Occupational Therapy Program Philosophy and Belief About Learning:

Occupational therapy is unique in that it is the only health profession that uses meaningful occupational participation and performance to facilitate health and wellness. Occupational participation and engagement are also the desired outcome of therapeutic intervention whether we are serving an individual, group or population. Occupations are the activities that people participate in that allow them to function and engage in life. The breadth of occupations that are meaningful and relevant for people are as varied as human beings themselves and are impacted by their unique culture and context, be it personal, physical, social, environmental or other.

We believe that all human beings have the right to engage fully in the occupations they value and find personally meaningful. Many individuals encounter barriers that limit their ability to participate in meaningful activities. To effectively support others, occupational therapists must develop cultural responsiveness alongside clinical skills to address the needs and promote the health and well-being of those they serve.

Fundamental Beliefs about Humans and How They Learn:
The Kettering College OTD program faculty believe and value that students entering our program vary in their experiences, abilities, strengths, and needs. We believe human beings learn best when they are participating in education because it is a chosen and meaningful occupation for them. An ideal learning environment is one where students are challenged and can achieve success. We work to ensure our program is safe and supportive so student learning can flourish.

We believe, for students to learn and thereby successfully participate in the occupation of education, a dynamic interaction of the person, environment, and specific occupations must be considered. We have designed a curriculum and learning environment intended to promote building clinical skills, critical thinking skills, and gaining the ability for graduates to successfully engage with people from cultures similar to or different from their own. The curriculum builds student skills over time through introduction, development and reinforcement of information with opportunities for students to further enhance skills through hands-on practice, reflection, and assessment, supporting their synthesis.

Our threads of learning: occupation-based practice, evidence-based practice, social-cultural interactions, and faith-based service are the framework for creating the environment necessary to support the learning of our students to attain the desired outcomes for our program. In addition, our curriculum is intended to develop clinicians who are life-long learners so they can continue to be innovative practitioners throughout their careers.

CURRICULUM DESIGN:

The occupational therapy curriculum design is organized based on the human development model of disability, health, and well-being for a conceptual framework and the three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy as the categories of educational activities.
The human development model is used to guide the students in learning and understanding the impact of both personal factors and environmental factors on occupational performance during the life span of individuals. By recognizing that occupational performance and engagement are influenced by a variety of factors beyond the individual, we acknowledge that, even in the absence of disability or illness, and in the presence of wellness, not all individuals experience optimal occupational performance in their daily lives. This foundational framework allows students to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning while also applying cultural proficiency in a client-centered manner.

Additionally, the three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy (knowledge, skills, and attitude), also guide the curriculum. The curriculum supports the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development and shaping of intellectual skills, moving students from the memorization of facts to applying and engaging in critical thinking. The ability to critically examine information and create effective intervention is of utmost importance and opportunities to gain these skills are extensively incorporated into the curriculum. Personal attitude is important in all professions, and even more so in a clinical profession such as occupational therapy. Therefore, students’ awareness of their personal and professional strengths and having opportunities to enhance their skills is strongly emphasized from day one of the curriculum. This is accomplished through self-assessment and reflection, peer feedback, faculty feedback, and professional feedback from clinical educators.