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5th Annual Academic Symposium
Was held on June 26, 2026
Virtual
| 2026 Academic Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Shaping Tomorrow’s OT/OTA Student: Artificial Intelligence Risks, Readiness, and Responsibility - $29 members/$49 nonmembers - 1.75 PDUs Tammy Richmond, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, FATA This keynote will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping occupational therapy education, clinical reasoning, student preparation, and real-world practice. A human-centered AI framework is significant to occupational therapy because it safeguards occupation as a lived, meaningful experience while integrating emerging technologies into care. Attendees will examine educators’ plus students’ AI-integrated curricula strategies that prepare future practitioners to lead within an increasingly technology-enabled healthcare environment. A human-centered framework will ensure AI strengthens – rather than diminishes – client-centered, occupational-based practice and equitable outcomes. - 6/2026 |
| Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Instruction Design in Assistive Technology Education - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Lauren Andelin, OTD, OTR/L (VA), BCP; Eileen Shelp, OTD, OTR/L (VA) This presentation will discuss the role of evidence-based learning theories and generative artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing instructional design and student outcomes in an entry-level OTD assistive technologies course. - 6/2026 |
| Teaching Smarter, Not Harder: Let Generative Artificial Intelligence Help You Create Meaningful OT Case Studies - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Suzanne Rappaport, OTD, OTR/L (NY) Case-based learning enhances occupational therapy education and artificial intelligence (AI) tools can create realistic, responsive case scenarios. This session will help faculty use AI to develop cases, explore ethical issues, and integrate AI into occupational therapy reaching and learning. - 6/2026 |
| Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Occupational Therapy Education: A Case Study - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Amber Bennett, OTD, OTR/L; Mike McNulty, OTD, OTR/L; Deborah Pitts, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH, CPRP, FAOTA As artificial intelligence (AI) tools rapidly enter higher education, occupational therapy educators face increasing pressure to integrate these technologies into teaching and learning. However, the assumption that AI should always be embraced warrants critical examination. This presentation will share a case example from an entry-level doctoral course, where faculty intentionally limited and selectively guided AI use. Presenters will describe the pedagogical rationale behind these decisions and situate their instructional choices within emerging scholarship on AI in education. - 6/2026 |
| Meaningful Connections in Hybrid Occupational Therapy Program - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Kelcey Storkensen, OTD, OTR/L In academia, it is important for educators to be creative, adaptable, and compassionate. We can provide meaningful academic connections with students, even in hybrid programs, to make a lasting impact on how they approach client care. - 6/2026 |
Cancellation/Refund Policy. $35 is retained to cover cancellation/refund processing costs. Written notice must be received in the OTAC office by June 19, 2026 to be eligible for refunds. No refunds after this date. Disclaimer: OTAC reserves the right to make changes to the program. No refunds will made based on these changes.
Past Academic Symposiums
2025 4th Annual Academic Symposium
| 2025 Academic Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Keynote: Unlocking Student Potential: Empowering the Next Generation of OT Practitioners in Today’s Classrooms and Clinics - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs Julie Loppacher, EdD This course will examine challenges facing occupational therapy students while providing practical solutions for educators. Participants will analyze barriers to student success, discover innovative teaching strategies, and develop implementation plans. By addressing educational obstacles and embracing evidence-based approaches, instructors will enhance their ability to cultivate competent OT practitioners prepared for today's healthcare environment. - 6/2025 |
| Theory and Application of Universal Design in eLearning - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.25 PDUs Claire Uke, MOT, OTR/L, ATP; Laura Moe, OTD, OTR/L The presenters will discuss cognitive load theory and principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). During the session, attendees will apply UDL and cognitive load theory to promote optimal access for student engagement. - 6/2025 |
| Play Identities: A Means for Student Learning - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.25 PDUs Diego Lopez, OTD, OTR/L In this presentation, attendees will explore how embracing college students’ play identities can promote meaningful, dynamic connections to course content. This will prepare occupational therapy practitioners for clinical practice and decision-making leveraging play-based approaches. - 6/2025 |
