Outline

Overview

Knowing how to locate, understand and use evidence in occupational therapy (OT) practice is an essential skill for all OTs. It is also essential for OTs to take their place as responsible members of local, national, international and professional communities of practice. In this unit of study, students will learn how to search for, appraise and summarise research evidence relevant to occupational therapy practice. Students will have the opportunity to explore diverse areas of OT practice by critically examining the research and considering the application of that research in practice.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	OCCP5207
Academic unit	Participation Sciences
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	OCCP5237
Assumed knowledge ?	Research Methods
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Anne Cusick, anne.cusick@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Take-home extended release)	Take home exam - 30% Take home exam - 24 hour release	30%	Formal exam period	24 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Clinical case study Part 1 - 25% Clinical case study using short answers in question template	25%	Week 05 Due date: 01 Apr 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 01 Apr 2021	2000 words short answers in template
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Clinical Case Study Part 2 - 15% Skills-base assessment being a 15-minute journal club presentation	15%	Week 08 Due date: 30 Apr 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 30 Apr 2021	15 Minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Clinical Case Study Part 3 - 30% 2000 words short answer in clinical case questions template	30%	Week 13 Due date: 04 Jun 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 04 Jun 2021	2000 words of short answers in template
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation - 0% - pass/fail Participation in minimum 10 tutorials by mode indicated in weekly schedule	0%	Weekly Due date: 05 Mar 2021 at 17:00 Closing date: 04 Jun 2021	2 hours per week in tutorial
Outcomes assessed:
= Type E final exam ?

Assessment summary

Attendance: Attend a minimum of 10 tutorials by mode indicated in weekly schedule. Pass/Fail
Clinical case study in three parts: Part One responses in proforma; Part Two skills based assessment in the form of a simulated journal club presentation; Part Three responses in proforma.
Final Exam: Take home exam using short answer questions.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Usual university policies apply

