Perceived Educational Value of Different Types of Simulation in Occupational Therapy Education: A Mixed-Methods Study

BackgroundIn a research-based learning environment, students learn how to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners, and to generate discipline-enriching knowledge. Research training is important for all healthcare professionals and the integration of research in education can be one approach to improve evidence-based practice among future professionals. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify studies reporting on research-based education in undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy curricula to document the current state of knowledge and to map factors that reflect and support the implementation of research-based education in undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy programmes.MethodsA scoping review was used to systematically select and summarize existing literature. The search was conducted using a combination of keywords and MeSH terms in the following databases: EBSCO (Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, ERIC), MEDLINE, Embase, Education Source and grey literature. A thematic analysis identified strategies used to implement and promote research-based education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy bachelor programmes.ResultsThe database search identified 3068 records. 75 were eligible for full-text assessment and 27 studies were included. The studies were published between 1999 and 2021 and were conducted in Norway, Canada, South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, Taiwan, Italy, and Iran. The study designs were mainly quantitative and qualitative, and studies included primarily occupational therapy and physiotherapy students. We identified the following four strategies: ‘student engagement in research’, ‘curriculum improvement regarding EBP’, ‘EBP teaching’ and ‘journal club’, where ‘EBP teaching’ was most frequently identified.ConclusionsFindings from this scoping review suggest that ensuring students’ competence in research methods is necessary for students to be able to read and understand research articles, which are important as foundational skills in undergraduate research training. Journal clubs can be a foundation for student engagement with research literature, and students’ basic research skills may be facilitated through their involvement in research projects and by conducting systematic reviews. Further, cooperation with clinical practice is important, and the awareness of research-based education should be increased among both faculty members and students.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly been integrated into healthcare education to support problem-solving, provide timely feedback, diversify assessment approaches, and assist academic writing. Although literature on AI in education continues to grow, evidence remains limited regarding its application in occupational therapy (OT) education, particularly in the Philippine context. Objectives: This study protocol aims to explore the perceptions of OT educators in the Philippines regarding the use of AI in OT education and to identify perceived facilitators and barriers to its implementation in OT educational settings. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design will be employed using purposive sampling. Approximately 10–12 OT educators from a higher education institution in Metro Manila, Philippines, will be recruited. Data will be collected through a focus group discussion to elicit in-depth perspectives on AI use in OT education. Thematic analysis will be conducted to identify recurring patterns and overarching themes related to AI integration.Expected Results: The study protocol includes its expected results, which are to provide context-specific insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating AI in OT education in the Philippines. Findings may inform instructional strategies, curriculum development, institutional policies, investment in technological infrastructure, and faculty development initiatives related to AI adoption.

Lack of consideration of intersectionality by occupational therapy practitioners, faculty, and researchers can result in inequities experienced by students and clients served. To determine how intersectionality is represented in the scholarly literature used to inform occupational therapy practice, research, and education. A comprehensive database that includes CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2023, written in English, and pertinent to the research question. The review used Covidence database and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, resulting in 36 articles identified as meeting all criteria. Any discrepancies were resolved through discussion among the authors. A data abstraction chart was developed, and analysis resulted in themes of education, practice, and research with specific subthemes. Findings revealed that the lack of an intersectional approach in education is often viewed negatively by diverse students, who experience a lack of belonging. Suggested strategies focused on reducing isolation and revising curricula to reflect student diversity. Intersectional issues in practice showed access disparities and a lack of occupational participation for diverse clients. Suggested strategies included consideration of the multilayered identities of clients using cultural humility and consideration of context. Strategies for research focused on using a collaborative approach to represent the intersectional lived experience of diverse populations. Despite limited studies, intersectionality was identified as a lens for occupational therapy educators, practitioners, and researchers and as an important strategy to address issues faced by diverse students, resulting in more effective client-centered care. Plain-Language Summary: This study reviewed literature from occupational therapy and other health professions to determine how the concept of intersectionality is used to inform practice, education, and research. The study is needed because common Western-based practice is based on an individual, White, upper-middle class, able-bodied, cisgender perspective, which does not match the demographics or needs of clients. Results show that the intersectional identities of students and clients are often not being considered. Literature is emerging to provide educational, practice, and research strategies to address the diverse needs of occupational therapy students and clients by identifying and considering multiple and intersectional identities and the effect of context. The results challenge occupational therapy educators, practitioners, and researchers to consider the use of intersectionality moving forward to provide holistic, client-centered care. Positionality Statement: Diane Smith is a cisgender, White, able-bodied occupational therapy professor with a graduate degree and numerous publications regarding disability rights and intersectionality. Alesia Ford is a cisgender, Black, neurodivergent occupational therapy practitioner with a graduate degree and publications focused on increased diversity within the profession. Helina Samson is a cisgender, Black, able-bodied occupational therapy practitioner with a graduate degree. These lenses influence and may potentially bias our interpretation regarding critique of current strategies in education, practice, and research. For the purposes of this review, please note that LGBTQIA+ is not a standardized term, and the term used by the original researchers will be used (e.g., LGBTQ, LGBT).

