Occupational Therapy Education

Research Projects

Here are a few more details about the projects in which students will take part this term.

Project 01	Title: Retrospective analysis of Second Life as an educational tool Brief description of project: The purpose of this project is to explore the retrospective experiences of 1st year OT and PT student who participated in an educational exercise using the virtual world of Second Life. The technology will be used to simulate a home evaluation and intervention process. A retrospective survey will be completed by the OT and PT students who participate in the course. The data from the survey will be used to begin to understand the use of virtual technology as a teaching tool, the student's perceptions of this learning experience, and their application to interdisciplinary team work and decision making. What the students will do: Investigators may be involved in analyzing the data collected from the student surveys. Specifically, students may be describing similarities and differences among teams, and across disciplinary perspectives. Also, there may be opportunity to develop follow-up questions the initial survey. Relevance to OT: OTs often educate their clients and may educate others through in-service presentations or other activities. However, the process of home modifications can take time to implement and to realize the outcomes. Emerging virtual technologies may reduce the time and expense required by actual interventions, and may offer novel educational approaches to understanding potential outcomes of proposed interventions.
Project 02	Title: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Survey Brief description of project: Survey of area cancer patients- asks about their use of complementary and alternative medicine & therapy. What the students will do: Collect and analyze survey data on CAM use among cancer patients Relevance to OT: Understand the role of CAM in health and well-being.
Project 03	Title: Infusion Clinic Project Brief description of project: The experiences of people living with cancer and participating in the experimental high-dose vitamin C infusion program will be recorded and analyzed to develop a more clear understanding of the experience. What the students will do: Listen to recordings of interviews of patients in the infusion clinic, transcribe the conversations and interviews, perform grounded theory analysis and interpret findings. Relevance to OT: Understand the illness experience from patient perspective and the lifestyle changes associated with the infusion program intervention.
Project 04	Title: Quality of Life and Use of Community Resources in Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors Brief description of project: This is a qualitative project exploring how participation in a community program for stroke survivors impacts quality of life. We are also exploring personal factors that contribute to participation/non-participation in available community programming. What the students will do: Students will transcribe focus group data, interview 5-7 stroke survivors (preferably by phone), analyze qualitative data looking for themes, write-up results. Relevance to OT: Occupational therapists work with stroke survivors in acute, rehabilitation and community settings. This study will inform OTs about factors influencing quality of life of community-dwelling stroke survivors. This knowledge can be applied to intervention planning for all stages of recovery for stroke survivors.
Project 05	Title: Perspectives and Practices for Home Modifications Brief description of project: An on-line survey will be distributed to selected members of the National Association of Home Builders in order to assess their knowledge of home modifications, familiarity with principles of Universal Design, and perspective on Aging in Place. What the students will do: Develop the survey content, administer the survey, analyze the results, and interpret the findings. Relevance to OT: The findings will allow for a better understanding of how familiar homebuilders are with the need for home modifications, how home modifications are viewed by homebuilders, and the sources of their information about such modifications. This information will provide a basis for eventual development of educational materials or programs about home modification and Aging in Place practices, aimed at helping to inform people who build homes, and the people who buy those homes, about these features.
Project 06	Title: The effects of yoga on fine and gross motor skills, classroom behavior and academic performance Brief description of project: This study uses a quasi-experimental design to compare the skills and behavior of children who participate in a 10 minute daily yoga program to a control group who do not participate in yoga. What the students will do: Students will establish inter-rater reliability on videotaped yoga poses, enter previously coded and new data into SPSS, run analyses and write-up the results. Relevance to OT: School-based occupational therapists are challenged to provide inclusive services in the least restrictive environment, which is often the classroom. In addition, they often serve as a consultant to teachers rather than a direct service provider, so it is important to consider interventions that can be provided at a classroom level. IDEA and NCLB mandate that interventions be evidence-based, so the aim of this study is to determine if there is evidence to support the use of yoga as a classroom intervention.
Project 07	Title: Yoga for children at risk for ADHD Brief description of project: This study uses single subject design to examine the impact of yoga on the in seat/on task behavior of 3 preschool-aged children identified as at risk for a diagnosis of ADHD. What the students will do: Students will establish inter-rater reliability on videotaped sessions of children engaging in a fine motor task, enter previously coded and new data into SPSS, run analyses and write-up the results. Relevance to OT: ADHD is a common diagnosis that school-based occupational therapists will encounter. In order to be successful in school, children with ADHD need to stay in their seats and on task to learn. IDEA and NCLB mandate that interventions be evidence-based, so the aim of this study is to determine if there is evidence to support the use of yoga for improving the in seat and on task behavior of children.
Project 08	Title: Analyzing Course Objectives: Assessing Critical Thinking in the KUMOT Curriculum Brief description of project: Assessment of critical thinking required in professional coursework is an important part of program assessment. BloomÕs taxonomy will be used to evaluate and categorize the cognitive learning objectives stated in course syllabi (e.g., the explicit curriculum) of the MOT curriculum. What the students will do: Students will review BloomÕs taxonomy to become familiar with concepts and nomenclature. The syllabi of all required courses that are part of the KUMC MOT program will be evaluated to identify the stated cognitive learning objectives. These objectives will be ranked according to BloomÕs taxonomy and the proportion of objectives determined for the various levels of the taxonomy. Relevance to OT: The methods described in the study will serve as a new approach for comparing critical thinking in the MOT curriculum at different points in time, and may assist in curricular mapping efforts. These methods will complement studies measuring the implicit curriculum (e.g., content the faculty actually teaches, which may not be stated explicitly by the curriculum).
Project 09	Title: Sensory processing features in CHARGE syndrome Brief description of project: CHARGE syndrome describes a specific set of co-occurring birth defects that contribute variably to a range of disabilities including frail health generally, developmental delay, impaired cognition, and sensory impairment. Although many of the specific features of CHARGE can be corrected through surgery or other treatments, the consequences of CHARGE for sensory processing in this population has not been evaluated. What the students will do: Retrospective analysis of Sensory Profile data from parents of children diagnosed with CHARGE to identify sensory features characteristic of this population. Relevance to OT: CHARGE syndrome occurs with a familial but sporadic incidence, at a rate of 1 in 10-12000 births. Diagnosis also is variable, since problems often are diagnosed individually rather than as a multi-faceted disease entity. Establishing a more comprehensive view of the syndrome will facilitate awareness among physicians and other healthcare professionals. Determining the sensory aspects of CHARGE will allow OTs to gain insight into the abilities of this population, and may lead to insights related to the consequences of the syndrome for cognitive and behavioral development.