Document Type (Journals)
Educational Innovations
Abstract
This article presents the products and evaluation results of COPILOT (Cooperative Online Peer-assisted and Intercultural Learning in Occupational Therapy), an Erasmus+ funded project undertaken by a consortium of six European universities from 2018 to 2021, which addresses the need for internationalization and intercultural learning by developing competences graduates will need in the future. Internationalization has become one of the main avenues to developing global learning in higher education. Online education has a significant role in providing opportunities for internationalization online without the high cost of travel that might deter some students. The interest in online intercultural exchange has been significantly growing in the past five years, though there is still a scarcity of fully developed models and online learning activities to facilitate the practical implementation of this kind of learning. The COPILOT project produced a theoretical framework and a practical model for facilitating online intercultural learning in occupational therapy, as well as a manual with nine innovative, accessible and flexible online learning modules, complete with practical tips on how to implement them, and a collection of online educational resources (OERs). The modules were piloted with 498 students from nine universities and then evaluated by students and teachers. The results show that the project products offer a practical opportunity to implement international and intercultural learning online for all students of occupational therapy. The need for intercultural competence within occupational therapy programs is discussed.
Biography
Liliya Todorova, PhD is an Associate Professor and coordinator of the Occupational Therapy program at "Angel Kanchev" University of Ruse, Bulgaria.
Elisabeth Fattinger, МА is a senior lecturer and researcher at the Department of Occupational Therapy, FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences in Graz, Austria.
Elsabeth Url, PhD, BSc OT is a research assistant at FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences in Graz, Austria.
Siska Vandemaele, MSc OT is a lecturer and international coordinator for the Occupational Therapy program at HOWEST University of Applied Sciences, Belgium.
Ulla Pott, MSc OT is a senior lecturer at the Occupational Therapy program, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.
Helen Strebel, PhD is a lecturer at the Occupational Therapy program, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.
Claudia Merklein de Freitas, MSc OT is a lecturer at the Occupational Therapy program, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.
Anja Christopher, MSc HE, MSc OT is a lecturer and international coordinator for the Occupational Therapy program, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Switzerland.
Sabine Hendriks, MSc OT is a lecturer at the Occupational Therapy program, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Switzerland.
Maria Prellwitz, PhD is an Associate Professor and a senior lecturer at the Occupational Therapy Program, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Todorova, L., Fattinger, E., Url, E., Vandemaele, S., Pott, U., Strebel, H., Merklein de Freitas, C., Christopher, A., Hendriks, S., & Prellwitz, M. (2022). COPILOT – Development and Implementation of International Cooperative Online Intercultural Learning. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6 (2). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060219
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