BackgroundDigital learning is a rapidly advancing method for teaching and learning in professional health education. Although various digital learning designs have been tried in OT education, studies on digital learning designs are still limited.MethodsWe conducted a scoping study that aimed to identify the digital learning designs used in occupational therapy (OT) education and review the effectiveness, learner perceptions, clinical skills integrated, and technology-based learning strategies used to facilitate learning. Four databases were searched using subheadings and terms relating to digital learning, occupational therapy, and education. The included studies were mapped according to the types of digital learning design, subjects, key clinical skills, and outcomes.ResultsTwenty-two studies were included in this review, most of which were qualitative, observational, or mixed studies of the two designs. The digital learning designs identified in OT education were flipped, blended, hybrid, and distance learning, including e-learning and massive open online courses (MOOC). Among the components of clinical skills, professional reasoning and procedural knowledge were the most integrated into digital learning, and covered various OT subjects. Digital learning designs were reported to be equivalent to or more effective than the traditional face-to-face (F2F) class in learning outcomes of knowledge and skill acquisition, enhancing learning participation, reflection, and collaboration between learners. Various technologies have been used to promote synchronous or asynchronous active learning, providing learning strategies such as thinking, reflection, discussion, peer learning-group activity, and gamifying online learning.ConclusionsIn OT digital learning, appropriate learning subjects, the arrangement of clinical skill components that can be well integrated into digital learning, and the selection of appropriate technologies for effective learning are important. The results should be confirmed within an experimental study design.

High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is an educational tool commonly used by professional education programs of medicine and nursing for student training and assessment. Although its use in occupational therapy (OT) education is emerging, implementation of simulation in OT education varies broadly across programs, and, in general, the tool remains underused. This paper describes how the OT education program at Samuel Merritt University (SMU) has systematically expanded the use of HFS in various formats throughout the curriculum. The specific processes and procedures of using HFS in facilitating student critical thinking and clinical skills are explained to emphasize the potential educational value of HFS. Although student responses to simulation have been positive, methodical studies are needed to validate the use of this teaching and learning tool in OT education. The paper also suggests additional ideas for implementing aspects of HFS based on various levels of resources available to an OT education program.

Patient case formulations have become a standard feature in occupational therapy (OT) education. Despite their demonstrated benefits in optimizing student learning, patient case formulations may unintentionally convey oppressive disability discourses. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and invite critical reflection on the use of patient case formulations in reinforcing ableist discourses and assumptions in OT education and practice. Through the lens of critical disability theory and Crip theory, the author demonstrates how patient case formulations are often reflective of institutionalized ableism that functions to support oppressive disability discourses in the profession, contributing to harmful healthcare practices. The ongoing use of patient case formulations rooted in oppressive disability discourses perpetuates oppressive constructions of disabled people in OT education and practice. A radical shift towards pedagogical materials and practices that support identity-affirming disability discourses would be more aligned with the profession's expressed values.

