How you will learn
Occupational Therapists of the 21st Century need to have a strong professional identity, as well as enhanced professional, interpersonal, leadership, and business skills. Our programme will support you in developing these skills so that they are in place for when you start your first post. You will take responsibility and ownership of your learning process, ensuring the continued development of the skills required for life-long learning. The profession also needs graduates with a vision for the future, who have the confidence to quickly adapt to the global, national and local context.
Experiential learning is key, it is carried out on practice placements, within the classroom, during group work and independent learning activities. By sharing practice placement experiences, case studies, simulated work experiences, and role-play scenarios, you will be able to practice professional skills, apply theory to practice and evidence-based practice, develop critical thinking, reflection and problem-solving skills. These learning strategies are crucial for the development of professional socialisation and to prepare you for the workplace.
We use learning technology to promote learning. You will develop an e-portfolio over the 3-year programme using systems such as PebblePad, which is compatible with the HCPC requirements for CPD after graduation.
Global perspectives of Occupational Therapy are embedded into the module content throughout the programme and you will develop your knowledge of population needs and priorities on an international level.
How you will be assessed
Assessments have been designed to provide a creative and balanced strategy across the programme. The aim is to assess not only academic level but to include authentic assessments that demonstrate the professional skills required for practice, for example, report writing, verbal presentations, group work, and community-based occupational therapy intervention. This provides a range of engaging and challenging opportunities, which test the programme learning outcomes and are relevant to the needs of the workplace.
Assessment of Practice Placements:
The four practice placements are credit-bearing modules. Each will assess your professional skills, understanding and different aspects of theory in practice. They use formative assessment via a halfway report and summative assessment using the final report element of the Common Assessment Tool (CAT document). The formal assessment of your practice placement is undertaken by the Practice Placement Educator (80% of module mark), though you are also required to self-assess your performance. Practice Educators will determine the grade awarded (with support from programme tutors).
You are required to develop your CPD portfolio during each practice placement, which is assessed via a discussion with a university tutor upon completion of your practice placement (20% of module mark). You must pass both elements to pass the module. Due to RCOT requirements, you are only allowed one resit opportunity of any practice placement module.
Formative Assessments
Formative assessments will be used where possible and are developmental to support learning and help you prepare for the summative assessment. This is an integral part of the assessment process and will provide feedback for you to build upon. In addition to tutor feedback, we encourage you to evaluate your work but also to give feedback to your student peers.
Examples of formative activities:
- A discussion with student peers to gain feedback on an essay plan
- A practice of a practical assessment or a presentation
- A group discussion on a project proposal
- Discussion with a tutor on an intervention plan
- Review of an element of your professional development portfolio.
Summative Assessments
Summative assessments enable you to demonstrate learning at the end of each module and must be passed to complete the programme. The summative assessments have been organised to provide a practicable workload across the two semesters of each year’s study. All written assessments are usually marked anonymously and feedback will be provided promptly, within a maximum of 20 days. This allows you time to consolidate your feedback, before beginning the next semester of modules.
Assessment approaches may include written work in the form of
- Essays
- Reports and portfolios
- Individual and group presentations
- Academic posters
- Discussions
- Practicals
- Digital media
This provides you with variety and the opportunity to use your varying strengths and abilities to achieve your potential.
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