Personal Development of Occupational Therapy Bachelor Students

For many years the holistic development of vocational competence of future occupational therapists has been a main focus of the Bachelor’s degree program Occupational Therapy at the University of Applied Sciences “FH... [ view full abstract ]

For many years the holistic development of vocational competence of future occupational therapists has been a main focus of the Bachelor’s degree program Occupational Therapy at the University of Applied Sciences “FH Campus Wien”.
The latest curriculum change in 2013 includes an innovative concept for personality development, which covers all six semesters of the training.
The personal development modules 1, 2 and 3 consist of lectures and seminars on the topics of skills development, ethics, client-centeredness, communication and supervision. The aim of these courses is, in addition to the acquisition of knowledge, the continuous reflection of skills development and the documentation of this process.
Each of the three personality development modules (1 basic, 2 advanced, 3 extension) includes customized thematic blocks with rising levels of competence.
The courses for skills development are carried out in different settings. On the one hand, information is presented in keynote speeches, which are reviewed using different methodologies. To support personal reflection, various tools are applied, in particular the competency wheel. Discussions with the accompanying teachers or peers provide additional settings for reflection.
The student-centered e-portfolio software Mahara is used to support the documentation of the development process. Students have access to structured manuals and documents and can present their learning steps on personal, electronic pages. The most important knowledge gained in feedback meetings are reflected upon in blogs. Accompanying teachers give feedback to the reflections.
Feedback and evaluation loops allow for continual improvement and further development of the modules.