IntroductionIn an increasingly interconnected world, there is a pressing need for occupational therapy students to graduate as culturally responsive and socially responsible global citizens. However, little is known about the extent in which global citizenship is understood by occupational therapy educators and if it is embedded in Australian occupational therapy education.MethodsAn interpretive, phenomenographic approach was adopted, to identify the qualitatively different ways that occupational therapy educators understand global citizenship in occupational therapy education and its perceived importance in preparing graduates for professional practice. Twenty Australian educators were interviewed. Analysis of interview transcriptions generated four distinct ‘categories of description’ grounded in participants' awareness and experience of global citizenship and its relationship to internationalisation of the curriculum in occupational therapy education.Consumer and Community InvolvementNo consumer/community were involved in this research.FindingsThe four categories revealed global citizenship and internationalisation of the curriculum was perceived by participants as either institutionally imposed and irrelevant, locally mandated and important, values driven and desirable, or professionally essential and aspirational. While some participants described it as lacking relevance to occupational therapy education, others felt that it was essential to preparing students for professional practice and therefore should be in curriculum.ConclusionGlobal citizenship in occupational therapy education was understood in various ways. Becoming a global citizen was considered by most participants as necessary for developing a strong professional identity. Further research related to student perceptions of global citizenship and how this contributes to the development of professional identity is called for.

This qualitative study explored stakeholder perspectives on simulation-based learning (SBL) in occupational therapy education across five European countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, and Turkey. The study aimed to examine the potential of SBL as a teaching, learning, and assessment methodology. A qualitative study was conducted using five focus groups, one in each participating country. Altogether, 35 stakeholders participated in the study. No consumer or community involvement was engaged in the conduction of this study nor preparation of the work. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed four overarching themes: (1) Occupational therapy competencies best suited for SBL; (2) experiences and perceptions of SBL methodologies in occupational therapy education: Perceived educational value for competency development; (3) rationale for SBL in occupational therapy education; and (4) requirements and challenges associated with implementation of SBL, highlighting both the perceived value and the logistical, institutional, and pedagogical challenges of integrating SBL into curricula. Findings confirmed the relevance of SBL for enhancing professional competencies in occupational therapy education and offered rich, context-specific insights shaped by diverse educational and health-care systems. While the limited sample size restricts generalizability, the study provides foundational knowledge for future research and development. Importantly, it underscores the need for adequate resources, structured facilitator training, and strategic planning to ensure the successful implementation of SBL in occupational therapy education. These results contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting simulation as a transformative educational approach that bridges theory and practice, ultimately advancing occupational therapy education and professional preparedness.

The rapid digitalization of society has transformed occupational therapy practice, introducing both opportunities and challenges. As occupational therapists increasingly rely on electronic documentation, telehealth, and assistive technologies, cybersecurity is emerging as a critical concern. This position paper argues that occupational therapy is a vital domain for the integration of cybersecurity education, emphasizing the need to safeguard sensitive patient information, enhance digital literacy, and address the unique vulnerabilities faced by occupational therapy clients. The paper outlines the key intersections of occupational therapy and cybersecurity education, highlighting the impact of cyber threats on healthcare, the importance of digital literacy, and the role of occupational therapy in educating and protecting vulnerable populations. Recommendations are provided for integrating cybersecurity education into occupational therapy curricula and fieldwork education to better prepare practitioners for the evolving digital landscape. By integrating cyber safety principles into occupational therapy education, the field can fulfill its mission of enhancing individuals’ participation in meaningful activities by equipping practitioners with the skills necessary to protect patient data, manage evolving digital risks, and ensure safe, effective care in a technology-driven world.

ABSTRACTFieldwork is an integral part of occupational therapy (OT) education that provides opportunity for students to develop and demonstrate essential competencies to practice. This paper describes an introductory fieldwork experience in a Masters level OT programme that utilized Kolb’s learning cycle as a framework for its design. The 2-week experience incorporates peer-assisted learning and combines clinical placement, labs, didactic presentations, simulation exercises and reflection sessions to facilitate student progression through the learning cycle. Formal feedback from students, preceptors and university faculty over 2 years reveals that this novel and purposeful approach was effective in introducing students to important principles of OT practice and fieldwork learning early in their OT education. Students gained an enhanced understanding of client-centred care and the role of the OT within different practice contexts and acquired a solid foundation for enriched learning in academic and fieldwork courses that follow.

