Course Syllabus
Course Number: OTHA 1405
Course Name: Principles of Occupational Therapy
Revised: 8-2015
Hours: Face to Face – Fridays 8:30-12:15 and online tasks approximately 3 hours.
Semester Credit Hours: 4
Lecture Hours per week: 2
Lab Hours per week: 5
Contact Hours per Semester: 112
Co-Requisite: If not completed previously, BIOL 2401, ENGL 1301, BCIS 1305, PSYC 2301
Instructor: Joy Moreland, COTA
Instructor’s Office Location and Phone Number: HNS # 1106, 903-694-4022
E-mail Address: Canvas email
Catalog Description:
This course is an introduction to occupational therapy including the historical development and philosophy.
Emphasis is on the roles of the occupational therapy assistant. Topics include occupation in daily life;
education and functions; occupational therapy personnel; current health care environment; and moral, legal,
and ethical issues.
Purpose and Goals of the Course: Articulate the history and philosophy of occupational therapy; differentiate
frames of reference; contrast the education, roles and functions of occupational therapy personnel; describe
occupational performance areas, skills, and contexts; compare practice areas; explain the concepts of ethics in
occupational therapy practice; and demonstrate patient/practitioner interaction. (WECM 2012-2013)
Course’s Relationship to Curriculum:
In this hybrid course (51% face to face, 49% distance) students are introduced to the profession of occupational
therapy, its history, philosophical base and values. Students learn about the Program’s mission, the curriculum
(PEO) model and the OT Practice Framework and how they are interrelated. In an adult learning, team based
format, students work collaboratively to solve problems and develop solutions to case studies related to aspects of
the OT process, supervision, models of practice and theories and ethical practice. Students learn about
establishing therapeutic relationships and practice their skills via a service learning project involving elders in
assisted living facilities. Students also learn service documentation basics, including medical terminology and
abbreviations specific to the field of occupational therapy.
Assignments:
Assignments
Assignments
Individual Assessment - (50-75%)
 iRAT
(Individual Readiness Assessment Test)
 iUAE
(Individual Unit Application Exams)
 iUAE
(Individual Unit Application Activities)
o Discussion Postings
o Notebook
o Lab Projects
Weight
TBA
Team Assessment (20% - 50%)
 tRAT
(Team Readiness Assessment Test)
 tUAA
(Team Unit Application Activities)
Professional Development (10 - 25% )
 Peer Feedback (Midterm)
 Individual Professional Development
Grading Scale
% Score
90-100
80-89
75-79
60-74
Below 60
TBA
TBA
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Note 1: No scores will be rounded.
Note 2: All rules and regulations printed in the College catalog, The Pathfinder and the OTA Student Policy
Manual will be reinforced throughout this course.
Note 3: The OTA Program will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty as defined in The Pathfinder or
unethical behaviors as defined in the OTA Program’s Student Policy Manual. Any student participating in
academic dishonesty or unethical behaviors of any type will receive a zero (0) on the assignment or exam and
may be subject to further disciplinary action.
Student Responsibilities
1.
Students are expected to show respect for fellow classmates and instructors by being punctual for all
class periods.
2.
Students should complete all reading assignments and or lab assignments prior to class.
3.
Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions and experiences.
4.
It is the student’s responsibility to consistently monitor the class process through the use of the online
learning management system. Students are expected to print out course materials prior to the class
date listed which are indicated on the learning management system. Given this expectation, the
student should maintain access to a reliable computer system to remain in good standing in the
course.
5.
Students should notify the instructor in advance if unable to take a scheduled examination. If not,
unexcused absence will result and the student will receive a zero for the exam. A make up test will not
be given in this circumstance.
6.
Students are responsible for all materials missed due to absences.
7.
Grades or points allotted for daily work, quizzes, and labs cannot be made up in the case of an
absence.
8.
Students are expected to turn in completed assignments on time. The course instructor may extend
the deadline if notified of extenuating circumstances prior to the due date. Students can expect a 20
point deduction for every day it is late.
9.
Students are expected to accept constructive feedback and modify behavior as appropriate.
10. When interacting with peers, College staff and faculty, students are expected to be positive, sensitive,
considerate, polite and tolerant.
