Past Webinars

Conventional pedagogical approaches inadvertently perpetuate coloniality and dominant narratives (Freire, 1993[1970]; Hooks, 2003), and the field of occupational therapy is no exception. In this webinar session, we’ll delve into the transformative potential of the “Mountain of Knowledge” metaphor, a dynamic tool for fostering inclusivity, collaboration, amplifying marginalized voices within the classroom and empowering students to challenge dominant narratives within the profession. Underpinned by critical, anti-colonial and dialogic pedagogy (Freire, 1993[1970]; Freire & Shor,1987; Bakhtin, 1991), we will discuss how this metaphor promotes critical consciousness, cultural competence, and empathy among students (Kumagai &Lypson,2009, Lather, 1991), as well as learn practical strategies for its implementation in occupational therapy and occupational science education.

References:

Bakhtin, M. M. (1991). Dialogic imagination: Four essays by M. M. Bakhtin (C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Freire, P. (1993 [1970]) Pedagogy of the Oppressed (trans. M.B. Ramos; revised edn). New York: Continuum

Freire, P. and Shor, I. (1987) A Pedagogy for Liberation: Dialogues on Transforming Education. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey

Hooks, B. (2003). Teaching community: A pedagogy of hope. Routledge. Kumagai, A. K., & Lypson, M. L. (2009). Beyond cultural competence: critical consciousness, social justice, and multicultural education. Academic medicine, 84(6), 782-787.

Lather, P. (1991). Getting smart: Feminist research and pedagogy within/in the postmodern. Routledge.

Author Bio:

Eric Nkansah Opoku is a lecturer of Occupational Therapy within the Department of Occupational Therapy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Glasgow Caledonian University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy education with the University of Ghana, and his Master of Occupational Therapy education with Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His line of scholarship and research is directly related to health professional education and practice, Play occupations among children with disabilities and telerehabilitation of adults with neurological conditions. Eric also has research interest in cultural sensitivity and anti-coloniality in the context of occupational therapy education and practice. Eric teaches and supervises students’ research at masters and undergraduate levels.

Effectively teach diverse student groups is crucial in occupational therapy education and can be challenging from time to time. This lecture aims to introduce teaching strategies that enable different students to achieve the desired competences.

We will focus on two main areas. First we will have a look at „brain friendly“ methods that support students with varied learning strategies. The theory is based on neuoscience research.

In the second part we will have a closer look at students with different levels of prior knowledge. This part will be based on a Didactic Model for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (DIMILL).

As background and socialisation influence prior knowledge and learning strategies, we will also have a brief look at culture sensitivity in the teaching process.

By the end of the lecture, you will be able to apply proven teaching methods in a more targeted way and have new ideas for more inclusive teaching.

Material:

Frohn J. The Didactic Model for Inclusive Teaching and Learning. Frohn J (Ed.), 2022 Inclusive Teaching and Learning – Glossary. Berlin: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. https://pse.hu-berlin.de/en/research-studies/projects/fdqi-hu-en/project-results/fdqi-dimill-glossary/the-didactic-model-for-inclusive-teaching-and-learning-julia-frohn

Frohn J. Das Didaktische Modell für inklusives Lehren und Lernen. Frohn J (Ed.). 2017 FDQI-HU-Glossar. Berlin: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. http://www.hu-berlin.de/fdqi/glossar. https://pse.hu-berlin.de/de/forschung-und-lehre/projekte/fdqi-hu/projektergebnisse/Inklusionsglossar/das-didaktische-modell-fuer-inklusives-lehren-und-lernen

Owens MT, Tanner KD. Teaching as Brain Changing: Exploring Connections between Neuroscience and Innovative Teaching. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2017 Summer;16(2):fe2. doi: 10.1187/cbe.17-01-0005. PMID: 28450442; PMCID: PMC5459260:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5459260/pdf/fe2.pdf

Author Bio

Saskia Buschner is an experienced Occupational Therapist specialising in neurological and geriatric rehabilitation. Her expertise spans clinical and non-clinical settings. She has worked as an Occupational Therapy educator for over twenty years in various capacities. Additionally, she obtained a Master’s degree in Medical Education Studies from Humboldt University/Charité, Berlin. Her areas of expertise involve intercultural training, rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions and addressing emerging target groups. She possesses significant international professional exposure in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Gambia.

Even prior to the Covid-19-pandemic studies showed an increase in stress levels and mental health issues among Austrian university students. Therefore, the project “LISTEN! Living Interconnected Student Engagement” was created by Occupational Therapists and rolled out within the FH Campus Wien University of Applied Sciences. LISTEN!’s theoretical base lies within the Okanagan Charta for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges (2015), as well as the Conceptual Model of the Relationship of Social Networks & Social Support to Health (Glanz et al., 2008).

LISTEN!’s approach is highly interprofessional, participatory, and centred around the community of students and employees, and their mental health. The project’s three pillars are (1) peer-counselling among students, (2) social networking opportunities for students, and (3) workshops for employees to gain skills when dealing with vulnerable students. The construction of LISTEN! facilitates a transfer to other universities. LISTEN! is partly funded by Vienna Health Promotion (WiG).

References

Glanz, K., Rimer, B.K., Viswanath, K.V. (2008): Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, research, and practice, 4. Auflage, San Francisco. https://www.med.upenn.edu/hbhe4/part3-ch9-key-constructs-conceptual-model.shtml

Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges (2015). An outcome of the 2015 International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges / VII International Congress. Kelowna. British Columbia, Canada.

Unger, M., Binder, D., Dibiasi, A., Engleder, J., Schubert, N., Terzieva, B., Thaler B., Zaussinger, S., & Zucha, V. (2020). Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2019 – Kernbericht. Institut für Höhere Studien – Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Wien.

Author Bio

Petra Paukowitsch, BSc MA Occupational Therapist, Social Worker

Academic Staff at FH Campus Wien University of Applied Sciences, Austria

Department of Health Sciences / Occupational Therapy

petra.paukowitsch@fh-campuswien.ac.at

In this webinar, Silvia, Allison and Michelle aim to problematize, reflect and expand on ideas of deprivation and hope to:

• Spark critical reflections about representations of deprivation and occupational deprivation;
• Share insights from current research projects on differing dimensions of children’s play, as part of our doctoral studies on the P4Play program (https://www.p4play.eu/) problematizing dominant ideas about deprivation;
• Consider how we can connect these reflections on occupational deprivation within our practices as occupational therapists and educators and share resources.

We will create space for dialogue and invite participants to consider in advance how they understand the concepts of deprivation and occupational deprivation and how these relate to their current practices.