| Peer Feedback in the Classroom: Equipping Students for Success - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.25 PDUs Lawrence Stevenson, OTD, OTR/L; Liz Phelps, OTD, OTR/L; Julia Lisle, OTD, OTR/L Providing and receiving constructive feedback supports learning, but students often struggle with this skill. Integrating evidence-based, future-focused, objective feedback strategies and scaffolded opportunities to practice will promote success in and beyond the classroom. Attendees will learn how to equip students for success in this session. - 6/2025 |
2024 3rd Annual Academic Symposium
| 2024 Academic Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Keynote: Reasonable Modifications on Fieldwork: Legal and Practical Steps to Inclusion - $29 members/$49 nonmembers - 1.75 PDU Kathryn (Katie) Sorensen, OTD, OTR/L As our world changes and we move towards a more inclusive workforce, educators must navigate the crucial intersection of meeting students' legal rights and upholding our professional ethical obligations. This talk with provide practitioners with an understanding of how to properly apply technical standards to OT/OTA education programs, including fieldwork; learn the importance of the interactive process; and provide educators with the tools and knowledge needed to ensure they are not under or over-accommodating students. - 6/2024 |
| Supporting Student Psychosocial Well-Being During Level II Fieldwork - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Katherine Varughese, OTD, OTR/L (NV); Grace Perry, OTD, OTR/L This presentation will explore how the student-fieldwork educator relationship influences student psychosocial factors, as well as strategies educators and coordinators can use to promote student well-being and burnout prevention during fieldwork. - 6/2024 |
| Striking Balance: Considerations of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in OT Education - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Sabrina Gowette, OTD, OTR/L (NV); Amy Sadek, PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM Discover Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) rapidly evolving impact on higher education, with consideration for enhancing the student learning experience. Explore practical application, ethical considerations to guide responsible integration, and future implications on AI’s evolving role in OT education. - 6/2024 |
| Engagement Matters - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Robyn Wu, OTD, OTR/L; Diane Tom, OTD, OTR/L A presentation of the current literature and case examples will provide attendees with a framework for considering student engagement. In breakout groups, attendees will be guided to create individual action plans for their teaching practice. - 6/2024 |
| Weathering the Perfect Storm: Navigating Challenges in OT Education - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Min Ji Song, OTD, OTR/L; Samia Rafeedie, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, CBIS This presentation will delve into the complexities facing post-pandemic occupational therapy education, exploring challenges such as student disengagement and academic under-preparation. Strategies for adapting pedagogy to meet evolving student needs will be discussed. - 6/2024 |
2023 2nd Annual Academic Symposium
| 2023 Academic Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Applying Trauma-Informed Pedagogy to the College Classroom - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Candace Ro, MA, OTR/L This presentation is about how occupational therapy educators and administrators can use trauma-informed pedagogy to create inclusive classrooms and a safe place for learning, where students are co-facilitators of learning.- 6/2023 |
| Building Inclusive and Authentic Community in the Classroom - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Myka Persson, OTD, OTR/L This presentation will discuss how to increase inclusivity within the classroom with course design, storytelling, and vulnerability. Specific examples and overall outcomes from making intentional changes will be provided. - 6/2023 |
| Optimizing Student Engagement: Sensory Strategies in the Classroom - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs
Linsey Grunes, OTD, OTR/L; Ling Yu (Elena) Meng, OTD, OTR/L; Merry Lee, OTD, OTR/L Occupational therapy (OT) graduate students report higher than average levels of stress that impact their mental and physical health, occupational balance, and learning and engagement in the classroom. This presentation will provide an overview of a program that integrates sensory and regulation strategies into the classroom context to support OT student engagement and mental health. - 6/2023 |
| Questioning our Foundations: Decolonizing Practice and Education - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Tessa Milman, OTD, OTR/L; Jennifer Jones, OTD, OTR/L, BCP; Janet Gunter, OTD, OTR/L This presentation will describe an innovative pedagogical approach which introduced occupational therapy students to decolonization. Participants will have opportunities to identify instances of colonization in practice and education as well as approaches to decolonize. - 6/2023 |
