Prosthetics and Orthotics Programme Programme description

Students who complete the programme, which has a scope of 180 credits, are awarded a Bachelor's Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics. After completing the programme and two years' internship, students can apply for authorisation as a prosthetist/orthotist pursuant to the Act relating to Health Personnel and the Regulations relating to practical training (turnus) for prosthetist/orthotists and chiropractors.

The primary function of a prosthetist/orthotist is to contribute to providing people with orthopaedic appliances that promote function, activity and participation. Prosthetist/orthotists also perform health-promoting work to prevent or reduce functional impairment in future. The appliances are divided into two main groups; prostheses and orthoses. A prosthesis replaces a missing body part, while an orthosis relieves and/or supports an existing body part with impaired or lost functionality. Orthoses include orthopaedic footwear.

Prosthetist/orthotists operate at the intersection between health sciences and engineering. This means that professional practice requires good knowledge and good cooperation with the user, in combination with the ability to develop individually adapted technical solutions. The work requires a high degree of cooperation with other professions, particularly cooperation with orthopaedic technicians.

Professional practice can be divided into a clinical and a technical part. The clinical part is about preparing and implementing a prosthetic and orthotic management plan, which involves adapting and adjusting prostheses and orthoses. All prostheses and orthoses must be adapted especially to suit the individual user. Achieving a good result requires good communication and cooperation with the user. The user group ranges from small children to the elderly, which means that cooperation with users could also involve parents, guardians and next of kin.

In order to achieve a good result, prosthetist/orthotists need technical expertise in the development and quality-assurance of appliances. This expertise entails knowledge about the use of different materials, production skills and HSE (health, safety and the environment) measures.

Prosthetist/orthotists participate in interprofessional teams and sometimes function as consultants when users have complex needs that can only be met through cooperation between several professional groups and/or public agencies. All Norwegian health and social care education programmes shall therefore have common content to support interprofessional cooperation in order to ensure that the welfare state can offer users comprehensive measures that form a coherent whole in a diverse society.

Technological developments will probably lead to an increasing need for prostheses, orthoses and other assistive technology. Prosthetist/orthotists have important expertise on how to develop these appliances. The average life expectancy is rising, which means that the need for appliances will increase. The demand for prosthetist/orthotists is also increasing in developing countries. The technological development is progressing rapidly, which makes new and more advanced solutions possible. Prosthetist/orthotists are natural participants in this innovation to improve quality and develop new solutions.

Today, most prosthetist/orthotists in Norway work in private enterprises that have funding contracts with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). Some enterprises are located in hospitals. Other potential workplaces include the public administration, special interest organisations for people with disabilities, and enterprises and agencies that provide medical technology equipment to the healthcare sector.

The Bachelor's Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics qualifies students for admission to several different master's degree programmes. Rehabilitation and habilitation, health sciences, biomechanics and human movement science are some of the most relevant options.

The programme description was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at HiOA. The description complies with the recommended guidelines for study programmes issued by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO).

The target group is people who wish to train as prosthetist/orthotists. The discipline combines health sciences and engineering, and the prosthetist/orthotist's core competence is to plan, develop and follow up prostheses and orthoses in close cooperation with users and other professional groups. Therefore, applicants should be creative, interested in developing technical skills and, not least, interested in developing good communication and cooperation skills.

The admission requirements are the Higher Education Entrance Qualification and mathematics R1 and R2 and physics FYS 1.

Students must submit a transcript of police records on admission to the programme pursuant to the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme. Particular requirements relating to clothing apply for health, safety and environmental reasons, and exemptions from these requirements are not granted.

Applicants should be aware that the students will have to conduct physical examinations of each other, and that they will never be divided by gender in examinations and skills training sessions.

The Bachelor's Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics aims to educate user-oriented, creative, inquisitive, independent and reflective professionals who are capable of engaging in professional and interprofessional cooperation. After completing the programme, the candidates are expected to have acquired competence that ensures that they will practice their profession in accordance with society's requirements and need for prosthetic and orthotic services. The learning outcomes are in accordance with the Qualifications Framework, but have been supplemented with some learning outcomes from the ISPO guidelines.

The competence can be defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate

• has broad knowledge of scientific, technological and social science subjects that are essential in a prosthetist/orthotist's professional practice

• has broad knowledge of the prosthetist/orthotist's role and function in preventive, therapeutic and (re)habilitative activities

• is familiar with the discipline's history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

• is familiar with global challenges relating to assistive technology, public health and the environment in a changing society

• is familiar with research and development work of relevance to prosthetics and orthotics

• is capable of updating his/her knowledge in fields relevant to prosthetics and orthotics activities

Skills

The candidate is capable of

• preparing and implementing an prosthetic and orthotic management plan for individual users

• applying knowledge of prosthetics and orthotics and relevant results from research and development work to practical and theoretical problems and making well-founded choices

• carrying out clinical and technical procedures and processes involved in prevention, treatment and (re)habilitation for persons in need of prostheses and/or orthoses at some point in their life and reflecting on his/her own professional practice

• applying relevant materials, equipment, components and techniques

• exploring new technology and considering potential areas of application in the field of prosthetics and orthotics

