OT Response to Student Feedback

BM1032 Anatomy and Physiology for Occupational Therapy 2

• Mixed comments about having live and recorded lectures. Some loved that they could access all lectures online as recordings. Some loved that there was a face-to-face lecture and recordings. The additional tutorials added this year were noted as a positive by several students. Response: The university has pushed towards using recorded lectures. But we strongly believe the face-to-face interactive classes remain (tutorials, workshops, practicals) to keep the face-to-face element and provide the students with the ability to interact with the academics.
• Inconsistency between lecturers and style of delivery. Response: This is a time management issue. Ideally the same lecturer would deliver all weeks (that is the feedback we have heard from some students). Biomed have implemented a vertical teaching alignment model, meaning academics with specific research expertise deliver their relevant topics. Whether this is the best method for first year foundational physiology remains to be decided.

HS1401 Health and Health Care in Australia

• 21 responses received.
• We offer a flexible tutorial delivery (can choose online, in-person or recorded tutorial), however several did not know they could go to the face-to-face option. Response: we already sign-post this with our intro video, LearnJCU tutorial description and via scheduling services. In SP2 2025 will provide more communication about the on-campus option in Week 1 tutorials.
• Some comments on the difficulty of the exam – however we had a good range of grades (and a very low% of fails). Continue to review assessment questions as part of quality assurance.

OT1012 Enabling Occupation through Partnerships

Positive feedback included:

• The mentoring sessions with fourth year students were useful for making connections with peers and understanding Occupational Therapy in practice
• Audio feedback on assignments was a ‘great way to gain comprehensive feedback’
• The practice role series (of clinical OT’s discussing their practice areas) was useful and interesting

Constructive feedback included:

• Shorter classes
• More structure would be useful in the second mentoring session.

OT2014 Contextual Determinants of Occupation

Only 5 responses (of 51 students) with the following key feedback provided:

• Students appreciated having guests present specialty workshop content, provision of additional topic specific online resources and the preparation for the exam.  Response: These aspects will continue where possible in future subject deliveries.
• One student identified that having all of the learning materials available at the commencement of semester would allow people to complete these in ‘less busy’ times.  Response:  Wherever possible, learning materials will be made available earlier in semester.  In 2024 this subject transitioned from face-to-face weekly lectures to online recordings & activities. The format of online learning activities will be reviewed further for 2025 which will allow more timely and streamlined content.
• One student requested more hands-on practical learning and another identified that more content on specific client groups would also be beneficial.  Response:  This feedback will be considered when planning for 2025 teaching of this subject.  This subject is also undergoing review as part of trimester planning so this feedback is beneficial.

OT4003 Health Law and Ethics for OT Professional Practice

Only three respondents. Mean satisfaction score was 5 out of 5. Suggested improvements included:

• The distribution of the assessment guidelines prior to placement (to allow students to prepare for essay over placement).  Response: Broad overview of essay requirements will be provided to students in Year 3 (prior to placement).  Detailed guidelines will not be provided to prevent undue stress (as students will have not yet been provided with taught content regarding key ethical theories and legal principles).
• Review of assessment marking rubrics.  Response: Marking rubrics for written essay and student lead seminar are due for review and will be updated prior to 2025 subject delivery.

OT4011 Occupational Therapy Honours Research Part 2 of 2

Only one student response. Satisfaction score 3 out of 5. Student who fed back indicated the need for more resources on subject site and greater structure and consistency in delivery of subject materials.  Response:  This is the first time (in at least 10 years) that this subject has received a survey response that was received (as it did not previously reach the required threshold for release). The feedback was both surprising and useful.  Being a research subject, an ‘apprenticeship model’ has been used whereby research supervisors provide students with the relevant materials necessary to complete their research and write their manuscript (which will involve different materials / advice depending on the study design).  Learning materials (other than generic research materials, such as links to relevant library resources) have not been uploaded to the subject site.  Based on this student’s feedback I will revisit the subject site and look for opportunities to include a wider range of research support materials on it.  I will also make research supervisor aware of these materials to ensure equity of access for all students.  The subject will retain its apprenticeship (supervisor / student) structure, but supervisors will be encouraged to share useful resources with the subject coordinator so that they can be uploaded to Learn JCU and available to all students.

TM4401 Health, Policy and Planning

• Students indicated that assessment items were too much in such a short learning period. Assessment 1 has been changed from a written assessment to a short multiple choice quiz.
• Students requested more time in the face-to-face tutorials dedicated to understand the final assessment, which will be implemented in the 2025 delivery.

HS5111 Alcohol and Other Drugs

No student feedback was received for this subject.

HS5603 Health Service Evaluation 1

• The subject was well received by the enrolled students, and subject structure was evaluated as fit for purpose.
• Students have reported that they appreciate the timely and thorough feedback they receive, the availability and support provided by the subject coordinator.

HS5604 Health Service Evaluation 2

• The subject was well received by the enrolled students, and subject structure was evaluated as fit for purpose.
• Students have reported that they appreciate the timely and thorough feedback they receive, the availability and support provided by the subject coordinator.

OT5200 Advanced Practice within the Rural and Remote Context

• Requested an assessment video to help students understand in more detail what is expected.

