A Preliminary Historical Report on Embracing Online Education in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

The relevance and popularity of online occupational therapy education have been increasingly recognized. This paper describes the historical development of online occupational therapy education. Findings revealed three shifts in occupational therapy education, namely shifts in perception, in mode of instruction, and in the roles of teachers and students. The inception of online education in occupational therapy was a product of technological advancement and the demand for improved access to occupational therapy online education. The early phase of occupational therapy online education was confronted with challenges related to hesitance in the development and implementation of online programs and to negative perceptions about online education. The development and implementation of online occupational therapy programs were greatly shaped by factors such as technological tools, methods of teaching delivery, and the dynamics of teaching and learning processes. The potential of online occupational therapy education remains vast, but experts caution that quality should not be compromised. Comments The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

‘Learning in and out of lockdown’: A comparison of two groups of undergraduate occupational therapy students' engagement in online‐only and blended education approaches during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The outcomes are consistent with studies of nursing students during COVID‐19, in which the transition to remote learning prompted many students to enhance their resourcefulness and creativity by developing self‐direction and forming independent study groups (Leigh et al, 2020 ; Wallace et al, 2021 ). Research indicates that online platforms encourage students to take an active and self‐directed role in their learning by providing meaningful learning opportunities and controlling the direction and pace of learning (Belarmino & Bahle‐Lampe, 2019 ; Doyle & Jacobs, 2013 ). For example, where program content is delivered via video links students value the space of independent learning and the facility to review lessons at their own pace (Scagnoli et al, 2019 ).…”

Online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: the experiences and perceptions of undergraduate occupational therapy students at two Australian universities

“…First-year students may also lack the experiential resources in terms of real-life professional examples and clinical cases as points of reference that can be applied to what is being learned. This demonstrates the importance of online platforms that facilitate students to be active learners by providing meaningful learning opportunities, encouraging accountability for self-directed learning and controlling the pace of learning (Belarmino & Bahle-Lampe, 2019;. For example, the use of video lectures in online curricula is reported to encourage active learning with students valuing the space of independent learning and options to pause, stop, go and rewind video content at their own pace (Scagnoli et al, 2019).…”