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UCC Occupational Therapy Lecturers Receive Well-Deserved Recognition
High achieving occupational therapy lecturers from the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at University College Cork have received consecutive UCC President’s Awards due to their innovative forms of teaching.
Occupational therapy is about doing, which is reflected in the hands-on and dynamic curriculum offered by Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at UCC. It is a profession that focuses on promoting people’s health and well-being in daily life through engagement in occupation.
Due to various reasons, such as ill-health and disability, certain people are prevented from participating in their daily activities. Occupational therapy aims to overcome these challenges by enabling people to live life to the fullest. Working with people of all ages, this therapy can provide individuals with the skills to perform day-to-day tasks, such as eating, dressing, working and driving.
Occupational therapists work within a wide range of settings. These include hospitals, assisted living facilities, health centres, care homes, rehab centres, schools, and prisons. They also work in the community - people’s homes and workplaces. Karen McCarthy, occupational therapy lecturer and recent recipient of the UCC President’s award, states “We believe that students learn best by engaging in real life activities within the community.”
The curriculum offered at UCC involves many diverse activities from observation, engagement with children and families, promoting mental health initiatives to printmaking and weaving.
Just as occupational therapy practice is client centred, the occupational therapy teaching at UCC is student centred. Some examples of student-centred initiatives include team work activities focusing on observational visits to schools and work settings. Students are also encouraged to undertake volunteer work within paediatric clinics and work environments, determining the need for Occupational Therapy at that particular site.
Occupational Therapy at UCC leads the way for dynamic and fun-filled methods of teaching.