11. For specific conduct and behavior expectations, refer to the OTA Program Student Policy Manual.
Attendance:
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 2
Any student who does not come to class (all or in part) and does not call Mickie Cash, OTA department
secretary in advance will lose 5 points from his/her overall COURSE grade per occurrence. For example, if
you have a 93% average at the end of the semester and you failed to report one absence or arrived at class
late without reporting, your average will be adjusted to an 88% which would cause you to earn a “B” for the
course. If Mickie does not answer, please leave a message as a last resort. It’s simple common courtesy—
call if you are going to be late or absent. When a student arrives late or leaves early, for any reason, it is
considered a tardy. Three tardies equates to one absence. Because of the experiential nature of OTA
education, attendance is required to master the course objectives. If a student is absent for more than 11% of
the course hours, the instructor may withdraw the student from the course.
If any student in this class has special classroom or testing needs because of a physical, learning, or emotional
condition, please contact ADA Counselor in the Administration Building, telephone 903-693-1123 to make
arrangements for any required accommodations within the first seven days of the semester. Withdrawing from
a course is the student’s responsibility. If you do not withdraw yourself, you will receive an F on your transcript
for this course.
After studying the material presented in the texts, lecture, laboratory, Canvas assignments, and other
resources, the student should be able to complete all learning objectives listed below with a minimum
competency of 75%.
Learning Objectives:
1. Articulate an understanding of the importance of the history and philosophical base of the profession of
occupational therapy. B.2.1, B.3.4
2. Discuss how occupational therapy history and occupational therapy theory, and the sociopolitical
climate influence practice. B.3.4
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the OT Code of Ethics, Core Values and Attitudes and Standards of
Practice and use them as a guide for making ethical decisions in practice. B.9.1
4. Identify and describe key pieces of federal and state legislation and how they impact OT service
delivery. B.7.2
5. Recognize the functions and importance of organizations that support the profession of OT to include
credentialing, licensure, certification, registration and membership associations at the state and national
levels. B.7.3 B.9.2
6. Identify basic knowledge of the various health care reimbursement systems (federal, state, private
payer, etc.) for OT. B.7.4
7. Describe the contexts and continuums in which OT practitioners deliver care (medical, community,
social, all-inclusive and non-traditional). B.6.1
8. Perform a self-analysis of personal and professional behaviors necessary for success in the work
place. B.9.6
9. Demonstrate professional advocacy by participating in organizations, agencies and/or service learning
events that promote the profession. B.9.13
10. Define occupational therapy and the meaning and dynamics of occupation and activity as described in
the PEO model and in the OT Practice Framework. B.2.2
11. Articulate the importance of balancing areas of occupation with the achievement of health and
wellness. B.2.4
12. Describe the basic features of contemporary theories, models and frames of reference used in
occupational therapy. B.3.1, B.3.2
13. Identify the varied roles of the OTA as a practitioner, educator and research assistant. B.9.7
14. Identify the need for and nature of supervisory roles, responsibilities and collaborative professional
relationship between the OT and OTA. B.9.8
15. Identify the types of documentation used to record occupational therapy services. B.4.10
16. Categorize information into the proper SOAP note section. B.4.10
17. Interpret symbols and abbreviations commonly used in the documentation of OT services. B.4.10
18. Correctly define, classify and spell medical terminology related to OT service delivery and
and documentation. B.4.10
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 3
19. Effectively locate and understand information (including the quality of the source of information) to
support clinical decision making. B.8.2
20. Understand his or her unique personality traits and how they can be used to enhance the therapeutic
relationship with a client. B.5.7 precursor
21. Practice obtaining an occupational profile and the development of therapeutic use of self through
service learning activities. B.4.4; B.5.7
22. Articulate the role of the OTA and OT in the screening/evaluation process. B.4.5
23. Articulate the rationale for supervision and collaboration between the OTA and OTR in the OT process.
B.4.5
24. Implement group interventions based on principles of group development and group dynamics across
the lifespan. B.5.4
Methods of Evaluation
Learning Objective #
1-23
All pertain, but
specifically 13, 18, 20
9, 19, 21, 20, 22,
7, 20
Method of Measurement
1. To measure the student’s understanding of course content, the students
will earn at least an average score of 85% on Individual Assessments.
