Making a Clinical Climate in the Classroom: An Assessment

Abstract

Abstract Objectives. This article describes occupational therapy student evaluations of a senior-level undergraduate course titled Advanced Concepts in Occupational Therapy. Method. Forty undergraduate occupational therapy students from the Class of 1997 and 38 from the Class of 1998 completed five sources of feedback after completing the course, including a questionnaire about the nine educational strategies used in this course, instructor evaluations, and self-ratings on (a) the achievement of course objectives, (b) professional behaviors, and (c) the extent to which the course prepared them for and related to fieldwork. Individual student grades for both classes were also reviewed to supplement students’ views of the course. Results. Students responded positively to the demands of the course and indicated that it had helped them develop the performances, judgments, and attitudes required for clinical practice. Individual student grades supported the students’ perceptions that they had mastered the targeted skills. Conclusions. Findings suggest that the performances, judgments, and attitudes required in the clinic can be successfully simulated in the classroom through the use of interactive strategies and activities. The introduction of these strategies and activities in the occupational therapy curriculum should help better prepare students to handle the multifaceted demands of current clinical practice.