Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. The authors developed and administered a survey of occupational participation to OT students to gather data regarding what occupations students engage in. OT students (N = 106) around the United States responded to the survey through social media. Results demonstrate the preferences and variety of occupational participation. The knowledge gained through this study can be used by educators to build a bridge to the occupations that students are participating in. Primary Author and Speaker: Aaron Bonsall Additional Authors and Speakers: Justine Collado Gonzales, Jeanie Fairchild

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. A nationwide survey was developed to identify the responsibilities and contextual factors that affect workload of academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs) and shed light on the patterns of practice that lead to workload satisfaction and challenges. Data for this descriptive study were collected via a questionnaire from OT assistant (37), MOT (54), and OTD (37) programs. Trends in workload responsibilities, variability in institutional and program-level practices, and supports and challenges experienced by AFWCs will be discussed. Primary Author and Speaker: Kimberley Persons Additional Authors and Speakers: Elizabeth Dwyer DeIuliis, Elizabeth LeQuieu, Patricia A. Laverdure, Erin Dolin, and Elizabeth Dwyer DeIuliis

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. There is a paucity of research on student-run pro bono clinics, specifically those that offer OT services. This study has two main objectives: to gather general information about the number of current student-run OT pro bono clinics and to develop a understanding of the barriers and benefits of an OT student-run pro bono clinic from the perspective of OTD and MOT program directors from universities in the United States. Primary Author and Speaker: Jenna Blausey Contributing Authors: Kristin Valdes

Date Presented 04/12/21 This project describes the experiences of 37 OTD students who lived through the coronavirus pandemic and examines their reflections on how OT theories and models of practice informed their approaches to adapt to the changing context of their lives in order to continue to participate in their everyday occupations, including that of a graduate student. Content analysis was used to examine the perspectives of students' needs, supports, and mechanisms of adaption. Primary Author and Speaker: Laura Vanpuymbrouck Contributing Authors: Nicki Abuchon-Endsley

Occupational therapists are ethically bound to provide quality care to assist all people across the life course to engage in meaningful occupations. This sense of purpose, however, is challenged by institutional, systemic, and attitudinal barriers to equitable care for racial and ethnic minorities and other marginalized identities. Future practitioners must learn how to provide culturally appropriate care characterized by awareness, humility, and dexterity in client interactions. This guide offers information, strategies, and resources for enhancing learner knowledge, skills, and attitudes through intentional and effective curriculum design practices. It is intended to assist educators with integrating cultural awareness, humility, and dexterity into intended learning outcomes; course topics; formal, informal, and hidden curricula; teaching approaches; and instructional strategies.

The American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA’s) Vision 2025 conveys a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ( AOTA, 2019 ). AOTA affirms the inalienable right of every individual to feel welcomed, valued, a sense of belonging, and respected while accessing and participating in society, regardless of the internal or external factors that make every individual unique. This statement supports efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within all aspects of occupational therapy, including practice, education, and research, as well as policy development and advocacy.

Occupational therapy programs are charged with measuring student progress in nonclassroom experiential components ( American Occupational Therapy Association, 2012 ). Currently, the major nonclassroom educational experience is Level II fieldwork. Level II performance is assessed using the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation, which is inappropriate for measuring doctoral-level experiential component achievement. This study’s purpose was to determine test–retest reliability and sensitivity of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) for assessing skill development in nonclassroom occupational therapy experiences. GAS demonstrated high test–retest reliability for each of the five goals, and we found a significant amount of change on the GAS, with higher scores at the 12-wk than at the 6-wk assessment. Results indicate that the GAS is reliable and sensitive to changes in student performance on Level II fieldwork and may therefore warrant investigation as a valid tool to measure student performance in the entry-level doctoral experiential component.

The occupational therapy profession in the United States is considering another shift in the level of entry-to-practice education. Currently, all accredited U.S. occupational therapy education programs offer graduate-entry master’s degrees or clinical doctorates. In 2014, the American Occupational Therapy Association Board of Directors published a position statement supporting the idea of moving all entry-level occupational therapy education programs to the clinical doctorate level by 2025. This article provides an overview of the proposed reasons for doing so and the potential impact of this move on future students, education providers, clients and families, employers, and third-party payers and funding bodies along with the implications for the occupational therapy profession internationally. An open, informed, transparent, multiperspective, comprehensive debate about this education paradigm shift is recommended. In August 2015 the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education decided that the entry-level qualification will remain at both the master’s and the doctoral degree; it is anticipated, however, that the move toward the entry-level clinical doctorate will continue.

We compared the graduate outcomes of doctoral students in a traditional on-campus occupational therapy program with those in a hybrid program. Participants were 81 students from an on-campus program and 13 students from a hybrid program. Graduate outcomes were measured with student grade-point average (GPA) at the end of each academic year, cumulative GPA, Fieldwork Performance Exam, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) practice exam scores, and final NBCOT pass rate. Consistent with previous research, our results revealed no significant differences on most outcome variables, suggesting that hybrid programs are an effective delivery model for postsecondary higher education. These findings may provide guidance to occupational therapy programs in curriculum design, content delivery, and program refinement and development. Replication of this study is needed with a larger sample and inclusion of qualitative data. Future studies should compare the affective domain of graduate outcomes in on-campus and online or hybrid programs.

A multifaceted survey was conducted to identify the factors that academic occupational therapy (OT) programs were considering in making decisions as to whether the entry-level clinical doctorate (OTD) is a viable alternative for their institutions. The survey was sent in the summer of 2004 to program directors of all (150) occupational therapy programs in the United States. Responses were received from 111 programs (response rate of 74%). Quantitative (demographic) and qualitative (factor identification) data were compiled and analyzed. Supporting factors for the development of entry-level OTD programs included (a) coexistence of physical therapy doctorate program, (b) enhanced preparation of graduates, and (c) improved student recruitment. Impeding factors included (a) limited resources, (b) philosophical objections, and (c) lack of demand. In addition, results suggested that overall there is greater support for the OTD as a postprofessional degree. The study provided a historical record of current decision making in occupational therapy academic programs. In addition, the results of the study suggest a need for the development of national consensus regarding the place of the OTD in occupational therapy education.