Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
12-2025
Document Type
OTD Capstone
Department
Occupational Therapy
Degree
OTD
Faculty Advisor
Donna Walls
Site Mentor
Kari Williams
Capstone Coordinator
Leslye Morris
Specialization
Program Development
Focus
Experiential Learning Practices
Abstract
Experiential learning opportunities enhance occupational therapy students’ clinical skills, confidence, and professional preparation through hands-on practice. This capstone project focused on program development and administration at Abilene Christian University’s occupational therapy department. Initially centered on establishing a student-run campus clinic, the project pivoted during week one when needs assessment revealed the clinic concept no longer aligned with departmental and university strategic goals. The revised focus incorporated experiential learning theory and interprofessional education. Over 14 weeks, I conducted nine faculty interviews and four student focus groups. Findings indicated unanimous support for mandatory, scheduled experiential learning opportunities while identifying common implementation barriers, including space, funding, workload, and coordination complexity. Deliverables included an interprofessional education (IPE) center business proposal, an experiential learning menu, an Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) and Interprofessional Collaborative (IPEC) standards table, marketing materials, educational handouts, a mock grant application, and operational forms. These resources support the occupational therapy department’s mission by equipping faculty and students with tools to enhance learning experiences and preparing competent therapists and servant leaders for their communities.
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