OT6004 - Introduction to Occupation (with Practice Placement A)

You will learn through a range of student-centred approaches designed to support your transition to Masters-level study. Active learning through enquiry-based approaches, peer-led projects and critical thinking tasks will support you to develop the knowledge and skills that you will use throughout the course and your future career. Lectures and online lectures will introduce you to key module concepts, with practical and seminar sessions utilised to explore these further in interactive and experiential ways. Practical sessions will encourage you and your peers to engage in, and critically reflect on, everyday occupations and to observe the skills, actions, responses and behaviours of others when engaged in occupation. Audio-visual and online material will be used to support observations and discussions. You will also be able to access learning support including information, help and support on using the library, academic/study skills and IT systems here at Northumbria.

Practice Placement will also be an integral part of learning on this module where you will engage with an identified practice area and work alongside service users/carers and a qualified Occupational Therapist who will act as your practice educator to facilitate your learning, link theory to practice and support your development of Occupational Therapy skills. Tutorial sessions will also form part of your module learning, specifically to support you with the placement process. Tutorial sessions may be in the form of individual or small group tutorials, in university, online or in practice.

The identified module tutor, alongside the module teaching team, will structure a blend of face-to-face and on-line learning opportunities to support your learning within the module and to assist you to work towards the module assessment. The module handbook, the electronic reading list, and information communicated throughout the module within sessions and on the e-learning portal will all signpost you to resources to support your academic development.
A formative assessment opportunity with staff and/or peer feedback will assist you to evaluate your own progress within the module and identify areas for development. Assessment preparation with the module teaching team will also be an integral part of the module.

You will also have an identified practice educator (a qualified Occupational Therapist) who will facilitate and support your learning in practice. In addition, you will be supported to identify and access other professionals and disciplines available in the particular practice area. At key points before, during and after placement, academic staff will assist you to link placement learning to your module learning and to your wider professional development.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and discuss the theory of occupation
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. Interpret and communicate knowledge and terminology from base sciences to establish a cohesive understanding of occupation
3. Develop and apply assessment skills to evaluate effective engagement in occupation
4. Demonstrate the application of professional skills required for safe and effective practice by meeting identified practice competencies

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Critically reflect on and discuss how cultural, societal and political influences affect occupation, inclusion and participation across the lifespan

Formative assessment:
Students will have the opportunity for individual feedback on a short written piece of work in preparation for their summative assessment. (MLOs 1, 2, 5)

Ongoing formative assessment on practice placement where strengths and areas for development are identified. This will be supported through regular supervision meetings between the student and the practice educator and will be summarised during a mid-point contact with an academic tutor. (MLO 3, 4)

Summative assessment:
Part A: 3000 word written assignment on factors influencing engagement in occupation (MLO 1, 2, 5)

Part B: Practice Placement (All MLOs)

Students will be assessed on a pass/fail basis in line with specified BSc level 4 competencies You will receive written feedback from your practice educator regarding strengths and areas for development. Placement must be passed in order to pass the module.

Parts A and B will promote achievement of all MLO’s

None

None

From birth to the end of life, humans engage in a range of roles and occupations which give their life meaning. Through interactive and experiential teaching and learning approaches, you will develop an understanding of performance of, and engagement in, a range of occupations and develop knowledge of Occupational Science concepts to help you to understand the links to health and wellbeing.

This module will enable students to understand occupations and roles from different perspectives. This will assist students to develop foundational professional skills and attributes to help to prepare for practice placements and future employment – such as respecting equality and diversity and demonstrating a non-judgemental approach to promote inclusion and participation.

The summative assessment will require students to critically review and discuss the factors that influence individuals to engage in occupation.

The module will also include a period of practice placement to link theoretical knowledge to the practice of occupational therapy. Hours completed on this module contribute to the 1000 hours of supervised practice required to be eligible to register to practice on completion of the programme.