2. To measure student’s ability to integrate and apply course content as an
effective team member, the student will score at least an 80% on Team
Assessments.
3. To measure the student’s ability to implement aspects of the occupational
therapy process, the students will earn at least an average score of 85% on
the Individual Unit Application Activities.
4. In order to measure the student’s ability to perform a self -analysis related
to essential personal and professional work skills, the student will earn an
85% on Professional Development.
SCANS Workplace Competencies
Basic Skills
A. i, ii, iv, v
B. i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi
C. i, ii, iii, iv, v
Workplace Skills
A. i, iii, iv
B. i, ii, v, vi
C. i, ii, iii, iv
D. i, ii
E. i, ii, iii
Texts, Materials, and Supplies:
O’Brien, J. (2011). Introduction to occupational therapy. Fourth Edition. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.
Ehrlich, A. & Schrodeder, C. (2009). Medical terminology for health professionals. Sixth
Edition. Clifton Park, NY. Delmar Cengage Learning.
Lowry, D. (2004). Keys to personal success. Santa Ana, CA.: True Colors, Inc. Publishing.
Evaluation/Assignment Descriptions:
Individual Assessments
Individual assessments include Individual Readiness Assessment Tests (iRAT) which assess the student’s
understanding of the Pre-Class (Online Assignments) and Individual Unit Application Exams (iUAE) which
will assess student’s ability to apply learning. Test formats may include matching, short answer, true/false,
multiple choice and essay questions. The Individual Unit Application Activity (iUAA) includes several lab
projects, discussion postings, and Course Notebook development.
Team Assessments
On day one of class, you will be assigned to a team and will work with this team throughout the rest of the
semester. You and your team will work together to complete Team Readiness Assessment Tests (tRAT) and
Team Unit Application Activities (tUAA). Some activities will be graded and others will be used to expand
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 4
course discussion, application and integration, but will not receive points. However, active engagement and
meaningful participation during each team activity will be an aspect of overall scores provided in the
Professional Development criteria of the course.
Professional Development
At Midterm, you will be providing a Peer Evaluation for each of your team members (see form). At the end of
the semester, you will submit an individual Professional Develop Assessment (see form). Each form has
specific details related to scoring and comments so be sure to read through them thoroughly. You may want to
keep a journal with specific comments about experience to ease the completion of these forms.
In regard to the individual Professional Development Assessment at the end of the semester you will need to
review the descriptors and consider your performance in the “score” column. No decimal scores, please. Max
score on this aspect is 96. So, if you are meeting standards in all criteria, you will score 96 of 96 or 100%.
However, you may be exceeding standards in one or more criteria. When you rate yourself as exceeding a
standard you must also justify that score using detailed examples. Scores of “2” or lower, whether self rated or
instructor rated will require an explanation as well as an objective plan for improvement.
Here are a couple of examples of comments with measurable goals:
“Follows through with commitments and responsibilities.” - 2 Twice I have cancelled meetings with my
study group because I thought my husband would be home with the kids but he got called out to work both
times. In the future I will make sure that I organize a backup plan for child care. I did send a group member
the study guide that I worked on but I still feel like I let the group down.
“Reflects on outcomes and analyzes results.” - 2 When things go wrong I tend to either not talk about it or
gripe about it, usually blowing it out of proportion. What I should do is just talk to someone about how I could
have done or said something differently. The next time this happens I am going to talk it over with Jill. I can
talk to her and I trust her not to make assumptions about me. I need to get an outside perspective.
Your instructor will be providing individual feedback to support your professional development. The final score
will be based on instructor’s observations, student behaviors, and peer evaluations. Students are encouraged
to analyze their behavior in relation to these criteria from day one of the semester. Since professional
behaviors are expected across the board in your role as a student, examples may include SOTA, or any
course, lab or service learning experience in which you are participating. If, at any time, you feel as though
you are struggling in one or more professional development areas, make an appointment to visit with the
instructor.
Follow these directions closely. For submission of this assignment, go to the Forms link at the bottom of your
Canvas course front page. Save this document to your desktop and complete the ratings, providing written
justification in the comment section. Specific justifications must be included for any score of “4”. For scores of
“2” or lower, whether self rated or instructor rated, the student must provide comments that include your
assessment of the problem and at least one measureable goal to address the issue. Total your score at the
bottom. This is your raw score. Next, calculate your percentage score by dividing the raw score by 96.
