The AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health Program for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is designed to support the practice of educators by increasing their ability to teach effectively.
To learn more about the scholarship of teaching and learning and how it fits with occupational therapy, visit these helpful web sites:
Established in 2007 as an initiative of the AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health, the Program for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) enhances occupational therapy education by encouraging the development of a body of knowledge to guide best practices in occupational therapy education. The AOTF Program for SoTL advances the broader AOTF missions in education – by developing faculty and disseminating knowledge to enhance practice of occupational therapy — and research — by building an interdisciplinary network of scientists doing applied research in education.
The AOTF Program for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is conducted under the auspices of the Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health.
In recent years, the program’s leadership has sponsored workshops with invited guest speakers to provide educational scholars a broader understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning, its history, its various forms of implementation, as well as guidance to develop SoTL projects. Guest speakers at SOTL events in recent years have included:
2007 ~ Amy Haddad, PhD, a Carnegie Academy of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) scholar, who continues to be involved with the Carnegie Foundation’s CASTL programs, expanding and broadening the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education.
2008 ~ Laurie Richlin, PhD, faculty member of the Faculty Learning Communities Institute, and a coordinator of the Faculty Learning Communities Conference. Dr. Richlin is Director of the Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching – West, and serves as Executive Editor of the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, a major publication of SoTL papers.
2009 ~ Jennifer Robinson, PhD, Director of the Campus Instructional Consulting Program at Indiana University. Dr. Robinson has shared her expertise on the scholarship of teaching and learning in articles, presentations, and workshops. Currently, she is President of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), which serves faculty members, staff, and students from a range of disciplines who care about teaching and learning as serious intellectual work. The goal of the Society is to foster inquiry and disseminate findings about what improves and articulates post-secondary learning and teaching.
AOTF and ISSOTL
The participation of ISSOTL’s President, Dr. Jennifer Robinson, in the AOTF Program for SoTL marked a new chapter in the program, as it helped to make available to participants valuable resources about SoTL and its applications to the field of occupational therapy, across allied disciplines, and in teaching and learning initiatives around the world. In January 2009, ISSOTL featured the AOTF Program for SoTL in its ISSOTL's Newsletter:
The International Commons.
Shortly thereafter, the AOTF Institute featured ISSOTL in its Cooperation Spotlight published in its e-newsletter,
Research Resources.
ISSOTL offers valuable resources on SoTL, including
this tutorial developed by Indiana University, Bloomington and Samuel Thompson.
Past SOTL Scholars and their institutions and projects have included:
2007
Salvador Bondoc, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, Quinnipiac University, Knowledge Retention of OT Students in Foundational Neuroscience Courses.
Debora Davidson, PhD, OTR/L, St. Louis University, Transformative Teaching: A problem-based learning Tutor.
Louise Dunn, ScD, OTR/L, University of Utah, Assessment o Reflective Thinking and Approaches to Learning in Entry Level Students
Lorrie A. George, PhD, OTR/L, University of Central Arkansas, The Impact of Service Learning Project Participation on Health Profession's Students
Wendy Krupnick, PhD, OTR/L, Sage College, Becoming an OT Reflections on Professional Growth and Identity
Teresa Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR, , University of Texas—Pan American, Perceived Stress in Entry-Level Master's Occupational Therapy Students
Katherine L. Preissner, MHS, OTR/L, University of Illinois, Chicago, Problem -based Learning and Fieldwork Preparation
Elizabeth M. Torcivia, PhD, OTR, Seton Hall University, Building Intervention Skill s in Pediatrics; An Analysis of a Pediatric Toy Kit Assignment
Linn Wakeford, MS, OTR/L, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Comparison of Case-Based and Authentic Learning in Developing Student Confidence
2008
Danila Joy Cepa, DHS, OTR/L, Governors State University, Using Electronic Discussion Boards to Prepare Students for Practice
Lorrie A. George, PhD, OTR/L, University of Central Arkansas, Service Learning in Assistive Technology
Kimberly Hartmann, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Quinnipiac University, Changes in Student Perceptions of Concepts Through Service Learning
Anne Birge James, PhD, OTR/L, Bay Path College, Using Participatory Action Research to Overcome Barriers to Understanding Research
Jennifer A. Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, University of Central Arkansas, Exploration of Approaches to Facilitate Mastery of Scientific Proposal Writing
Elizabeth LeQuieu, MS, OTR/L, University of Central Arkansas, Student Perceptions of Professional Behavior
Peggy M. Martin, PhD, OTR/L, University of Minnesota, Fostering Community Engagement Among Occupational Therapy Students
Doris R. Obler, MSW, OTR/L, Long Island University, Student Locus of Control and Level I Fieldwork Performance
Robyn Y. Otty, MEd. OTR/L, Touro University, Relationships Between Concept Mapping and the Development of Clinical Reasoning Skills
Ellen Berger Rainville, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Springfield College, Student Outcomes in an Online Post Professional Doctoral Program
Joyce Salls, OTD, OTR/L, Chatham University, Student Outcomes in an Online Post Professional Doctoral Program
Future Directions
The AOTF is keenly interested in promoting and facilitating, where possible, the development of regional consortia and clearinghouses to enable the sharing of instructional content and best practices in occupational therapy education. The Foundation is especially interested in initiatives that promote global cooperation among educational programs in English-speaking countries, using digital communication technologies.
For more information about the AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health Program for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Occupational Therapy, please contact:
Andrea Bilics, PhD, OTR/L
Director, AOTF Program for SoTL in Occupational Therapy
Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
Worcester State College, Worcester, MA