Fall 2010 Course Descriptions:

OT 500 Integrative Seminar 1

This graduate course in occupational therapy is the first integrative seminar in a 4-seminar sequence designed to enhance clinical reasoning processes by integrating knowledge from previous educational and work experiences with current courses and weekly fieldwork experiences. Using problem-based case scenarios, class discussion, simulated classroom activities, fieldwork experiences and reflective journaling this seminar focuses on learning the foundations for professional socialization, group processes, therapeutic relationships, ethical practice and other professional issues for working with persons and populations of all ages with a variety of needs for occupational therapy services. Self-directed, collaborative learning and class participation are essential aspects of this seminar.

Level I Fieldwork:: Fieldwork is an integral part of the learning in this course. Students will attend a community setting once a week for a minimum of 8-weeks. Students will be required to do reflective journals to tie class discussions to their fieldwork. The Level I Fieldwork Coordinator will assign all fieldwork placements and times. Fieldwork will begin in early October. Students will be placed in a fieldwork setting during one of the reserved fieldwork times on their tracks. Students will be informed which time, by the end of September.

OT 513 Analysis and Adaptation of Occupation

This course will introduce students to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process (OTPF) 2nd edition (AOTA, 2008), an official document for the profession. “Supporting health and participation in life through engagement in occupation” (AOTA, p. 626) is the domain of occupational therapy. Through lecture and participatory activities, students will investigate the domain of and  “the dynamic occupation and client-centered process used in the delivery of occupational therapy “ (AOTA, pg. 626).  Employing logical thinking, critical analysis, problem solving, and creativity students will learn how to analyze and adapt occupations and activities. Students will be able to explain the meaning and dynamics of occupation and activity, including the interaction of areas of occupation, performance skills, performance patterns, activity demands, context(s), and client factors.  Through community service projects, students will articulate to consumers and the general public the value of occupation to support participation. Using small group presentations, students will gain an understanding of the importance of the history and philosophical base of occupational therapy.

OT 520 Evidence Based Practice 1

This course is designed for occupational therapy graduate students to develop beginning skills for conducting evidence-based practice.  The focus is on using research evidence to support the first task of therapy: getting to know the client and the client’s needs.  Students learn how to find, use, and communicate about two types of published research reports that support the therapist’s task of getting to know a client: (1) reports about the occupational lives and needs of people like the client (i.e., similar health care conditions, gender, cultural group, etc.), and (2) reports about the quality of different assessment methods for gaining information about a client’s occupational life and needs. The format of class sessions is primarily discussion, with some lecture, that is structured around actual client cases and guiding questions.  Student performance is assessed with class participation, homework assignments, and a final exam/project. 

OT 526 Functional Movement Analysis

This occupational therapy course examines changes in gross and fine movement skills across the life course, and the relation of these changes to occupational performance.  In addition, students learn biomechanical and dynamical systems’ principles underlying human movement and their application to functional activities including seating, transfers, and mobility.  Principles covered in lecture are applied through practical experiences and discussions during the application sessions.

OT 529 Occupation Across the Life Course

This course examines current theory and research related to the development of human occupation throughout the life course.  Human development is viewed from an ecological perspective, emphasizing the inextricable links among person, environment, and occupation.  The performance of activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, work/education, play/leisure, and social participation, especially as potentially affected by health and disability, will be examined across the life course. Students are required to observe, interpret, and describe occupational performance, and to apply relevant  theories and constructs to understand the development of human occupation.