Curriculum

Overview of the ASU OT Program Curriculum:

    The developmental model serves as the theoretical foundation for the ASU OT Program. This model is rooted in developmental psychology and learning theory. It promotes the cognitive and affective growth of the student at each level of the learning continuum and serves as the basis for the program’s curriculum design.

    Each semester is designed to introduce material from simple to complex through successive stages and is situated within the curriculum to serve as the foundation for future courses.

    Building upon the developmental theoretical foundation, recurring themes of person, environment, occupation and performance were derived from the Person, Environment, Occupational, and Performance (PEOP) Model.  

    The PEOP Model is a good fit at ASU because it works well with the developmental curriculum design. Because of the uniqueness of the University’s mission, this framework allows faculty and student learners to recognize and appreciate differences in individuals in the context in which they exist.

The four guiding threads of the curriculum are clinical reasoning, occupation, research, and professional behavors.

Statement on Interprofessional Education

    Healthcare providers are expected to work collaboratively with the common goal of building an optimal healthcare system.  Health professions education programs are expected prepare graduates for collaborative practice to ensure that consumers needs are maximally met.  It is incumbent upon Health professions education programs to ensure that its graduates are ready to take on this collaborative practice role.

    In 2010, the faculty members of the College of Health Sciences at Alabama State University began discussions about the value of implementing interprofessional education (IPE).  The goal of implementing IPE was to prepare students to work in collaborative environments and to appreciate the role that different providers play.  The College used the document titled Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2011) to help guide is planning.

    In the Fall of 2012, four professional programs within the College (OT, PT, P&O, RC) participated in shared course programming.  A total of 9 Occupational Therapy courses  (designated as HSC) were identified and set up to be interprofessional courses. The instructors for these courses are also interprofessional and breakout sessions are utilized as appropriate for each discipline. We believe this arrangement allows students firsthand experience in collaborative practice.

Curriculum