| Reconsidering our Grading Practices: Assessing for Equity - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Tessa Milman, OTD, OTR/L; Samia Rafeedie, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, CBIS This presentation will describe how grading practices can be inequitable, and how and why to shift these practices towards equity. Participants will reflect on current practices with encouragement to consider more equitable grading practices. - 6/2023 |
| Using an Integrated Model to Understand Student Resistance - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Jeni Dulek, OTD, OTR/L; Michelle Gorenberg, OTD, OTR/L The presenters will discuss an integrated model of student resistance that can help educators prevent and minimize factors that contribute to resistance. Addressing resistance has been shown to improve student learning and faculty satisfaction with teaching. - 6/2023 |
2022 1st Annual Academic Symposium
| 2022 Academic Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| A Learner-Centered Approach to Teaching Adult Physical Rehabilitation - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Samia Rafeedie, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, CBIS; Allison Chu, OTD, OTR/L; Julie McLaughlin Gray, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Best practice in learner-centered education is incorporated into one physical rehabilitation course and will emphasize the student’s role in being responsible for their own learning, establishing a deeper understanding of content, and developing necessary skills for practice. - 6/2022 |
| Active Learning in Virtual and In-Person Settings - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Chiao-Ju Fang, PhD, OTR/L; Katrina Long, MS, OTR/L; Deborah Bolding, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA The session will introduce novice educators to active learning principles and explore strategies that both novice and experienced teachers and practitioners can use to promote active learning in small class, large class, and online settings. - 6/2022 |
| Centering Narratives in Foundational Science Courses - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Myka Winder, OTD, OTR/L Storytelling is a unique form of pedagogy that is not traditionally applied in foundational science courses. This presentation will detail the importance and application of storytelling to foundational science courses for occupational therapy. - 6/2022 |
| Flip the Switch! Enhancing Student Motivation and Engagement - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Melisa Kaye, EdD, OTR/L Energize your students and your teaching! The flipped classroom structure moves lecture out of the classroom to prerecorded video and uses classtime for active learning and interaction. The session will present theoretical and how-to information. - 6/2022 |
| Incorporating the New Occupational Therapy Practice Framework into Curriculum - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Learn what exciting changes have been made in the 4th edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework and how to incorporate these within your courses, learning activities, and curriculum. - 6/2022 |
| Meeting Students Where They Are: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Jessica De Brun, MOT, OTD, OTR/L; Erin McIntyre, MA, OTD, OTR/L This presentation will provide an overview of trauma-informed pedagogy as an essential method of teaching as we facilitate the development of resilient occupational therapy practitioners in the face of global adversity and trauma. - 6/2022 |
| Navigating Faculty Burnout in OT Higher Education - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs
Christy Billock, PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM This session will explore the complexities and contributing factors of faculty burnout in occupational therapy higher education. Grounded in the science and evidence about burnout, participants will gain practical occupational strategies for navigating risk factors to maximize health and well-being. - 6/2022 |
| Putting on our People Lens: Lived Experience as Pedagogy - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Erin McIntyre, MA, OTD, OTR/L; Sarah Bream, OTD, OTR/L; Celso Delgado, Jr., OTD, OTR/L, BCMH This presentation will describe the process and outcomes of an innovative pedagogical design that engaged mental-health consumers, experts by experience, to co-lead debriefs with occupational therapy students learning about mental health practice. Qualitative and quantitative outcomes indicated that this course design broadened students’ understanding of mental illness and recovery. Attendees will reflect on opportunities to include experts by experience as mentors or instructors in their own practice contexts. - 6/2022 |
| Tips and Tricks for Transitioning to Teaching - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Elena Meng, OTD, OTR/L; Jeni Dulek, OTD, OTR/L The presenters, an experienced academician and a new educator, aim to share strategies and resources for practitioners transitioning to a teaching role. They will speak to their personal experiences as well as their mentoring relationship. - 6/2022 |