• finding, assessing and referring to information and specialist literature and presenting it so that it highlights a problem

General competence

The candidate is capable of

• communicating with users and other partners in a professional manner and practising the profession in an ethically sound manner

• relating to a diverse society characterised by individual and cultural differences in a professional manner

• cooperating in a user-focused and interprofessional manner

• taking an active role in quality assurance, improvement, development, innovation and promotion of services and professional practice

• independently applying knowledge and skills by demonstrating cooperation skills, responsibility, and the ability to reflect on and take a critical approach in his/her professional practice

• identifying own learning and competence needs to be able to keep up to date

• complying with national legislation and national and international guidelines for professional practice in the health and social services at both system and individual level

• planning and implementing relevant projects and complex tasks that take place over time and that contribute to the development of theory and/or practice, alone or as part of an interprofessional team that can contribute to developing good practices

• demonstrating insight into creative processes and applying methods used in innovation and entrepreneurship

• communicating important subject matter to users, other partners and the general public

The programme is organised as 15 modules. Fourteen of the modules are profession-specific, while one (ORTO3000) is common to several programmes at the faculty. All the modules are compulsory.

The academic year is 40 weeks and the expected workload is 40 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, self-directed learning and exams.

Study progress

The first year of the programme must be passed before the student can start the second year, and the second year must be passed before the student can start the third year.

The programme's learning outcomes cover a broad spectrum. The learning and teaching approaches are intended to facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and general competence and help to achieve the greatest possible transfer value to professional practice. Varied learning and teaching approaches are used to promote the learning process by having students alternate between theoretical studies and practical training.

Teaching should stimulate active learning and engagement. The students are followed up with supervision and feedback throughout the programme. In some contexts, students provide feedback on each other's work.

A considerable amount of self-study is required, as good learning outcomes first and foremost depend on the effort an individual student puts in. This applies both to preparing for and benefiting from teaching activities and academic supervision and to independent work in the form of theoretical studies and practical skills training. Independent work includes both cooperation with fellow students and individual work.

Digital technology is used to an increasing extent to stimulate learning and cooperation. Digital learning resources can form part of the teaching and supervision provided, but are also used as student cooperation tools. It is up to the students themselves to take the initiative to cooperate. In addition to traditional student cooperation, the students are also to give each other written and/or verbal feedback.

An overview and description of the work methods used in the programme are provided below. The individual module descriptions state which work methods are used in each module.

Skills training

Skills training under supervision is a key method used throughout the programme. The students practise practical tasks that facilitate the development of clinical and technical skills. Skills training is closely related to the theory taught in the module. Several of the prosthetic and orthotic modules organise the skills training in sections. There are two types of such sections: clinical modules and clinical and technical sections. Written work such as patient records and oral presentations are included in clinical modules, while patient records, process descriptions and oral presentations are included in the clinical and technical modules.

Seminars

Seminars are a complex teaching and work method whose main purpose is the processing of subject matter and to provide an arena for discussion between students and the teaching staff. This method requires students to prepare in advance and participate actively in the seminars. Seminars can comprise different activities: short lectures or presentations by the lecturer, presentations by students, discussions, group work, assignments and practical exercises.

Lectures

The field is constantly developing, and resource lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter. Lectures are intended to highlight connections and main elements in important topics and to communicate relevant issues.

Digital teaching resources

Some of the teaching is available on the programme's own website. This is known as the flipped classroom method. The material posted could be videos, demonstrations and recordings of lectures. The students review this material before teaching activities, thus freeing up the lecturers' time for problem-solving, in-depth study activities and discussions. Digital resources are also very useful because they can be used at any time and as many times as students want after the teaching activities.

Group work

Different forms of group work is a method used in most modules. Through exchange of ideas, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and other forms of collaboration, students will stimulate each other's learning by communicating discipline knowledge and experience, expressing their own opinions and together reflecting on their own attitudes, actions and understanding of the field. Lecturers provide academic supervision in connection with selected group work.

Project work

Through project work, the students will learn to identify connections and gain a deeper understanding of the field. They will prepare research questions and work systematically on the problem-solving process, both individually and in cooperation with others. Project work and other forms of group work usually conclude in a seminar with presentations and discussion, but can also conclude in a written report and poster.

Practical training ranges from single days of observation to six-week periods of supervised practical training. Observational practice can take place at orthopaedic technology enterprises, rehabilitation institutions, assistive technology centres and with orthopaedic appliance suppliers.

Supervised practical training in private prosthetic and orthotic companies make up the bulk of the practical training, corresponding to 18 weeks (30 credits). These training periods include supervision, assessment and the exchange of reflections between student and supervisor. Direct contact with users and other partners in real situations form the basis for the students¿ acquisition of knowledge, skills and general competence. The focus is on theoretical and clinical knowledge and skills, but students must develop their technical skills. Learning outcomes become more advanced from one period to the next, both in terms of knowledge and skills and when it comes to taking responsibility and being capable of working independently.

As the only educational institution in Norway with a prosthetics and orthotics programme, the programme at Oslo Metropolitan University has cooperation agreements with prosthetic and orthotic companies all over Norway. Students must therefore be prepared to take practical training periods outside the Oslo area.

Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community on the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to function in an increasingly international world. Healthcare professionals must be capable of practising their profession in a diverse society whether they work in Norway or abroad. Global and multicultural issues and perspectives are therefore a focus area throughout the programme. The labour market is becoming increasingly international, and this will make knowledge of language and culture more and more important.

International perspectives form part of the learning outcomes in all modules to which they are relevant. It is important for all students, whether they go on an exchange or not, to see the profession and function of prosthetist/orthotists in an international context.

Students on the Bachelor's Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics are well trained in the English language and will be well equipped to understand and use English specialist terminology. ORTO3000 is taught in English in its entirety, while many other modules are taught partly in English because several of the permanent teaching staff on the programme have English as their first language and professional language (2017). Some of the module literature is in English to allow students to learn the terminology and gain insight into international research.

Oslo Metropolitan University has exchange agreements in place with universities and university colleges in Europe. Students on the programme can go abroad for three months during the sixth semester and write their bachelor's thesis (ORTO3900) abroad. The thesis and any other assignments must be written in English so that they can be read by the academic supervisor and others at the institution.

The exchange agreements provide corresponding opportunities for foreign students who wish to take part of their education at Oslo Metropolitan University.

Oslo Metropolitan University has a special scheme for students who wish to raise their competence in the field of internationalisation. Students can choose between different activities, for example giving or writing academic presentations in English, attending international conferences and organising events with an international content. Students who carry out a certain number of activities are awarded a Certificate of International Learning. Experience shows that students benefit from this competence both during and after their studies.

As the only Norwegian educational institution to train prosthetist/orthotists, it is particularly important for Oslo Metropolitan University that its staff engage in international cooperation in order to comply with the international standards for such education. The staff participate in networks, projects and research collaboration with colleagues in other countries, and foreign guest lecturers are used in teaching activities.

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for a student to be assessed/permitted to take the exam. The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development. Many coursework requirements are organised as modules, see the section `Skills training¿. The teaching plans provide more detailed information about which skills included in the requirements in the individual modules.

The lecturer assesses the required coursework as approved/not approved. Students are normally given two attempts at each coursework requirement before the ordinary exam. A third attempt is given before resit and rescheduled exams. If it is not possible for the second and, if relevant, the third, attempt to be carried out in the same way as the first, the student must complete an alternative assignment.

If the third attempt at a coursework requirement is not approved, the student must move down a year.

Compulsory attendance

A minimum attendance requirement of 80% applies to all parts of the programme where the students cannot achieve the learning outcomes on their own. This includes introductions to modules and topics, group work, modules, skills training, seminars and presentations of different types of work. Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements, see the module descriptions.

The minimum attendance requirement for practical training modules is 90%. In the event of absence of between 10 and 20%, the practical training enterprise must consider, in consultation with the university college, whether it is possible to make up for the absence at the enterprise. The students cannot take it for granted that this will be possible. Students whose absence exceeds 20% must move down a year.

The assessment arrangements are intended to assess the students regularly throughout the programme in order to promote learning, while also providing information about study progress and the results achieved to the programme and the student.

Assessment of practical training

The programme lecturers assess whether students have met the coursework requirements for practical training modules, while the students' performance is assessed as pass/fail by their practical training supervisor. The criteria for having achieved the learning outcomes are stipulated in the teaching plans.

The assessment of practical training cannot be appealed, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges Section 5-3(5).

Exam

All modules conclude in an exam or, for the practical training modules, a final assessment, see the table below. Most modules have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam/undergo final assessment. See the module descriptions for more detailed provisions. 

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the module description.

Detailed information will be provided in the guidelines for the individual exams well before the exam date.

For modules where a percentage of the exam papers are randomly selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment shall benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the rest of the papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges Section 5-3 and the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at HiOA Section 7-3(2). Grades awarded on reassessment following an appeal are final and cannot be appealed.

Grades awarded for oral and practical exams cannot be appealed. In connection with a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidate(s) who submitted the appeal. This means that all students in the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

All written exam papers, including multiple choice exams, are submitted digitally.

Examiners

One external and one internal examiner will assess at least 20% of the papers. The remaining papers will be assessed by two internal examiners. The external examiner's assessment shall serve as a guideline for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners in order to benefit all the students.

External programme supervisor

The programme has an external programme supervisor who is to contribute to quality assurance and development of the programme. The external programme supervisor should preferably be employed by a Scandinavian educational institution, since Oslo Metropolitan University has the only programme of its kind in Norway. The person in question must understand Norwegian in order to be able to read all the relevant documents that form the basis for the work.

The external programme supervisor is charged with evaluating the programme's structure and coherence, including the relationship between the learning outcomes as described in the programme description, the work and teaching methods and assessment arrangements. The external programme supervisor should normally supervise all the modules in the programme over the course of a three-year period and provide feedback and advice that the academic environment can use in its further work on the quality of education.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the life, physical or mental health, rights and security of users is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the prosthetist/orthotist profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in special cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education.

Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 15 February 2017

Updated 20th March 2018