Overview
This unit introduces students to the fundamental importance of the environment and its influence on occupational participation. Students will build on foundational knowledge of occupational therapy ecological models in order to understand the role of the physical, social, cultural and temporal environment in occupational performance. Students will obtain knowledge of theories and evidence-based practice behind the provision of environmental modifications and the application of the occupational therapy process in assessing for, prescribing and evaluating environmental modifications. Practical learning opportunities reflecting contemporary occupational therapy practice will be built into this unit.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisites:- Students must have successfully completed all units of year 1 of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Hons) course.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2017
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Moodle, in-class feedback and survey following the splinting intensive
The splinting intensive and practical workshops were valued by the students.
The splinting intensive will remain in this course as a valued learning activity, supporting students to meet learning outcomes. Practical sessions on daily living aids and mobility devices will also continue in 2017.
The splinting intensive remained in the unit, as did the practical sessions on daily living aids and mobility equipment. These continued to receive positive student feedback in 2017.
- Describe the role of the environment in understanding occupational performance
- Apply professional reasoning skills in the selection of environmental modifications for a variety of client presentations across the lifespan
- Develop intervention plans for clients presenting with a range of conditions that may require environmental intervention strategies based on contemporary evidence from the literature
- Design and construct a non-commercially available assistive device for a client with specific requirements.
- Utilise web-based and other product information sources to ensure contemporary knowledge of the field of environmental modifications, rehabilitation appliances, daily living aids and assistive technology.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 25% | |||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 25% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 25% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Willard & Spackman's occupational therapy
twelfth edition (2014)
Authors: Boyt Schell, B.A., Gillen, G. & Scaffa, M.E.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Baltimore Baltimore , Maryland , United States of America
ISBN: 978-1-4511-1080-7
Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
It is expected that students will already own a copy of this required text from their first year of studies in Occupational Therapy.
Additional readings will be from evidence-based peer-reviewed literature, and Course Resources Online.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
desley.simpson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Understanding the Environment
Chapter
Reading One
Chapter 38. Ecological Models in Occupational Therapy. In Schell, B.A., Gillen, G., & Scaffa, M.E. (Eds.). (2014). Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, 12th Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
Reading Two
Marshall, A., Myers, C. & Pierce, D. (2017). Centennial topics - A century of therapeutic use of the physical environment. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, doi: 10.5014/ajot.2017.023960
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Reading One
e-book reading
Chapter 33. Orthotics for occupational outcomes. In Curtin, M., Molineux, M. & Supyk, J-A. (Eds). Occupational Therapy and Physical Dysfunction: Enabling Occupation (6th Edition). St Louis: Churchill Livingstone.
Reading Two
Chapter 63. A woodworker’s hand injury. Pp.946-961. In Schell, B.A., Gillen, G., & Scaffa, M.E. (Eds.). (2014). Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, 12th Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Reading Three
Robinson, L., Brown, T., & O'Brien, L. (2016). Embracing an occupational perspective: Occupation-based interventions in hand therapy practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63, 293-296. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630/12268
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Reading One
Chapter 29. Modifying Performance Contexts. pp.364-381. In Schell, B.A., Gillen, G., & Scaffa, M.E. (Eds.). (2014). Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, 12th Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Reading Two
Steel, E.J. & Layton, N.A. (2016). Assistive technology in Australia: Integrating theory and evidence into action. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63, 381-390. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.122293.
Reading Three
Events and Submissions/Topic
A range of commercially-available assistive technology will be available to explore at ROK campus and BDG campus during tutorial time. Students to complete tutorial worksheets throughout the session.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Reading One
Unsworth, C. (2012). Editorial. Community mobility promotes participation for people of all ages and abilities. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59, 1, doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2011.00994.x
Reading Two
Hoyle, M., Ryan, C. & Gustafsson, L. (2016). Exploring the meaning of community for older Australians. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63, 86-94. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12251
Reading Three
Di Stefano, M., Stuckey, R., & Lovell, R. (2012). Promotion of safe communty mobility: Challenges and opportunities for occupational therapy practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59, 98-102. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2011.0093.xEvents and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Access to the environment - focus on mobility aids
Chapter
Reading One
Karmarkar, A.M., Dicianno, B.E., Graham, J.E., Cooper, R., Kelleher, A. & Cooper, R.A. (2012). Factors associated with provision of wheelchairs in older adults. Assistive Technology, 24, 155-167. doi: 1080/10400435.2012.659795.