Level I fieldwork in occupational therapy is coming under close scrutiny by fieldwork sites and schools as accountability in health care becomes increasingly significant. The Wisconsin Council on Education (Wiscouncil) has been examining the problems encountered in implementing Level I fieldwork at both the technical and professional levels since fall 1982. A survey of 169 occupational therapy clinicians and educators was conducted in Wisconsin to address the following: objectives, assessment, scheduling, cost-effectiveness, and areas of responsibility. Results of this survey indicated that the concerns identified within the state may exist at a broader level. Two members of Wiscouncil expanded the project to look at Level I fieldwork issues nationwide. The nationwide survey results indicate a strong concern among clinicians about the cost-effectiveness of implementing Level I fieldwork. There appear to be different beliefs about the overall objectives of Level I among clinicians, occupational therapy educators, and occupational therapy assistant educators. The majority of clinicians felt that uniform objectives and a uniform evaluation for Level I fieldwork would help facilitate the experience for them.

Inclusion and belonging are fundamental human needs and key to the engagement and well-being of occupational therapy practitioners, scientists, educators, and learners. Despite this, the profession has struggled throughout its history to act on its values as focused on wide-ranging perspectives of occupational engagement in diverse cultural contexts. Issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) innervate contemporary discourse, but there is a real danger that these conversations remain at a superficial level and stop short of attempts at genuine disruption of the deeply rooted colonial systems that exist in the profession. In this column, we use Jacques Derrida's concept of hos[ti]pitality to problematize DEIJA initiatives by asking whether occupational therapy can be genuinely inclusive or if minoritized persons will always be "guests" who are expected to reciprocate their presence. We then extend this theoretical approach to inform practical ideas to disrupt hos[ti]pitality in education, practice, and research, promoting antiracist and inclusive educational settings and deconstructing barriers to more authentic inclusion of marginalized identities. Although occupational therapy cannot be fully and unconditionally hospitable, we suggest that generative disruption at both the micro and macro levels can lead to a sense of solidarity that benefits the profession and the people and communities we serve.

Date Presented 3/31/2017 The study examined current academic issues and trends in occupational therapy (OT) education from the direct perspective of OT faculty. The study highlighted many different avenues that might enhance the quality of OT education and possibly affect the current OT educational workforce. Primary Author and Speaker: Grace Fisher Additional Authors and Speakers: Wilfredo Dones, Naromie Petit-Frere, Katlyn Dillow, Trevor Behler

Playful learning has become a common practice in Denmark, across primary and secondary education, however, the phrase playful learning might sound like a paradox, because learning and play suggest opposite values. In playful learning, play is approached as a learning resource, able to foster understanding and critical thinking. In the Occupational Therapy (OT) education, there has been a rich exploration of different forms of digitally mediated role-play, to enable students to prepare beforehand to engage with patients, enacting clinical scenarios with each other. Current studies in OT education focus on the learning impact of digital media and role-play, not investigating how students experience their play, which is an essential pre-condition to learning. Starting from these premises, I conducted a design-oriented research study, involving students and teachers in OT in Denmark, to investigate how students experience their play during mediated role-play activities. Results show that playful learning is a complex sociomaterial practice, framed by power relationships embodied by the provided digital media, the relationships among the participants, and the institutional context. Within this framing, play is continually negotiated among the teachers and the students, who manage to gain room for self-expression through observable changes in play moods and practices.

BackgroundMultimodal large language models (LLMs) are increasingly adopted in occupational therapy (OT) education, offering new opportunities for learning and assessment. However, their ability to handle professional licensing examinations remains unexplored. This study aimed to provide educational insights for OT educators by analyzing how multimodal LLMs perform on the Japanese National Examination for Occupational Therapists (JNEOT), particularly focused on visually-based questions.MethodsThe complete 199-item 2025 JNEOT (consisting of 177 text-only questions and 22 visually-based questions) was presented to OpenAI o3, Gemini 2.5, GPT-4.5, and Claude 3.7 in a zero-shot manner. Official answer keys served as the reference standard. Overall correct response rates and subscores were calculated for text-only versus visually-based and general versus practical items. We examined differences using Cochran’s Q, and significant omnibus results were followed by Bonferroni-corrected McNemar tests.ResultsAll models achieved passing-level scores (82.4–91.0%) on text-based questions but showed a marked decline on visually based items (50.0-68.2%). No significant inter-model differences were found for visual tasks. Ten OT-specific questions were answered incorrectly by all models.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that LLMs can effectively reinforce foundational OT knowledge but remain limited in visual interpretation and contextual reasoning. For educators, the results offer practical guidance on using LLMs to enhance theoretical learning while maintaining OT educator-guided approaches for reflective and experiential competence development.Trial registrationNot applicable.