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Doctoral Capstone Experience in Academia and Policy Development: Nova Southeastern University

  • Melanie Mariani

Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy

Abstract

An exceptional amount of literature points to the benefits of hands-on learning experiences for students enrolled in healthcare programs (Coker, 2009; Doucet, 2012; Thomas et al., 2017 & Velde, 2009). Goals of my doctoral capstone experience (DCE) included: 1) Develop the foundational requirements for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to increase hands-on experiential student learning and potentially develop an on-site clinic in the future, and 2) Create and deploy educational materials for the students in the class of 2022 to increase their hands-on learning while taking the course virtually. The results include the creation of three sets of clinical reasoning guides for students to use as a reference when assessing future patients, as well as a set of resources for future patients who may need assistance from other health professionals. Future students interested in continuing this project should take into account developing strong community partnerships and creating strong lines of communication within the OTD department as well as with future clinical partners. Keywords: occupational therapy, student, pilot clinic, hands-on experience, simulated learning, domains of learning, educational theory, and constructivism.
Date of AwardApr 21 2021
Original languageEnglish
SupervisorThomas J Decker (Supervisor)

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