Chat Rooms and Level II Fieldwork

Abstract

Integration of technology within the academic setting has brought about new opportunities for the classroom and clinical portions of the occupational therapy curriculum. Web-based instruction (WBI) is an innovative approach for delivering instruction to a remote audience. Level II fieldwork experiences thus provide a fertile ground to incorporate a Web-based instructional approach, particularly an Internet communication tool, such as chat rooms. Text-based distance communication through chat rooms enrich the learning opportunities and enhance communication between the sites, the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and the students, and among the students themselves. This article will describe such an experience utilized at the Medical College of Georgia.

KEYWORDS:

• Fieldwork
• web-based instruction
• education