Course Series:
This course series is designed for clinicians who are interested in entering higher education as a faculty member, and for those who have recently made this transition and are interested in increasing their knowledge about this exciting area of practice. Courses will take you on a journey through the history of higher education in the United States to the history of OT education and ACOTE (R) Modules will introduce learning and instructional design theory and finally discuss classroom techniques needed to become a best practice educator.
Module One: Introduction to Higher Education
This course is designed to increase understanding of higher education and the types of institutions within the higher education system in the United States. An introduction to the history of higher education will be provided. In addition, this course will discuss characteristics of various types of institutions seen throughout the American higher education system and characteristics of different types of entry-level occupational therapy programs in the United States. The course will conclude with a brief introduction into a variety of accountability and accreditation measures currently influencing occupational therapy and higher education.
Module Two: Professional Education and ACOTE®
This module will begin with a general overview of professional education. The need for and purpose of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Model Curriculum will be explored. Each component of the Model Curriculum (mission, vision, philosophy, ability-based outcomes, etc.) will be discussed and illustrated to increase understanding of curriculum development in occupational therapy education. Following a description of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards, the module will provide a discussion of how to successfully integrate and assess ACOTE standards in curriculum and course design.
Module Three: Learning Theories and Instructional Design for OT Education
This module covers several learning theories related to higher education in the United States. The learning theories discussed in this module include Constructivist Learning Theory, Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Self-Regulated Learning Theory, and Social Cognitive Learning Theory. An introduction to pedagogy and andragogy will be included in this module. These foundational topics will be expanded on during part two of this module to include developing and selecting instructional methods using learning theories in occupational therapy education. In addition, several key topics about instructional design will be discussed which will include a discussion of how to select instructional methods for student learning in a given educational practice.
Module Four: Assessment Strategies for Teaching and Learning
This module focuses on understanding various ways to assess the teaching strategies and student learning outcomes throughout a course. The module will begin with instruction on developing measureable learning objectives for course content and to address ACOTE standards. Following this instruction, methods to measure the achievement of student learning objectives and ACOTE standards, such as assignments, rubrics, and tests, will be discussed. Various strategies to assess teaching methods will also be introduced.
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