survey along with end-of-semester course and instructor evaluation. Eighty-four students engaged in the course and completed pre/post-testing and end of course evaluations. Course and instructor evaluations from an original (pre-redesign) cohort of 28 students were used for comparison. Results suggest that the course redesign was effective at helping students understand and apply occupational therapy theory in a real-world context while also being able to articulate the importance of theory-guided practice. Instructors should structure theory coursework around andragogical, learner-centered, and active learning principles to improve engagement and interaction with theoretical concepts. Results of this study can inform instructors in best practices and student preferences when instructing theory-related coursework and how to create learning opportunities which have distinct value in creating occupational therapy practitioners who are confident in utilizing theory to inform practice decisions

Occupational Therapy’s Opportunity to Impact Care at the End of Life

Navigating and managing the end of life can be difficult. The focus of occupational therapy in care at the end of life is to aid the patient and caregiver through these challenges by facilitating improved safety, comfort, and quality of life through the participation in meaningful occupations. Despite the ways that occupational therapy benefits these patients, occupational therapy involvement in care at the end of life is misunderstood, under-researched, and underutilized. There is a general lack of awareness regarding this topic and a stigma that occupational therapy focuses only on rehabilitation and therefore does not belong in care at the end of life. To combat these issues, there needs to be additional education and training for all healthcare professionals, including occupational therapy practitioners, about occupational therapy’s role in care at the end of life. Occupational therapy professionals in this area of practice must strive to educate others and advocate for their role to improve the understanding of this practice area and thus positively impact more patients and families

Evaluating Course Design for Significant Learning Among a Blended Cohort of Occupational Therapy Students

Occupational therapy (OT) school is where learning begins as students prepare to become future professionals. Thus, effective course design is imperative in professional formation. This study examined the effectiveness of a course designed around andragogical and active learning principles in combination with Fink’s (2013) taxonomy of learning for a blended cohort of face-to-face and hybrid OT students. The study used a mixed methods explanatory sequential design with pre/post surveys, end-of-course evaluations, and focus groups to explore student perceptions and preferences toward learning to create significant learning experiences. One hundred six students completed pre and post testing of the redesigned course, 67 completed end-of-course evaluations from 2018 (pre-redesign), and 90 from 2019 (post-redesign). Nineteen students participated in the focus groups, nine from the campus pathway and 10 from the hybrid pathway. Results suggest the course was effective at helping students achieve a deeper level of understanding and develop self-directed learning habits significantly more so than a traditional lecture format. Students, regardless of the method of course delivery, benefited from active learning strategies and showed a strong preference for assignments and learning activities linked to real-life experiences. Instructors should invite adult OT students to participate as capable and equal partners in the learning process and consider how to best orient students to course content to help them understand the relevance to personal motivations and goals. Results of this study can help instructors create significant learning opportunities that have a distinct value in developing OT practitioners who are lifelong learners for a blended cohort of students

Telehealth and Occupational Therapy Education

Accredited occupational therapy education programs are required to include telehealth technology in their curricula as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. An innovative Doctor of Occupational Therapy program piloted a telehealth module with first- and second-year students. Both dynamic lecture content and active learning lab exercises were created to advance student knowledge in the use of telehealth technology and to inform occupational therapy telehealth education. The teaching approaches in lecture and lab were assessed using a mixed methods approach. A quantitative pre and posttest assessment of student self-efficacy and knowledge was collected at three time points. At the final timepoint, a post survey was also completed to collect qualitative perspectives of student experiences after the lecture content and lab exercise, to further explain quantitative findings. Results indicated that the students’ knowledge significantly improved after the module. In addition, engaging in lab after lecture did add a significant improvement in self-efficacy of students’ perception of their knowledge regarding telehealth as well as confidence in their ability to use telehealth. The outcomes of this study assist and inform occupational therapy education programs in determining an effective teaching format for instruction on the use of telehealth technology in practice

Efficacy of High-performance Vision Training on Improving the Reaction Time of Collegiate Softball Athletes: A Randomized Trial

Purpose. A well-developed visual system is integral to the dynamic nature of sport performance among collegiate athletes. Occupational therapists play an important role in addressing an athlete’s visual skills through incorporating meaningful occupation, in this case sport, into interventions while addressing specific client factors. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of occupational therapist led high-performance visual training in improving the reaction time of collegiate softball athletes. Method. A mixed method approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected to assess athlete perceptions of sport, and quantitative data were collected using a mixed within group and between group design. Twenty-one participants were randomly allocated into two groups, each receiving a 6-week intervention which followed an evidence-based protocol. Group A consisted of Dynavision™ D2 training, and Group B of non-machine, therapist-led, visual training, twice weekly for 10-15 minutes each. Results. Results of the study highlight perceived meaningfulness of sport and display that both theory-based protocols were effective, as Group A and Group B experienced significant decreases in reaction time. However, decreases in reaction time were more significant for Group A in both proactive and reactive Dynavision™ D2 training modes. Conclusion. Results suggest that both the Dynavision™ D2 and alternative vision training as led by occupational therapists may be beneficial in improving the proactive and reactive reaction times of collegiate athletes, enhancing their abilities to participate in meaningful sports, but the Dynavision™ D2 may be a more effective training tool, especially related to proactive reaction time training

Incorporating Uncertainty into Spacecraft Mission and Trajectory Design

The complex nature of many astrodynamic systems often leads to high computational costs or degraded accuracy in the analysis and design of spacecraft missions, and the incorporation of uncertainty into the trajectory optimization process often becomes intractable. This research applies mathematical modeling techniques to reduce computational cost and improve tractability for design, optimization, uncertainty quantification (UQ) and sensitivity analysis (SA) in astrodynamic systems and develops a method for trajectory optimization under uncertainty (OUU). This thesis demonstrates the use of surrogate regression models and polynomial chaos expansions for the purpose of design and UQ in the complex three-body system. Results are presented for the application of the models to the design of mid-field rendezvous maneuvers for spacecraft in three-body orbits. The models are shown to provide high accuracy with no a priori knowledge on the sample size required for convergence. Additionally, a method is developed for the direct incorporation of system uncertainties into the design process for the purpose of OUU and robust design; these methods are also applied to the rendezvous problem. It is shown that the models can be used for constrained optimization with orders of magnitude fewer samples than is required for a Monte Carlo approach to the same problem. Finally, this research considers an application for which regression models are not well-suited, namely UQ for the kinetic deflection of potentially hazardous asteroids under the assumptions of real asteroid shape models and uncertainties in the impact trajectory and the surface material properties of the asteroid, which produce a non-smooth system response. An alternate set of models is presented that enables analytic computation of the uncertainties in the imparted momentum from impact. Use of these models for a survey of asteroids allows conclusions to be drawn on the effects of an asteroid\u27s shape on the ability to successfully divert the asteroid via kinetic impactor

Proceedings of IMECE 2008 ASME 2008 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition

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