‘Seeing the bigger picture’: a post-graduate online learning community facilitates political competence for occupational therapists

ABSTRACT

Occupational therapists are increasingly required to work beyond traditional health-care settings in new and emerging community roles. This study explored the learning experiences of a cohort of international students studying an online post-graduate module aimed at facilitating political competence. The evaluation used an ethnographic approach and methods included online data from online communication tools: semi-structured interviews, and tutors’ reflective diaries. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results showed shifts in students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes in seeing the bigger picture; developing collaborative partnerships and navigating the politics of practice at the margins of personal, political and professional positions. Themes from learning which promoted changes were interacting with online resources, valuing and sharing experiences, a safe and supportive environment, integrated learning and assessment, critical self and peer review. Importantly the democratic approach of online learning was shown to align with the principles of political and critical occupational therapy practice. Online learning within an international community can extend opportunities for developing professional knowledge and behaviours in the politics of community-based practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Online learning
• community-based practice
• occupational therapy
• political competence
• post-graduate learning

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. A learning task for facilitating active learning in an online environment.

2. Blackboard Collaborate is a real-time, multi-functional virtual classroom or web conferencing environment.

3. PADLET is an online virtual ‘bulletin’ board, where students and teachers can collaborate, reflect, share links and pictures, in a secure location.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susan Walsh

Susan Walsh worked as a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University for 24 years. She was appointed to several roles including course leader for undergraduate and post-graduate courses. Her main teaching interest was mental health occupational therapy with a focus on gender issues. Her Masters research explored the therapeutic processes of womens’ groups in mental health. She has an interest in the political practice of occupational therapy and the promotion of occupational participation for marginalised groups in society.

Her research has focused on pedagogical approaches including work-based learning, action learning and online-learning. Her doctorate in Education used a post-structural approach to explore how personal experience of mental distress informs learning about mental health. She is also interested in using narrative and participatory research methodologies.

Her recent collaboration with Dr Nick Pollard in the Occupational Therapy in Wider Contexts module as part of the MSc Occupational Therapy course has allowed her to develop her interest in political practice of occupational therapy in an international context.

Nick Pollard

Nick Pollard is professional lead for occupational therapy, dietetics and vocational rehabilitation at Sheffield Hallam University Department of Allied Health Professions, where he has taught for 15 years. He has edited several key occupational therapy textbooks and written widely on the profession.