Date Presented 04/06/19
This mixed-methods study explored pediatric OTs’ experience of participating in a short-term learning community on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism, integrated with an online competence assessment platform. The findings demonstrate the potential for socially mediated learning experiences, linked to competence assessment, to support professional development and practitioner-initiated use of evidence-based practices.
Primary Author and Speaker: Christine Myers
Additional Authors and Speakers: Ashley Parigian, Sandra Brown
PURPOSE: Professional development activities may address practitioner competence, however, engagement in continuing education (i.e. workshops, seminars) does not usually result in changes to practice. Incorporating an assessment of competence within a social learning experience may be more likely to change practice patterns, as practitioners become aware of competence needs while simultaneously engaging in a socially-constructed, collaborative group with other practitioners around a shared area of interest. The purpose of this study was to explore pediatric occupational therapists’ experience of participating in a short-term online learning community on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism, merged with an online competence assessment platform. The research questions were (1) how do pediatric occupational therapists integrate tools from the competence assessment platform with participation in the online learning community?, (2) how do participants apply new knowledge from the learning community to their practice?
DESIGN: A mixed-methods, explanatory case study design was used, with the learning community considered a single case. The participants were occupational therapists working full or part-time with children and youth with autism in a variety of pediatric settings in a southeastern state. A snowball sampling strategy was employed.
METHOD: The six-week learning community consisted of weekly modules with goal setting, readings of peer-reviewed journal articles, online discussions, and a written reflection. Completion of an autism case simulation and use of the ProQuest™ database, both from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. Navigator™ online competence assessment platform, were integrated into learning community activities. Demographic and evaluation data were collected via an online researcher-developed survey. Qualitative data were analyzed using line-by-line process coding to develop categories and then themes. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data.
RESULTS: All participants (n = 21) completed at least two of the learning community activities, with most participants (80.9%; n = 17) completing all activities. A majority of participants who completed the evaluation survey agreed or strongly agreed that that the autism case simulation helped them to assess their competence (89.5%; n = 17) and the readings obtained from ProQuest™ were helpful (94.4%, n = 17). All participants agreed or strongly agreed that the learning community enriched their understanding of how to work with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (100%; n = 19) and that they plan to apply new knowledge gained from the learning community to their practice (100%; n = 19). Four preliminary themes addressed the incorporation of competence assessment, evidence-based resources, and shared learning amongst participants: growing awareness of evidence-based practices, appreciating the evidence, identifying ways to improve practice, and increasing intentionality of using evidence-based practices.
CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that participants integrated aspects of the online competence assessment platform into the online learning community and applied their new learning to practice. Engagement in the socially-mediated learning opportunities afforded by the community were related to planning and implementing changes in practice.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Assessment and maintenance of professional competence is critical to ensuring quality occupational therapy services. Learning communities, coupled with competence assessment, have the potential to engage practitioners in contextually-relevant, social learning for professional development that supports use of evidence-based practices.
References
Barry, M., Kujer-Siebelink, W., Nieuwenhuis, L., & Scherpbier-de Haan, N. (2017). Communities of practice: A means to support occupational therapists’ continuing professional development. A literature review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 64(2): 185-193. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12334
Myers, C.T., Schaefer, N. & Coudron, A. (2017). Continuing Competence Assessment and Maintenance in Occupational Therapy: Scoping Review with Stakeholder Consultation. Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64,486–500. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12398
Pyrko, I., Dörfler, V., & Eden, C. (2017). Thinking together: What makes communities of practice work? Human Relations, 70(4):389-409. doi:10.1177/0018726716661040
Yin, R.K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
