At the end of each course, students are strongly encouraged to complete an anonymous Course Evaluation Form for each course and instructor. These data are provided directly to the Program office for tabulation, and results are provided to the Program for curriculum enhancement. Individual faculty members may request completion of supplemental course evaluation forms that provide additional constructive feedback. Students are encouraged to provide constructive comments to faculty throughout the curriculum to ensure effective learning opportunities.

During the last semester the Program Director and assigned faculty will meet with students in focus groups to discuss strengths and weaknesses of program and curriculum. After completion of each Fieldwork level II, students will evaluate that fieldwork experience. Each year students will be able to anonymously participate in a satisfaction survey of the OT program. After graduation, the OT Program will survey employers to rate satisfaction of performance of E&H OT graduates after working 6-12 months.

Self, Peer, and Program Assessment

 A guiding philosophy of the Occupational Therapy Program is that students are active participants in the learning process. In our curriculum, learning is an active process that requires initiative and continual participation by the student. Furthermore the faculty values the development of reflective practitioners. While course objectives are designed to meet student learning needs, each student is encouraged to take responsibility for developing his/her own learning goals, committing them to writing, and taking an active role to ensure that they are met. In addition, learning is a lifelong process. To enhance the professional development of health care providers, our curriculum facilitates strategies for each individual to take responsibility for his/her own professional growth and development.

Peer review and program evaluations are the responsibility of all professionals. Peer review involves constructive analysis of another’s work, cooperative problem solving and, above all, mutual respect.

Program evaluation may take many forms during the education process and throughout one’s professional career. In professional life, quality assurance programs and evaluation of success rates for treatment programs are examples of program review. Students will be asked to evaluate faculty, instructional methods, and the curriculum throughout the program. In turn, student work may be utilized for accreditation, program development, and/or faculty research purposes. 

General

The course grade for each student will be determined by evaluation of the degree to which the student meets the course objectives. At the beginning of each course, the Course Master will define learning objectives, grading methods, and methods to assess student competence in knowledge, skills, and behaviors. All grading policies will be clearly defined on the course syllabus. A student who believes that a grade or evaluation is unjust or inaccurate should speak directly with the Course Master. If not satisfied the student should follow up with the Program Director/Department Chair. If still not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student should follow the Appeal Procedures for Cases of Alleged Improper Academic Evaluation in this Student Handbook.

Evaluation

Forms of evaluation used throughout the Occupational Therapy Program may include, but are not limited to the following:

Skills Lab Performance Testing

This type of testing allows students to demonstrate mastery of clinical skills before these skills may be implemented in the clinical arena. Increasing levels of clinical competence and clinical decision making with simulated or standardized patients in a closely supervised environment is expected. See individual course syllabi for how laboratory performance is included in the overall assessment of the student.

Annual Demonstration Competency and Written Examinations (Comprehensive Exams)

This type of comprehensive testing allows students to demonstrate adequacy and integration of knowledge and skills as well as clinical decision-making for each year of study. If a student does not score a certain percentage (set by the OT program) for each section of the examination, then a remediation assignment or activity or retesting must be completed for that section.

Clinical Performance

The student will be evaluated on clinical performance according to the criteria on the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FPE); the AFC has a copy of this tool and access to the electronic version, which will be provided to the student during fieldwork classes. The student is responsible for reading and signing each evaluation and may respond to any grade or comment written by the core faculty or fieldwork educator. The core faculty will meet with students for final evaluations, and at other times as requested by the student, the fieldwork educator, the AFC, or the faculty.

Self-Evaluation and Peer Review

Self-evaluation and peer review are integral parts of learning and professional behavior that enable the student to appraise strengths, weaknesses, and growth in relation to stated objectives. Each student will do periodic self-evaluation. This will provide the framework for discussions with the Faculty Advisor about success in achieving academic professional goals. Self-reflection and peer review may occur at different times in courses and in debriefing after case simulation activities, group assignments or activities, etc.

Written Assignments

Written reports when prepared in advance of class should be typed, unless specified otherwise by the instructor. Hand-written reports prepared as part of classroom activities or group discussions must be neat and legible. Written assignments must include the current date, course title, course instructor’s name, and student’s name. If more than one sheet is used, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all pages of an assignment are properly identified and fastened with a staple to prevent loss. Assignments not properly identified and fastened may not be considered in computing course grade. All papers must be turned in at the designated time and place. If submitting assignment in Moodle the file name should have following naming system “last name, first name initial, course assignment number”.
Late work may not be awarded full credit. Emergency or illness are the only exceptions and will be dealt with on an individual basis. Grades will be based on content, style, composition, and execution of the task as defined in the time frame.

Examinations

All major tests and exams will be announced prior to the scheduled date, and students are required to complete all exams at the scheduled time. This does not preclude the right of faculty to present unscheduled quizzes within the course framework, nor does it preclude the faculty person from modifying the class schedule to meet the needs of the cohort of students involved.

If a student misses an exam due to illness, the student may be required to verify illness to the course master involved immediately upon returning to school by presenting a written statement from the Student Health Services and/or physician. Medical and dental appointments (other than emergencies) are not considered legitimate excuses. If a student misses an examination of any kind, the course master may choose to assign a grade of zero for the examination, s/he may require a re-examination and/or s/he may require additional coursework. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the course master immediately upon his/her return to school. All written and practical exam retakes must be completed prior to the next scheduled class unless otherwise determined by the Course master.

Examination environment: Students are expected to turn off all electronic communication while completing an assessment or examination. Students are expected to maintain confidentiality of the exam content at all times; this stipulation includes practical, standardized patient encounters, and laboratory exams. Students must secure permission from the exam proctor to leave the testing area. Once an exam has been turned in by any student, students still in-progress will not be permitted to leave the testing area.

Any demonstration of unsafe, unprofessional, or unethical behavior during any practical exam will result in an automatic failing grade for that exam regardless of overall score on the exam.