Reading Two
Koontz, A.M., Brindle, E.D., Kankipati, P., Feathers, D. & Cooper, R.A. (2010). Design features that affect the maneuverability of wheelchairs and scooters. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91, 759-764.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Anzac Day Public Holiday
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The home environment - occupational therapy home assessment for those with chronic disease, older adults with changing needs and persons with a functional impairment
Chapter
Reading One
CROChapter 8. Measuring the Person and the Home Environment. (pp.139-169). In Ainsworth, E., & De Jonge, D. (2011). An occupational therapist's guide to home modification practice. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
Reading Two
Sim, S., Barr, C.J., & George, S. (2015). Comparison of equipment prescriptions in the toilet/bathroom by occupational therapists using home visits and digital photos, for patients in rehabilitation. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62, 132-140. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12121
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Reading One
CRO
pp.174-179 of Chapter 9. Drawing the Built Environment. In Ainsworth, E., & De Jonge, D. (2011). An occupational therapist's guide to home modification practice. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
Reading Two
Aplin, T., de Jonge, D., & Gustafsson, L. (2013). Understanding the dimensions of home that impact on home modification decision-making. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 60, 101-109. doi:. 10.1111/144-1630.12022
Events and Submissions/Topic
A range of wheelchairs will be made available during the tutorial time at both ROK and BDG campus. Students to complete tutorial worksheets throughout the session.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Reading One
Chapter 64. Providing Occupational Therapy for Older Adults with Changing Needs. In Schell, B.A., Gillen, G., & Scaffa, M.E. (Eds). (2014). Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, 12th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Reading Two
Ekelman, B.A. Hooke, L.,Davis, A., Klan, J., Newburn, D., Detwiler, K. & Ricchino, N. (2014). Occupational therapy interventions for adults with rheumatoid arthritis: An appraisal of the evidence. Occupational Therapy in Health Care,28(4):347–361. doi: 10.3109/07380577.2014.919687
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Splinting practical and assessment
Chapter
Splinting practical and assessment
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation
This presentation assessment is a companion assessment to the practical assessment during the splinting intensive and develops your knowledge in exploring and understanding how assistive technology supports occupation. You are required to prepare and deliver a 15-minute in-class presentation to your peers. Students may be paired or grouped for this assessment by the course coordinator, depending on numbers of enrolments. In week one, you will be given a brief case study description which in the professional/clinical setting could be all the information you will receive in a referral to an occupational therapy outpatient setting. You will take that information and develop a presentation which will cover the following elements:
- A description of the person and the condition they present with (1 slide)
- Identify the model you have chosen to influence your OT process for this person and condition (1 slide)
- Identify the assessment/s you would use and explain why (1-2 slides)
- A narrative occupational profile (summarised in 1-2 paragraphs) (1 slide) – as this slide is an occupational profile, it is acceptable for it to contain more words than you would normally enclose on a powerpoint slide
- The goals you set for this client (1-2 slides)
- A description of the barriers in the environment that are presently limiting your client’s occupational performance & participation (resulting from their impairment/condition) (2-4 slides)
- Detail the interventions to the environment you would prescribe (consider design aspects, modifications to place/social/physical, assistive technology – including hard and soft technologies, low and high-tech). These must be appropriate for your client (3-5 slides)
- Share which hand splint you believe to be the most appropriate static splint for your client (1 slide)
- Detail why this static splint was chosen, the goals of splinting & the rationale for orthotic design (1-2 slides)
The number of slides nominated here are a guideline only to help you structure your presentation. It is important that you remain as close as possible to the 15-minute mark, and structure your presentation to fulfil that requirement. Presenting material in a concise way is a skill you will require when providing in-services in the clinical/professional setting.
You are not required to prepare an additional handout for this assessment. You are not required to supply your notes used in addition to the power-point presentation. Please supply a PDF handout version of your slides to the course coordinator by no later than 8am on the morning of the presentation assessment. That resource will then be made available to your classmates via Moodle, as the content in your presentation is a peer learning opportunity.
Week 6 Tuesday (18 Apr 2017) 8:00 am AEST
Week 6. Allocated times for student presentations will be posted in Moodle before Break Week. All students are required to attend the entire presentation session/s.
Week 8 Friday (5 May 2017)
The complete assessment rubric will be made available to you in the PDF Course Profile document at the commencement of term.
