Occupational Therapy Students' Perceptions of Knowledge and Problem-based Learning (original) (raw)
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The Influence of Pedagogy on Problem-based Learning Students' Perceptions of Knowledge
Problem-based learning requires students to work in small groups and apply knowledge they see as relevant to a given problem or learning task. Previous research has explored students' experiences of problem-based learning in relation to learning styles, however, differences in how students perceive knowledge has received little attention in the literature. Drawing on the theories of Basil Bernstein, this study explored occupational therapy students' perceptions of knowledge. Twenty students were sampled on the basis of their having followed two, different, educational pathways into a problem-based occupational therapy undergraduate course. Qualitative interviews were used to gather students' perceptions of occupational therapy knowledge and the findings show that in the first year of the problem-based course the students' views on knowledge could be contrasted according to their respective educational pathway. Different interpretations of knowledge have consequences ...
An evaluation of a problem-based learning experience in an occupational therapy curriculum in the UK
Occupational Therapy International, 2010
The objectives of the study was to evaluate an adapted approach to problem-based learning (PBL) on a preregistration Masters course in Occupational Therapy at the University of East Anglia in the UK. The adaptation, named placement PBL, required students to write and select the material based on their placement experiences, for the cohort's learning. The evaluation purpose was to determine the students' views of the effi cacy of placement PBL for facilitating their learning in the fi nal 3 months of their pre-registration education. Placement PBL was evaluated using both questionnaires and focus groups, with two cohorts of students for data collection. Placement PBL was seen to provide current, relevant and complex learning scenarios that help students to move from a theoretical understanding to application of theory in the complexity of actual service situations. The authors conclude that placement PBL has the potential to prepare students for the transition from student to qualifi ed practitioner. Both researchers were also the PBL tutors which may have affected the students' honesty in their feedback. Further research is indicated for ongoing evaluations of the effectiveness of PBL in helping students to become confi dent occupational therapy clinicians, and comparative studies with other learning approaches.
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1999
Objectives. Problem-based learning (PBL) is increasingly being used within health care professional educational programs to develop critical thinking skills via a learner-centered approach. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of participation in a PBL-centered curriculum on occupational therapy knowledge and skill development over time from the perspective of the students involved. This study examined student evaluations of the first three class cohorts participating in a PBL-based curriculum. Method. A participatory action design study involving qualitative, student-led focus groups was conducted with 154 students across 2 years of the education program. Fourteen focus groups were audiotaped, and those audiotapes were transcribed by an outside expert, followed by two levels of analysis by program faculty members and a member check by student participants. Results. Themes that emerged from the data analysis related to (a) defining elements of PBL, (b) the role of students...
Student perceptions of a problem-based learning course
The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association
Within occupational therapy education, there has been increased attention to curricula and courses that emphasize problem solving, clinical reasoning, and synthesis of information across traditional discipline-specific boundaries. This article describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a problem-based learning course entitled Selected Cases in Occupational Therapy. The course was designed to help students to integrate the various elements of a specific occupational therapy curriculum and to enhance their abilities to respond to an ever-changing health care environment. An evaluation of the course by the first 11 students who completed it revealed both strengths and weaknesses. Students responded that the course enhanced their professional behavior, including interpersonal communication skills, team work, and follow-through with professional responsibilities; helped them to integrate the various elements of the total occupational therapy academic program; enhanced the...
The other side of the coin: OT Students’ Perceptions of Problem-Based Learning
South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2014
Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) was introduced into the Occupational Therapy (OT) curriculum at the University of Witwatersrand in 1993 as a hybrid course which included PBL as well as traditional teaching methods. There is a collective opinion in the department, that PBL is the best teaching method if OT students are to become independent, critical practitioners. But how do the students really feel about PBL? Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th year occupational therapy students on PBL. This study formed the qualitative part of a larger study, which was mainly quantitative, descriptive and longitudinal in design. Methodology: Secondary analysis was performed on the occupational therapy departmental records collected during 2011 and 2012 for 290 students. This study focussed on the qualitative analysis of data from two open-ended questions. Five categories were derived from the quantitative part of the larger st...
Developing Skills of Problem-based Learning; What about Specialist Knowledge?
Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that uses problems or 'triggers' to initiate students' learning. Typically, students work in small groups (between eight and ten people), facilitated by a tutor, where they are required to identify, source, and contextualize knowledge to solve a given problem. The origins of PBL can be traced to the McMaster Medical School in Canada in 1965 but it has since become a popular means of delivering other disciplines, especially, but not exclusively, other healthcare courses such as nursing, occupational therapy, or physiotherapy. With its focus on group work, independent learning and knowledge application, PBL seemingly equips students with the capital to adapt to modern day, flexible economies. Previous research on PBL has focused on students' learning styles or their approaches to group work but students' understanding of knowledge and PBL has received little attention in the literature. This qualitative study explored undergraduate occupational therapy students' perceptions of knowledge from one PBL course. The data were collected through the use of twenty semi-structured interviews and the findings were analyzed thematically and in relation to theoretical constructs derived from the sociologists of education Basil Bernstein and Karl Maton. The findings suggest that whilst PBL offered students the opportunity to develop and enhance skills such as team working, their understanding of professional specific knowledge was limited. In a climate where healthcare provision is becoming increasingly pluralized and inter-professional working is common, practitioners still require an understanding of the esoteric knowledge that differentiates their practices from each other. This research highlights the need for PBL educators to consider the types of knowledge that students' acquire in addition to knowledge application and PBL skills.
A Problem-Based Learning Curriculum for Occupational Therapy Education
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1995
To prepare practitioners and researchers who are well equipped to deal with the inevitable myriad changes in health care and in society coming the 21st century, a new focus is needed in occupational therapy education. In addition to proficiency in clinical skills and technical knowledge, occupational therapy graduates will need outcome competencies underlying the skills of critical reflection. In this article, the author presents (a) the rationale for the need for change in occupational therapy education, (b) key concepts of clinical reasoning and critical reflection pertaining to the outcome such change in occupational therapy education should address, (c) problem-based learning as a process and educational method to prepare occupational therapists in these competencies, and (d) the experience of the Program in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, in implementing a problem-based learning curriculum.