Using service-learning to teach mental health and research skills

Methodological quality of service learning studies in rehabilitation professions: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Service-learning (SL) has been widely implemented and grown as a pedagogy in the rehabilitation professions. However, assessment on the quality of evidence for the effectiveness of SL related to student learning outcomes and the scope of SL activities related to the occupation of work in the rehabilitation professions is not available.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review was to evaluate the rigor of the methodological quality of SL studies and the scope of SL activities related to the occupation of work in the rehabilitation professions.

METHODS

We performed a systematic on-line electronic literature search of nine bibliographic databases available through the university library system to identify peer-reviewed journal articles on SL provided by the tri-alliance of rehabilitation professional students, with the primary or secondary outcome on the evaluation of student SL experiences. Twenty-two SL articles using experimental design between 1995 and 2016 were extracted as they qualified for the methodological appraisal. Appraisal of each article was performed independently by four investigators using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies.

RESULTS

In six of the 22 SL studies (27%), service provided by the rehabilitation professional students was related to the occupation of work (i.e., assessment, prevention of illness, injury, and disability, and intervention). There was a significant increase in the number (and percent) of SL studies related to the occupation of work compared to that of a previous systematic review (0%, P = 0.03, Fisher's exact test). Results from the evaluation of the methodological quality of these 22 reviewed articles revealed that all received a global rating score of weak. The low methodological quality rating of the reviewed articles was mainly attributed to not controlling for confounders (22 articles), non-blinding (21), and using outcome measures which did not have evidence to support their validity (14). Inability to control for confounders was related to weak research design as more than 77% of the reviewed articles used quasi-experimental designs without a control group. Non-blinding was related to the self-report nature of the outcome measures.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant increase in the number of SL studies related to the occupation of work was found, which may provide an indirect indication on an increase in the capacity to provide (work) rehabilitation services. However, selected studies demonstrated high risk of bias which limited firm conclusions to be drawn on reported findings from SL in the tri-alliance of rehabilitation professions curricula.

Interpersonal social responsibility model of service learning: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Service-learning (SL) is commonly used in Occupational Therapy (OT) programs worldwide as a community placement educational strategy. However, most SL models are not clearly defined in terms of both methodology and learning outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This longitudinal study explores a structured model of Service-Learning (Interpersonal Social Responsibility-Service Learning: ISR-SL) aimed towards the development of professional identity among OT students. Based on OT students experiences from the end of the course through later stages as mature students and professionals.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A qualitative research design was used to explore the perceptions and experiences of 150 first, second, and third-year OT students and graduates who have participated in ISR-SL during their first academic year.

RESULTS

Our findings suggest that the structured, long-term relationship with a person with a disability in the natural environment, which is the core of the ISR-SL, allowed students to develop a professional identity based on seeing the person as a whole and recognizing his/her centrality in the therapeutic relationship.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

This study suggests ISR-SL as future direction or next step for implementing SL in OT and other healthcare disciplines programs.

Students' perceptions of a community-based service-learning project related to aging in place

This article describes a service-learning project that was designed to help undergraduate health professions students understand the complexities related to aging in place. The service-learning project also incorporated a research component to expose the students to the research process. Students' reflections regarding the benefits that they derived from the experience suggest that they value learning about older adults through one-on-one interactions more than they value the opportunity to participate in the research project. Implications for undergraduate health professional education are discussed.

Training socially responsive health care graduates: is service learning an effective educational approach?

BACKGROUND

Health care educators strive to train graduates who are socially responsive and can act as "change agents" for communities they serve. Service learning (SL) is increasingly being used to teach the social aspects of health care and develop students' social responsiveness. However, the effectiveness of SL as an educational intervention has not been established.

AIM

To assess the evidence for the effectiveness of SL.

METHOD

Seven electronic databases were searched up to 2012 and included all articles on SL for pre-professional health care students. Hand searching was also conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 1485 articles were identified, 53 fulfilled the search and quality appraisal criteria and were reviewed across six domains of potential SL effects: (i) personal and interpersonal development; (ii) understanding and applying knowledge; (iii) engagement, curiosity and reflective practice; (iv) critical thinking; (v) perspective transformation and (vi) citizenship.

CONCLUSION

While SL experiences appear highly valued by educators and students the effectiveness of SL remains unclear. SL is different from other forms of experiential learning because it explicitly aims to establish reciprocity between all partners and increase students' social responsiveness. Impact studies based on the interpretative paradigm, aligned with the principles of social accountability and including all stakeholder perspectives are necessary.

Community engagement: outcomes for occupational therapy students, faculty and clients

Students in health care professions, including occupational therapy, are required to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes in mental health and research. Persons diagnosed with a mental illness, a learning disability or an autism-spectrum disorder desire to achieve goals in higher education and employment. Faculty in health care programmes strives to meet professional goals and accreditation and institution requirements for teaching, service and scholarship. The Bridge Program, a programme based on principles of community engagement, was developed to meet the needs of these three stakeholders. The objective of this paper is to provide programme description and outcomes of the effectiveness of the Bridge Program for all three stakeholders. This uses mixed methods research design including descriptive and quantitative and qualitative one-group pre-test-post-test designs. Instruments consisted of the Occupational Therapy Student and Mental Health Population Scale and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Quantitative results support that graduate occupational therapy students gained research and clinical skills (n = 100; p = .000); clients increased performance and satisfaction toward goals (n = 113; p = .000) and faculty (n = 1) achieved goals related to teaching, service and scholarship. Programmes based on principles of community engagement can address the needs of the community, can provide outcomes that advance knowledge about community practice and can result in benefits for all stakeholders. This paper is limited to generalization and instrumentation and recommends an ongoing evaluation of other community engagement programmes involving all stakeholders in the future research.

Considering college? Adolescents with autism and learning disorders participate in an on-campus service-learning program

This paper presents an example of successful collaboration between an entry-level occupational therapy program and school-based setting that resulted in innovative programming for high school students living with autism and learning disorders. The two-day programming provided opportunity for high school students (n = 30) to practice a variety of life skills on the university campus as a way to support transition to secondary education and learning in the natural environment. Occupational therapy master's students developed and implemented the programming as a service-learning experience. Key factors for successful collaboration and outcomes, as well as considerations for future programming and research, are outlined.