OT1011 Introduction to Occupation and Occupational Therapy

• Students enjoy the guest speakers - who visit both in-person and via recorded conversations, presenting stories about their clinical practice experiences (related to each week's content). This will continue in the future.
• Students also reported enjoying the structure of the learning content and the accessibility of the materials. This will continue in the future.
• One constructive comment received was regarding the timing between the live lecture and when the recording of the live lecture is available on LearnJCU. This is usually up within 24 hours. This is not automatically available for two reasons: Copyright - the videos used in lectures need to be removed from the Panopto platform prior to publishing the lecture; Sensitive information - Often students will come down after the lecture for a discussion with me (mix of subject content and FYEC matters) and live lecture needs to be reviewed to ensure no sensitive/personal information was recorded. With the move to trimesters in 2026, most of the lectures will be online and available well ahead of time. Also, some online lecture podcasts will start to be put into place in 2025.
• The lectures are quite interactive at some points during semester, with pause points for self-reflection or peer discussion throughout, with subsequent feeding back of ideas to the collective group. One student reported that having an anonymous portal would be useful, giving more incentive to contribute to the dynamic nature of the lecture. I have implemented a regular brainstorming Padlet link to each lecture this semester in SP2, which is working well. This will be continued in SP1 next year (keeping in mind the switch to more recorded podcast lecture format in years to come with trimesters).

RH1002 Communication Skills for Health Professionals

• A concern was raised by some students that there is a need for further clarity around the expectations associated with subject assessment tasks. The two written subject assessments had been redeveloped for 2024 and it is possible that there is a need to revisit the instructions and marking rubrics. Both assessments will be reviewed with the Occupational Therapy course coordinator prior to the next subject delivery so that appropriate changes can be made. Representatives from the student cohort will also be invited to offer specific feedback to assist in strengthening the assignment guidelines.
• Students identified problems with the online quiz in which additional questions were unexpectedly added to the assessment. This was a one-off technical issue that has been resolved for 2025 and beyond. For the 2024 cohort, all students were credited for these questions to ensure nobody was disadvantaged.
• One student indicated that there had been an incongruence in the messaging between different class tutors as well as a perceived inability for tutors to answer assessment related queries without first consulting the subject coordinator. This latter issue resulted out of an intention to ensure that there was consistency of information provided relating to assessment tasks. In response to this feedback, however, additional planning sessions will be scheduled across the study period in future iterations of this subject to ensure that all subject tutors feel confident in responding to student queries in a timely and consistent manner.

RH1004 Foundations of Allied Health Professional Practice

• Having chairs for all prac classes so that students can sit down and take notes. Chairs will then need to be moved out of the way but this can be accommodated.
• Reviewing the practical exam to ensure there is enough time to do all the tasks on all the cards.
• We will look to also have a practical exam video folder as some students reported it was difficult to find material online even though all weeks had labels stating what the week covered as well as the videos relevant for that week eg week 4- safe patient handling and mobility aids. Under content it had lecture material, workshop material, practical exam bed mobility techniques video and written exam bed mobility techniques video (these were videos of techniques students need to be able to do but were not in the prac exam eg hoist).
• We will keep the open practice sessions as students reported this to be very beneficial in practicing for the prac exam.
• We will keep the practical exam out of the exam period.

OT2015 Physical and Cognitive-neurological Determinants of Occupation

• Students enjoyed the opportunity to build on concepts and understanding through practical activities within the tutorials. Tutorial classes will continue to be run in OT2015 and will focus on applying taught concepts via practical learning opportunities.
• Lectures were provided via online recording with some recordings being older and of poor quality. OT2015 is currently undergoing redevelopment which will include the creation of new lecture recordings, segmented into smaller topic-based recordings with interactive learning tasks interwoven into the weekly resources. This is aimed to facilitate improved online learning engagement and allow for the revision of key learning throughout the semester in preparation not only for tutorial classes, but also assessment items.
• The volume of information covered was extensive. As OT2015 is a 6 credit point subject it does cover a significant amount of taught content. During the redevelopment of OT2015, content will be streamed into 2 content areas to allow for improved organization of concepts along with the aim of streamlining the content covered.

HS3401 Health Professional Research 2

• Application of how the information relates to or extends upon content already learned regarding performing literature reviews. Response: Greater emphasis on how a structured critical appraisal differs to a literature review but also emphasizing the importance of this process for informing your subsequent research question development.
• Suggestion for creating downloadable word documents. Response: The teaching team will explore options for students to have a note taking resource so students can be active participants in tutorial and note construction.
• Students appreciated having guest lecturers. Response: This approach will continue to be utilised in 2025.
• Duration of tutorials and timeframes for task completion could be improved. Response: In 2025, students will be exposed to project management. During the tutorials, each group member will take the lead of being the acting project manager for a week. This will require providing an overview of achievements and next steps that will be performed by the group. This provide further scaffolding to the group task and to the tutorial activities.

OT3012 Professional Practice Preparation

• Earlier introduction of practice for Vivas would be beneficial, both for understanding the elements of professional reasoning and to reduce anxiety around this type of exam. Response: Information about the Viva format will be provided early in semester, with an example of the types of professional reasoning required to complete this task.  More practice case studies can be provided.
• Not having compulsory face-to-face lectures for practice placement lecture content or having these on days with other classes. Some lecture content was a bit long. Response: A review of all content and delivery methods is planned to streamline taught content and align with the planned removal of participation as an assessment item.

OT4007 Advanced Rural or Urban Occupational Therapy Practice

• The reflection task was useful; An example of what is expected of the assessment task part A table would have been useful. Especially in terms of the amount of detail that is required in the evidence and bottom part of the table. Response: An example of one section (competency standard) of the Part A task will be constructed and made available to students, to demonstrate what may be reasonable to include in the reflection record (table).