INTERNATIONAL MODULE ICC@HOME

Given the increasingly multicultural professional contexts in which our students will be working, preparing them more effectively for that challenge has become more important than ever. As students cannot all go abroad, we... [ view full abstract ]

Given the increasingly multicultural professional contexts in which our students will be working, preparing them more effectively for that challenge has become more important than ever. As students cannot all go abroad, we need classes allowing participants to acquire some relevant skills without actually leaving their home universities.

In the module ‘ICC@Home’, students and teachers from currently eight OT departments at universities in seven European countries work together.
Based on its main goals (e.g. creating possibilities for students to develop their intercultural skills and insights, their critical competences and their capability for life-long learning), the module is firmly founded on the principles of experiential, inquiry-based and cooperative learning.

Students work together in small, culturally mixed teams, using a study-guide for orientation, an e-learning platform and social media for communication and documentation of the learning progress. The outcome is an evidence-based paper, comparing OT approaches to specific client groups within the different professional and socio-cultural settings of their countries. Furthermore, they engage in an intercultural online discussion.

Students’ evaluations indicate that they benefit from the project in various ways. The project has proven to be a relatively simple yet effective way of intercultural learning at home, flexible enough to fit most curricula.

In this presentation we discuss our methods, experiences, and possibilities of extending or adapting the module. The topic for 2016 is “Refugees and Occupational deprivation”. A best practice will be displayed.