Submit the document as an attachment within the Professional Development “assignment” in Canvas, where
you will find the due date. Name your document as follows: last name, first initial PDA.doc.
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 5
TBL Peer Feedback, Grading Criteria & Formula
Revised Jan. 2014
Part One, Quantitative Assessment of Teammates
Each team member receives 12 specific ratings from each person in their group
“usually” box checked:
“often” box checked:
“sometimes” box checked:
3 points
2 points
1 point
For each assessment, 36 points are possible (12 ratings x 3 points/rating = 36)
Grading: (mean points per evaluation / 36) x (0.6) = quantitative score (0 – 0.60)
Part Two, Qualitative Assessment of Teammates
Each team member provides anonymous written feedback to all members of their team, answering two
questions about each of their teammates.
The quality of feedback that you write is evaluated using these guidelines:
a) Are specific behaviors described? (vs. non-specific generalizations )
b) Are those behaviors described clearly, so I recognize what I’ve done to help my team, and what I can adjust
or change to improve my team’s performance?
c) Are content and tone constructive and helpful? (vs. petty, mean, antagonistic)
d) Is the feedback descriptive (“I feel our team would benefit if you gave us your opinion earlier in the
discussion.”) rather than evaluative? (“You treated us unfairly by keeping quiet during our discussions.”)
Each feedback you write is evaluated by faculty and assigned a value of 0-4 points, using these criteria:
4 points: very useful to receiver of feedback
3 points: fairly useful to receiver of feedback
2 points: marginally useful to receiver of feedback
1 point: feedback is written, but not useful at all to receiver
0 points: feedback not written
Grading: (mean points assigned per feedback / 4) x (0.4) = qual. score (0- 0.40)
Summary:
Your overall peer feedback score is composed of 2 components:
Quantitative score (0.00 – 0.60) + qualitative score (0.00 – 0.40) X 100 = _____
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 6
TEAM-BASED LEARNING
PEER FEEDBACK
Team:
Midterm □
Final □
Colleague you are evaluating:
__________
Your name (evaluator): ____________________________________________
Period of Evaluation:
PART ONE: QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT (CHECK ONLY ONE BOX FOR EACH OF THESE 12 ITEMS)
COOPERATIVE LEARNING SKILLS:
Arrives on time and remains with team during
activities
Demonstrates a good balance of active listening &
participation
Asks useful or probing questions
Shares information and personal understanding
SOMETIMES
OFTEN
USUALLY
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING:
Is well prepared for team activities
Shows appropriate depth of knowledge
Identifies limits of personal knowledge
Is clear when explaining things to others
SOMETIMES
OFTEN
USUALLY
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
Gives useful feedback to others
Accepts useful feedback from others
Is able to listen and understand what others are
saying
Shows respect for the opinions and feelings of others
SOMETIMES
OFTEN
USUALLY
PART TWO: QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT (FOR EACH ITEM, WRITE AT LEAST ONE SENTENCE, BUT
NOT MORE THAN THREE SENTENCES)
1) What is the single most valuable contribution this person makes to your team?
2) What is the single most important way this person could alter their behavior to more
effectively help your team?
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 7
Revised 1/14
Professional Development Assessment
Student Name:
Evaluator:
Date:
Part I-Scoring: For each professional behavior, review the descriptors and rate your performance in the
“score” column.
Part II - Narrative: You must narratively address any area in which you scored yourself a 2 or below PLUS the
16 specified number of criteria in each section. Each criteria addressed is worth 5 points for a total of 80
points. To earn all five points you must give tangible examples that demonstrate your assertions. For
example, you can’t just say, “I feel that I am very good at regulating my emotions”. You would need to give an
example of when you remained calm under a stressful situation and what strategy(ies) you used. Your PDA
grade is determined by the quality of your responses on the 16 (or more) criteria.
Scores of “2” or lower, whether self rated or instructor-rated will require an explanation as well as an objective
plan for improvement.
Here are a couple of examples of comments with objective plans.
