Pilot Study: Thinking Outside the Square in Cultivating "Soft Skills"-Going beyond the Standard Optometric Curriculum.

Abstract

No research in optometric education that uses Moore's concept of creativity and object-based learning to cultivate "soft skills" exists. The design and outcomes of this study will contribute to the body of optometric education, and future research will assess the applicability of these findings to other allied health disciplines. Optometrists, like all health care professionals, need to be proficient in soft skills such as effective communication and interpersonal skills. Rather than assuming these soft skills can be developed "on the job," we implemented a teaching intervention for students to develop their communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills. Students from optometry, arts management, and animation attended an autobiographical museum in interdisciplinary groups and examined an artifact relating to aspects of professionalism mentioned previously. We evaluated whether and how students experienced this activity as enhancing their creativity and other soft skills via survey results and thematic analysis of their reflective essays. Our findings showed that this group work has augmented their professional development, with approximately 90% of the students reporting that it had helped in critical self-reflection and future improvement of communication and interpersonal skills. Eighty percent of the students stated that this group work was beneficial and enjoyable and recommended object-based and interdisciplinary learning to be embedded in future group work. Themes generated from the essays were the following: (a) perceptions of object-based learning in a museum and (b) insights into group work experiences. This is the first pilot study that investigates group work across optometry and nonclinical disciplines in a post-graduate curriculum using museum objects. Our findings, based on students' perceptions, imply that students emerged from the program with the intent to transfer their learning to their future practice. We propose that this purposefully designed-based and creative group work may support the development of professional attributes essential for optometric students.