OCCUPATION, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE – INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM DESIGN AND LEARNING

Understanding occupation in the broadest sense is an integral component of the Occupational Therapy curriculum (WFOT, 2002). Given the importance of exploring the relationship between culture and occupation as part of this... [ view full abstract ]

Understanding occupation in the broadest sense is an integral component of the Occupational Therapy curriculum (WFOT, 2002). Given the importance of exploring the relationship between culture and occupation as part of this curriculum, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Metropolia) and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) recently collaborated on a joint project to introduce students to cultural diversity and occupation using class based activities and international communication strategies.
Teaching staff from GCU and Metropolia designed the activities to meet learning outcomes specific to their individual programmes, but maintained a shared focus on communication skills, collaboration and cultural diversity in relation to occupations.
First year undergraduate students were engaged with activities that facilitated their understanding of how apparently ‘similar’ occupations could be experienced and performed differently, depending on the cultural context of the individuals involved. Further to exploring this with peers from their own country, digital communication strategies were used to bring students from Scotland and Finland together to share their experiences through discussion and informal interviewing. Working in small collaboration groups, GCU and Metropolia students learned about how their own perceptions and engagement with an occupation compared with that of their peers in the partner country.
On completion of the activities, students were able to articulate their understanding of how culture could influence perceptions and engagement with occupations. Furthermore, the students involvement with this collaborative activity allowed them to learn about, and manage, communication challenges and strategies in an innovative way that was contextualized to their development as student therapists.