Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
OTHY605 Occupational Therapy Research Project A
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learning.Unit rationale, description and aim
Occupational therapists looking to engage in leadership and or supervisory roles are required to facilitate research projects focusing on evaluating services and outcomes, improving clinical practice and innovating services provided. An approved ACU supervisor appointed within the School of Allied Health will systematically guide students as they complete, evaluate, report outcomes from the capstone project implemented in OTHY605 Occupational Therapy Research Project A. In this unit, students will be provided with the opportunity to enhance critical thinking, analysis, as well as professional and academic communication skills developed throughout the Master of Rehabilitation program. This unit aims to extend the body of knowledge for Occupational Therapists and provide students with the foundation for future self-directed learning and research.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Interpret the outcome of statistical analyses to inform the presentation of results and their discussion in a paper. | GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12 |
| LO2 | Develop and document the implications of the clinical research findings on relevant stakeholders that may include patients, practitioners, families, carers and healthcare organisations and/or the community. | GC1, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
| LO3 | Draw robust conclusions about what and/or how the findings / data contribute to the advancement of discipline specific or inter-professional health care practice, identifying limitations of the research and potential directions for future research. | GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC9 |
| LO4 | Report the outcomes of the clinical research project in both oral and written modes, critically interpreting the implications for clinical practice. | GC2, GC3, GC6, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
Content
Topics will include:
- Application of statistical packages for data analyses
- Methods of presenting results for written and oral presentations
- Formative feedback on draft manuscripts
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
ACU Online
This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn.
This mode aims to facilitate enquiry-based learning. In this unit, students will work both independently and in collaboration with their supervisor(s). Students will be mentored and supported in their learning by their supervisor(s) who will provide regular guidance and maintain contact with the student.
Mentorship and supervision is facilitated through face-to-face on-campus meetings, or by telephone or electronic communication between student and ACU staff mentor. A range of student-centred learning and teaching strategies will be adopted such as:
- regular meetings between mentor and student;
- guidance regarding conduct of project, analyses oral presentation and drafting of manuscript.
Multimode
This unit is offered in multi-mode delivery for specific on- and off-shore cohorts. This mode aims to facilitate enquiry-based learning. In this unit, students will work both independently and in collaboration with their supervisor(s). Students will be mentored and supported in their learning by their supervisor(s) who will provide regular guidance and maintain contact with the student.
Mentorship and supervision is facilitated through face-to-face on-campus meetings, or by telephone or electronic communication between student and ACU staff mentor. A range of student-centred learning and teaching strategies will be adopted such as:
- regular meetings between mentor and student;
- guidance regarding conduct of project, analyses oral presentation and drafting of manuscript.
Assessment strategy and rationale
OTHY606 assessments have been developed to guide the students in their finalisation of a capstone project aimed at reflecting the advanced level of professional knowledge and skills, enhanced critical analysis and professional writing style as developed in the Master’s program. Assessments for the unit incorporate a constructivist approach providing for a broad range of tasks aligned to andragogic principles of adult learning facilitating choice and self-direction for the post-graduate student. In addition, assessments have been purposefully developed to reflect the real world of allied health research and provide the students the necessary skills required to draft an academic manuscript for publication and present at a national or international conference. The seminar presentation provides students with the opportunity to prepare and present their research in a conference presentation mode of delivery. Students will create a scholarly academic manuscript following specific author guidelines, preparing it for submission to a peer-reviewed journal to share the results of their research project. Scheduling of assessments will be equitable for both modes of delivery. Assessment tasks may be delivered and assessed locally and moderated according to University Policies and Procedures. In order to pass this unit students must demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit. All assessments will be submitted electronically.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Seminar Presentation using National or International conference guidelines (up to 30 min) Enables students to prepare and deliver short summaries of projects to an audience of peers | 35% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC12 |
Submit a manuscript using Author Guidelines from a selected journal (maximum 4000 words ±10% not including references, Addendums and Appendices) Enables students to enhance skills required for drafting research manuscripts in order to communicate outcomes and contributions to evidence-based practice | 65% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
Representative texts and references
Allen, P., Bennett, K., & Heritage, B. (2019). SPSS statistics version 22: A practical guide. Cengage Learning Australia.
Creswell, J (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th edition). International Student Edition.
Higgins, J. P. T., & Green, S. (Eds). (2019). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (2nd edition). Wiley-Blackwell.
Hoffmann, T, Bennett, S, & Del Mar, C (2024) Evidence based practice across the health professions (4th edition). Elsevier.
National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, & Universities Australia. (2007, updated 2018). National statement on ethical conduct in human research. Australian Government. Retrieved from NH&MRC website: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/national-statement-ethical-conduct-human-research-2007-updated-2018
Research supervisors will also recommend texts relevant to individual research projects.