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to evidence based practice (EBP) in ocupational therapy. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL ONE	Online class (1 hr)
Week 01	Orientation to unit process, weekly topics and assessments. Building your EBP skill portfolio. INDEPENDENT LEARNING TUTORIAL - NO SCHEDULED ONLINE CLASS - DO THIS TOPIC MODULE AND SUBMIT LEARNING ACTIVITY BY THE END OF WEEK 2 TO HAVE YOUR 'ATTENDANCE' RECORDED	Online class (2 hr)
Week 02	International health classifications and how they help OTs name, frame and understand problems needing OT. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL TWO	Online class (1 hr)
Week 02	EBP skill 1. Audit your baseline knowledge and skill. EBP skill 2. Access and use interprofessional health classifications in OT evidence-based practice. INDEPENDENT LEARNING TUTORIAL - NO SCHEDULED ONLINE CLASS - DO THIS TOPIC MODULE AND SUBMIT LEARNING ACTIVITY BY THE END OF WEEK 3 TO HAVE YOUR 'ATTENDANCE' RECORDED	Online class (2 hr)
Week 03	The EBP process - five steps to better clinical decisions. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL THREE	Online class (1 hr)
Week 03	EBP skill 3. How to ask EBP questions - practice issues and answerable questions. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL - ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Accessing relevant, high quality evidence to answer practice questions. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL FOUR	Online class (1 hr)
Week 04	EBP skill 4: Selecting search terms. EBP skill 5: Choosing and using search engines and data bases. EBP skill 6: Retrieving and storing relevant sources. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Appraising the quality of evidence - heirachies of research evidence; introduction to critical appraisal. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE TUTORIAL FIVE	Online class (1 hr)
Week 05	EBP skill 7: Accessing the right kind of critical appraisal tools. EBP skill 8: Critical appraisal of expert opinion evidence SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Evidence about prevalence - critical appraisal of cross sectional studies. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE TUTORIAL SIX	Online class (1 hr)
Week 06	EBP skill 9: Critical appraisal of evidence from case control and observational cohort studies. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Evidence about diagnosis - critical appraisal of instrumentation studies. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL SEVEN.	Online class (1 hr)
Week 07	EBP skill 10: Critical appraisal of evidence about assessments. INDEPENDENT LEARNING TUTORIAL - NO SCHEDULED ONLINE CLASS - DO THIS TOPIC MODULE AND SUBMIT LEARNING ACTIVITY BY THE END OF WEEK 8 TO HAVE YOUR 'ATTENDANCE' RECORDED	Online class (2 hr)
Week 08	Evidence about effects of treatments/ interventions - SCEDs. EBP skill 11 - critical appraisal of SCEDS. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE TUTORIAL EIGHT	Online class (1 hr)
Week 08	Effects about effects of treatments/interventions - RCTs. EBP skill 12 - critical appraisal of RCTs. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Evidence about treatment/ interventions effects - critical appraisal of systematic reviews. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE TUTORIAL NINE	Online class (1 hr)
Week 09	EBP skill 13: Critical appraisal of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Evidence about a topic, field, problem or practice - scoping reviews. EBP skill 14: Critical appraisal of scoping reviews. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE DOING TUTORIAL 10	Online class (1 hr)
Week 10	Evidence about the meaning of experience -qualitative research designs. EBP skill 15: Critical appraisal of qualitative studies. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Applying evidence in practice - locating and using clinical practice guidelines. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW BEFORE TUTORIAL 11	Online class (1 hr)
Week 11	EBP skill 16: critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines. SCHEDULED ONLINE TUTORIAL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Applying evidence in practice - knowledge translation in clinical reasoning and goal-directed, person-centered care. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE -VIEW SOMETIME WEEK 12	Online class (1 hr)
Week 12	Review of EBP process skill portfolio - ask, access, appraise, apply, audit. INDEPENDENT LEARNING TUTORIAL - NO SCHEDULED ONLINE CLASS - DO THIS TOPIC MODULE LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND SUBMIT BY END OF WEEK 13 TO HAVE YOUR 'ATTENDANCE' RECORDED	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	The value and relevance of EBP knowledge and skills, as a foundation for professional OT practice. ONLINE LECTURE MODULE - VIEW SOMETIME WEEK 13	Online class (1 hr)
Week 13	Applying evidence in practice - the 5 A's and the OT process. INDEPENDENT LEARNING TUTORIAL - NO SCHEDULED ONLINE CLASS - DO THIS TOPIC MODULE LEARNING ACTIVITIES TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR THE END OF SEMESTER EXAM	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: To meet minimum requirements students must complete all components of the course. Attendance at 10 of the 13 classes using the mode specified in the weekly topic guide is requied.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Atchison, B. & Diane Dirette, D. (2017). Conditions in Occupational Therapy: Effect on Occupational Performance 5th Edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health (Various chapters depending on the clinical case)

Brown, T. & Bourke-Taylor, H. (2017). Assessment in occupational therapy. Chapter 22 in Brown et al., (Eds). Occupational therapy in Australia: professional and practice issues. Melbourne: Allen & Unwin, pp.296-310. [note – the second edition is due for release in April 2021. The updated Assessment Chapter is Number 25. Either the first or second editions are suitable readings for this unit].

Cordier, R. & Wilkes-Gillan, s. (2017). Evidence-based practice in occupational therapy. Chapter 12 in Brown et al., (Eds). Occupational therapy in Australia: professional and practice issues. Melbourne: Allen & Unwin, pp.140-155. [note – the second edition is due for release in April 2021. The updated EBP Chapter is Number 15. Either the first or second editions are suitable readings for this unit].

