Unit rationale, description and aim
Occupational therapists apply professional reasoning to enable them to enhance their clients' health, well-being and occupational participation. Their reasoning draws upon an ability to apply existing professional skills, knowledge and attitudes, and find best available evidence. Therapists need an ability to identify gaps in their knowledge and skills and to efficiently seek and gather relevant information to address those gaps required for effective practice. Students will work in a small group with their peers, using enquiry-based learning methods to practise assimilating the skills, knowledge, attitudes and evidence-based practice skills they have accumulated over the course of their degree. They will also seek new information to address their knowledge gaps. They will apply these in addressing complex case scenarios drawn from contemporary clinical practice. These scenarios are directly transferable to students' transition to real-world practice and beyond. Learning and assessment in this unit is linked to and supports the practice experience undertaken within the unit OTHY405. This unit contains learning outcomes from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF, 2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capabilities Reflect and Advocate.
The overarching aim of this capstone unit is to equip students with life-long learning strategies they can use during their transition to occupational therapy practice.
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.
Apply entry to practice level professional knowled...
Learning Outcome 01
Use valid measurement of key person, environment a...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply entry to practice skills in critical evaluat...
Learning Outcome 03
HCF 11.3 Design practical strategies to enable ong...
Learning Outcome 04
HCF 12.3. Develop strategies for mitigating the po...
Learning Outcome 05
HCF 17.3. Advocate for equitable health care for A...
Learning Outcome 06
Content
Topics will include:
- Therapeutic use of self
- Reflective practice
- Evidence based practice
- Professional and clinical Reasoning
- Service delivery models
- Measuring outcomes-client and service level
- Interdisciplinary practice and team work
- Local and global influences on practice
- Integrating conceptual and practice models into everyday practice
- Culturally safe and responsive practice for First Peoples
- Enquiry based thinking processes
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. The assessment strategy for this unit includes a combination of individual written assessment, group oral presentation, and a conference-style written and oral poster presentation. These assessment strategies reflect expected capabilities of final year Bachelor of Occupational Therapy students as well as expected skills of graduate occupational therapists. Assessment approaches in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors.
Assessment 1 is a graded hurdle as it tests students' achievement of LO4 which is not addressed in other assessments in this unit. Students will have one further attempt at a graded hurdle if a pass grade of 50% for the assessment is not achieved on the first attempt.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Individual written and oral assignm...
Assessment 1: Individual written and oral assignment.
This requires students to submit a written reflection and oral personal statement about their own journey towards developing cultural capabilities for leadership in advocating for change towards equitable health care for First Peoples.
35%
Graded Hurdle
Assessment 2: Group oral presentations. This requ...
Assessment 2: Group oral presentations.
This requires students to demonstrate their ability to orally present a reasoned response/intervention plan related to issues contained in a practice scenario.
45%
Assessment 3: Poster presentation. This requires ...
Assessment 3: Poster presentation.
This requires students to convey, in written and oral format, outcomes from a project designed to enhance evidence-informed, person centred and occupationally based practices (connected to OTHY405).
20%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Teaching and learning strategies for this unit will include a combination of lectures, practical sessions and enquiry based learning methods using complex scenarios. As adult learners, students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and to participate actively within group activities. This learning strategy has been chosen for this unit as it enables students to refine their skills in using existing professional knowledge and skills and reflexive practices, identifying their own further learning needs, and efficiently undertake new learning using self-directed means. Learning and Teaching approaches included in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors and include tutorial co-facilitation by cultural mentors.
Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (AOTCS) 2018
Australian occupational therapy competency standards (AOTCS) 2018 developed in this unit are: