I. Course Title: Occupation, Engagement, and Meaning Across the Lifespan
II. Course Number: OCTH 200
III. Credit Hours: 3 credits
IV. Prerequisites: None
V. Course Description:
The meaning of occupation is broad and includes all of the everyday activities that
people want and need to do to occupy their time and bring meaning and purpose to their
lives. This course will give a basic overview of the scope of practice of occupational
therapy and practice settings for occupational therapists. It will define the term
occupation, highlight the importance of engaging in occupation from birth to death,
and explore the impact that occupational engagement has on physical and mental health
for people of all abilities. It will explore the impact of disability and socioeconomic,
political, health care, environmental, and cultural factors on occupational engagement,
and will discuss the 9 areas of occupation identified by occupational therapists including
activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, social participation,
rest and sleep, play, leisure, education, work, and health care management.
VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:
Topic Outline:
- Course Overview: Introducing Engagement in Meaningful Occupation
- Occupation as a Concept
- The Scope of Occupational Therapy: Medical, Educational, and Community-Based Settings
for Infants, Children, and Adolescents
- The Scope of Occupational Therapy: Medical, Educational, and Community-Based Settings
for Adults, and Geriatrics
- Social and Political Factors Influencing Occupation
- Health Care and Access Influencing Occupation
- Cultural Factors Influencing Occupation
- Activities of Daily Living as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based
Activity
- Social Participation as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Play as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Rest and Sleep as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Leisure as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Education as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Work as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Health Management as an Occupation/Virtual or Community-Based Activity
- Course Summary and Final Discussion (No final exam)
VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:
This course will combine a variety of student-centered learning strategies to facilitate
reflective exploration of course content. Examples of learner-center practices include
collaborative group learning and discussion, individual student projects, experiential
community-based or virtual experiences and activities, student led discussions, and
student choice for relevant articles and learning materials.
VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:
- Examine the context and interactions of culture(s) and/or behavior on occupational
engagement. (REAL Goal A)
- Describe and discuss the meaning of occupation and occupational engagement and how
engagement impacts the physical health, mental health, and participation of all human
beings across the lifespan;
- Discuss the impact of disability and socioeconomic, political, health care, environmental,
and cultural factors on occupational engagement;
- Explore, engage in, and discuss the 9 areas of occupation recognized by occupational
therapy practitioners as they are meaningful to individuals across the lifespan with
differing abilities or circumstances;
- Describe the scope of practice of occupational therapy in the United States and its
relationship to other health professions;
- Compare and contrast the medical, educational, and community-based settings in which
occupational therapy practitioners work with people of various ages and abilities.
VIII. Assessment Measures:
- Occupational analysis Part 1 (Weeks 2-10) 30%
- Occupational analysis show and tell Part 2 (Week 12) 15%
- Personal goals and self-reflection (Week 1, 8, and 15) 10%
- Class participation (Ongoing) 20%
- Learning activity 1 (Week 5) 5%
- Learning activity 2 (Week 10) 5%
- Learning activity 3 (Week 15) 5%
- Leading topics in class discussion (Week 16) 10%
- TOTAL 100%
Other Course Information: None
Review and Approval
March 01, 2021