The Impact of a Psychosocial-Focused Experiential Learning Activity on Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceived Clinical Reasoning

Abstract

A primary objective of occupational therapy education is to facilitate development of clinical reasoning skills. These skills are complex and difficult to cultivate in classroom settings, therefore educators often use experiential learning activities to support clinical reasoning development. Most of the literature about experiential learning activities aimed at developing clinical reasoning focuses on activities occurring in-person, with individuals in physical disabilities settings. This research addresses the gap in the literature by evaluating the impact of a group based, psychosocial focused experiential learning activity that occurred virtually and in-person on entry-level occupational therapy students’ perceived clinical reasoning. Students (n=36) completed the Self-Assessment of Clinical Reasoning and Reflection (SACRR) before and after engaging in a six-week experiential learning activity. The mean total score for the SACRR increased after the learning activity (Z=-4.92, p=.00). Mean scores on 25 of 26 subtests increased and the change on 19 of the 26 items was statistically significant. Items about applying theory to practice increased the most, indicating that students’ perceived abilities increased related to applying theory. Additionally, the learning activity occurred on virtual platforms, demonstrating the potential role of virtual platforms in experiential learning for clinical reasoning development. Overall, this study found that an experiential learning activity designed to address psychosocial needs of groups, using in-person and virtual delivery, increased occupational therapy students’ perceived clinical reasoning. Results add to the literature about clinical reasoning development in students by providing evidence for the use of group based, psychosocial focused learning activities delivered virtually and in person.