“Follows through with commitments and responsibilities.” - 2 Twice I have cancelled meetings with my
study group because I thought my husband would be home with the kids but he got called out to work both
times. In the future I will make sure that I organize a backup plan for child care. I did send a group member
the study guide that I worked on but I still feel like I let the group down.
“Reflects on outcomes and analyzes results.” - 2 When things go wrong I tend to either not talk about it or
gripe about it, usually blowing it out of proportion. What I should do is just talk to someone about how I could
have done or said something differently. The next time this happens I am going to talk it over with Jill. I can
talk to her and I trust her not to make assumptions about me. I need to get an outside perspective.
Students are encouraged to analyze their behavior in relation to these criteria from day one of the semester.
Since professional behaviors are expected across the board in your role as a student, examples may include
SOTA, or any course, lab or service learning experience in which you are participating.
If, at any time, you feel as though you are struggling in one or more professional development areas, make an
appointment to visit with the instructor.
Part 3 – Submission: Each student will submit an electronic professional development self-assessment.
Paste the PDA form into a MS Word document. Save your document as follows: last name, first initial
PDA.doc (Lambert, C.PDA.docx). Submit the document as an attachment within the Professional Development
“assignment” in Canvas, where you will find the due date.
Rating Scale:
4 – exceeds standards – rare rating that must be clearly justified
3 – meets standards
2 – needs improvement, requires a written action plan upon submission (conference optional)
1 – unsatisfactory, below standard and requires a conference with an instructor and a written action plan
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 8
1. Work Ethic - including but not limited to: (comment on at least 3)
Score Criteria
a. Attendance and punctuality.
b. Hands in assignments and papers when due.
c. Follows through with other commitments and responsibilities.
d. Takes responsibility for keeping classroom and clinic area clean and organized.
e. Independently follows the OTA program dress code when engaging in educational
tasks.
f. Submits neat written assignments with correct grammar and spelling.
Comments:
2. Attitude and enthusiasm - including but not limited to:
(comment on “g” and at least 2 others)
Score Criteria
a. Uses body postures and gestures that convey attentiveness.
b. Expresses concerns or frustrations in a solution-focused manner.
c. Actively engages in classroom and virtual discussions.
d. Behaviors are consistent with the Program’s Code of Ethics
e. Displays behaviors which are positive, respectful, considerate, polite and tolerant
toward others.
f. Takes initiative by recognizing what needs to be done and responding appropriately.
g. Volunteers in service programs or organizations (list and briefly describe).
Comments:
3. Time Management - including but not limited to: (comment on at least one)
Score Criteria
a. Uses a planner, calendar (electronic or manual) or other method to effectively meet
program requirements
b. Prepares for class by completing reading assignments and bringing handouts and
other educational supplies.
Comments:
4. Emotional Intelligence - including but not limited to: (comment on at least 2)
Score Criteria
a. Invites connection with others through eye contact, affect and body postures.
b. Demonstrates good manners and social skills.
c. Recognizes personality traits of self and others and adapts to foster cooperation and
group cohesiveness.
d. Able to regulate emotions to foster positive outcomes.
e. Responds effectively to the emotions of other people.
Comments:
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 9
5. Communication – including but not limited to: (comment on at least 2)
Score Criteria
a. Shares perceptions and opinions with clarity and quality of content (includes word
choice, tone, etc.).
b. Interprets contextual clues to maintain and/or suspend conversation.
c. Effectively provides feedback using the sandwich method.
Comments:
6. Critical thinking - including but not limited to: (comment on at least 2)
Score Criteria
a. Asks open-ended, thoughtful questions.
b. Analyzes and generates possible solutions using a variety of resources.
c. Demonstrates the ability to identify or select activities which support occupation based
intervention concepts.
d. Reflects on outcomes and analyzes results.
Comments:
7. Mentorship - including but not limited to: (comment on at least 3)
Score Criteria
a. Able to recognize strengths and areas of growth.
b. Seeks guidance from those having more experience.
c. Responds appropriately to constructive feedback
d. Modifies performance in response to feedback.
e. Demonstrates awareness of boundaries related to student roles.
Comments:
Total Score:
Additional Comments
OTHA 1405 Principles of OT – Revised 8/15 (New Standards)
Page 10