The assessment criteria and standards that will guide this assessment task are as follows:
-
Presentation Content, Structure and Organisation
-
Presentation Style
-
Use of Technology and Materials
- Describe the role of the environment in understanding occupational performance
- Apply professional reasoning skills in the selection of environmental modifications for a variety of client presentations across the lifespan
- Develop intervention plans for clients presenting with a range of conditions that may require environmental intervention strategies based on contemporary evidence from the literature
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
This assessment requires you to bring together the concepts you have learned throughout term and present a written assessment to demonstrate your understanding of the range of environmental interventions that occupational therapists would provide to a client living with chronic disease and age-related functional decline. In week one, you will be presented with a detailed written case study of an older client. This case study will also be discussed in class during week one. You will compile a written assessment not less than 2,200 words and not more than 2,500 words, responding to the section questions below. This word count does not include figures, tables and appendices that you may choose to include in your assessment. The lectures and tutorials throughout term will support your ability to undertake and complete this written assessment.
You written assessment will be guided by the following questions. It is acceptable for you to use section headings to structure your written assessment. The guiding questions are as follows:
1) Summarise the impacts on body functions/structure, activity and participation that occur in an older client with this chronic disease presentation and age-related functional decline
2) Nominate the occupation-focused assessments and client factor assessments (e.g. range of motion, manual muscle testing) that are suitable for this particular functional presentation?
3) Consider the functional presentation and the client/family aims as presented in the case study, as well as what you would expect to learn from the assessments, and identify up to three SMART goals for this client. These will inform your interventions.
4) What assistive technology and education/training would you prescribe to optimise this client's ongoing occupational participation and engagement and provide your reasoning for this.
5) Nominate the environmental modifications you believe are appropriate based on this client's aims and functional presentation. Provide your reasoning.
6) Compile basic technical drawings of any home modifications for this client. These are the technical drawings that you would submit to the builders in order for this client's home to be modified.
Review/Exam Week Friday (9 June 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (16 June 2017)
A summary of the assessment criteria is as follows, with full rubrics available to you in week 1 of term:
- evidence of research into the diagnosis and analysis of impact of condition on body functions and structures, occupational performance and occupational participation
- understanding of appropriate assessments and outcome measures and ability to articulate their applicability to this diagnostic presentation
- understanding of the physical/social/cultural barriers in a client's environment and development of client-centred goals to manage those to enhance occupational performance and participation
- selection of assistive equipment/adaptive devices and education/information on appropriate techniques based on available evidence and client-centred goals
- selection of environmental modifications to the home based on available evidence and client-centred goals. Technical drawing skills adequately convey the goals of the OT intervention
- written communication skills
- Apply professional reasoning skills in the selection of environmental modifications for a variety of client presentations across the lifespan
- Design and construct a non-commercially available assistive device for a client with specific requirements.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical practice
3 Practical Assessment
This assessment requires you to design and construct a static thermoplastic splint which will be allocated to you in a random allocation. Throughout the splinting intensive in week 12, you will have substantial opportunity to work with a variety of thermoplastic materials and fabricate a number of common splints (e.g. thumb spica, resting pan, wrist cock-up) prior to fabricating your assessment piece. You will already have some knowledge of suitable splints from the lecture content and your presentation assessment in week 6 and then again in week 11. Prior to undertaking your design and construction, our visiting splinting specialist will be providing you with additional theory on the properties and applications of various thermoplastic materials, strapping materials and the accessories used in splinting. You will be marked on your splint on the second day of your intensive.
This splinting intensive will be conducted across week 12 on Bundaberg campus Monday and Tuesday (a.m.) then Rockhampton campus Wednesday and Thursday (a.m.)
Review/Exam Week Friday (9 June 2017)
The marking rubric will be made available to you in week 1 of term and discussed during class in week 1.
A summary of the assessment criteria is as follows:
- demonstration of professional reasoning
- management of materials
- technical design of splint
- construction and fabrication skills
- reflection skills
- Describe the role of the environment in understanding occupational performance
- Apply professional reasoning skills in the selection of environmental modifications for a variety of client presentations across the lifespan
- Develop intervention plans for clients presenting with a range of conditions that may require environmental intervention strategies based on contemporary evidence from the literature
- Design and construct a non-commercially available assistive device for a client with specific requirements.
- Utilise web-based and other product information sources to ensure contemporary knowledge of the field of environmental modifications, rehabilitation appliances, daily living aids and assistive technology.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