Cusick, A. & McCluskey, A. (2001). Becoming an evidence-based practitioner through professional development. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 47(4) 159-170. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1630.2000.00241.x

Cusick, A. & Ottenbacher, K. (1990). Clinical evaluation and research in occupational therapy: single system designs. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 37 (1) 31-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.1990.tb01227.x

Hoffmann., T., Bennett, S. & Del Mar, S. (2017). Evidence-based practice across the health professions (3rd Ed.). Sydney: Elsevier. [This is the Unit Textbook]

Joanna Briggs Institute (2021). JBI EBP Resources, [website] https://jbi.global/ebp

Lane, JD., Ledford, JR. & Gast, DL. (2017). Single-Case Experimental Design: Current Standards and Applications in Occupational Therapy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(2)7102300010. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2017.022210

McKinstry,C., Brown, T. & Gustafsson, L. (2014). Scoping reviews in occupational therapy: the what , why and how to. Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1: 58-66. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12080

OT Australia (2019). Evidence-based practice position statement. OT Australia. Available at: https://otaus.com.au/publicassets/90977488-f433-e911-a2c2-b75c2fd918c5/ebppositionstatsement.pdf

Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine (2021). Resources: EBM guides and practice how tos for researchers, clinicians, students and teachers, OCEBM. [website] https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/resources

Taylor, R. (2017). Critically appraising and classifying published and presented research. Chapter 5 in Kielhofner’s research in occupational therapy: methods of inquiry for enhancing practice. Editor R.R. Taylor, Philadelphia: FA David Company. pp.47-58

Taylor, R. (2017). Occupational therapy as an evidence-based practice profession. Chapter 1 in Kielhofner’s research in occupational therapy: methods of inquiry for enhancing practice. Editor R.R. Taylor, Philadelphia: FA David Company. pp.1-10

In addition there will be a prescribed reading for each tutorial activity to enable students to practice applying an EBP skill to a piece of evidence (an article).

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Define and explain the process of evidence-based (occupational therapy) practice
LO2. Formulate clear clinical questions based on problems commonly encountered in occupational therapy practice
LO3. Search the literature for relevant evidence using electronic search strategies, keywords, relevant databases, journals, web, and print-based materials
LO4. Use bibliographic referencing software to manage information collected so that evidence is accessible, manageable, and useful to support current and future practice decisions
LO5. Describe the importance of acknowledging and referencing sources of information in written documents, and use relevant referencing conventions
LO6. (critically) appraise evidence for its validity and usefulness, by selecting and using appraisal tools relevant to the type of study designs being appraised
LO7. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different types of evidence (qualitative and quantitative) including systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials, descriptive studies, expert opinion, and unpublished information
LO8. Describe the process of applying evidence in practice (implementation)
LO9. Reflect on the value and relevance of EBP knowledge and skills, as a foundation for professional OT practice.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Australian occupational therapy competency standards 2018 -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.1		Complies with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia’s standards, guidelines and Code of conduct
1.13		Manages resources, time and workload accountably and effectively
1.16		Contributes to education and professional practice development of peers and students, and
2.1		Applies current and evidence-informed knowledge of occupational therapy and other appropriate and relevant theory in practice
2.10		Maintains digital literacy for practice.
2.2		Applies theory and frameworks of occupation to professional practice and decision-making
2.3		Identifies and applies best available evidence in professional practice and decision-making
2.6		Maintains and improves currency of knowledge, skills and new evidence for practice by adhering to the requirements for continuing professional development
2.8		Reflects on practice to inform current and future reasoning and decision-making and the integration of theory and evidence into practice
2.9		Maintains knowledge of relevant resources and technologies, and
3.7		Reflects on practice to inform and communicate professional reasoning and decision-making
3.8		Identifies and uses practice guidelines and protocols suitable to the practice setting or work environment
4.1		Communicates openly, respectfully and effectively
4.10		Seeks and responds to feedback, modifying communication and/or practice accordingly, and
4.11		Identifies and articulates the rationale for practice to clients and relevant others.
4.2		Adapts written, verbal and non-verbal communication appropriate to the client and practice context

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Students liked the clinical case and having to apply EBP skills to clinical decisions for the case. Students liked the online lecture-modules and the skill-focussed tutorials so I am keeping them. Students suggested fixed assessment dates which I have done in 2021. Students rated learning activities, assessments and resources highly.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

OCCP5207: Assessing Evidence for OT Practice

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect