OTAC | STF | Building Clinical Reasoning and Professionalism Through Learning Communities in Occupational Therapy Education

Event Information

EDUCATION PASSPORT

Presenters: Roberta Lavery, OTD, OTR/L; Gabby Leibbrandt, OTR/L, CSRS

This presentation will explore how learning communities can be intentionally embedded across the occupational therapy curriculum, from first-semester ethics and professional identity identification to ultimately working through advanced clinical reasoning, to support the development of professional behaviors and level II fieldwork skills over time. Participants will examine strategies for using peer collaboration, case-based learning, reflection, feedback, and faculty facilitation to help students move from acquiring knowledge to applying that knowledge with increasing confidence and professional judgment. The presentation will also highlight practical approaches for developing students' communication, accountability, teamwork, self-awareness, cultural competence, and professional identity — including how the deliberate practice of giving and receiving feedback is used as a tool to build a growth mindset and resilience alongside clinical competence.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Describe how a longitudinal, small-group learning community model — spanning first-semester ethics and professional identity development through advanced case-based clinical reasoning — can be intentionally integrated into occupational therapy curricula, supported by structures like faculty facilitation, self-assessment, and student-authored group contracts.
2. Identify at least two strategies (e.g., structured feedback practices, ethical case reflection, or fieldwork-linked case work) for using learning communities to develop students' professional behaviors and ability to apply clinical reasoning to complex occupational therapy practice scenarios.

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