Bachelor's Programme in Occupational Therapy Programme description

Practical training is the parts of the programme that take place in real-life working situations. Practical training is compulsory and worth 90 credits. It is organised in such a way that the students get to work with patients in different age groups and participate in interprofessional cooperation. Through the practical training, students are assigned tasks that provide the opportunity to discover and explore clinical nursing issues, and which require them to work in an evidence-based and patient-centred manner. The practical training is an important arena for developing new knowledge, skills and competence.

Efforts are made to allow all students to carry out practical training in different arenas. Students must adhere to the practical training establishment's rules for clothing, and the establishment may also have special requirements concerning tests and vaccinations.

Skills training in the programme will not be divided by gender. Nor can the practical training be expected to be divided by gender.

The practical training takes place in Oslo and in the Eastern part of the country, and commutes are therefore to be expected. Each week of the practical training is planned with an expected workload of 40 hours, and students are required to attend 90 per cent of the practical training. In the municipal health service, the practical training places will comprise health centres, municipal emergency inpatient units, nursing homes, residential care homes and home-based services; while the practical training places in the specialist health service are mainly in hospitals. A practical training schedule is prepared for each practical training period, and will show an overview of the training during the day, evening, night and weekends and all planned activities. The practical training schedule is a cooperation between the educational institution, practical training establishment and the student.

During the practical training period, students receive supervision from a practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer. The supervision is intended to support the learning process in order for the student to achieve the learning outcomes for the practical training period. The practical training is assessed as passed or failed by the practical training supervisors in cooperation with the contact lecturer at the university.

Students who exceed the maximum permitted absence will fail the practical training period and are deemed to have used one of their attempts. For more information about practical training, see the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Inspirational practical training

The aim of the inspirational practical training is for students to gain some insight into professional practice and experience of specific nursing tasks early on in the study programme. Groups of two to three students receive supervision preferably from third year students, who have the responsibility for preparing the teaching activities. The inspirational practical training is a coursework requirement and part of the course SYKKSYKP1000.

Project-based practical training

The aim is to delve into issues related to the nursing discipline, elucidated with the help of relevant literature and practical training. Project-based practical training is carried out in groups with supervision from the contact lecturer. The project-based practical training is carried out as part of the courses SYKK/SYKPRA40. In the course SYKK / SYKP3000, the students work interprofessional.

The increasing globalisation of the labour market makes international experience and knowledge of languages and cultures more and more relevant for the profession. Internationalisation also provides insight into globalisation in general and contributes to improving the quality of the programme and strengthening the academic environment. Knowledge of international conditions is also important for developing knowledge in the nursing discipline.

Exchanges

Students at OsloMet are encouraged to take parts of the programme at an institution abroad. The programme has many partners abroad that might be relevant for students wanting to go on an exchange. Students can take three to six months of the programme in the fourth, fifth or sixth semester abroad. The students can travel on exchange a maximum of 2 times during the study programme. The 4th semester is specially arranged for exchange.

In the 4th semester, you can travel abroad for a whole semester or parts of the semester to follow practice or theory courses at one of our partner universities. You can also travel for a 3-month public health internship to one of our internship partners. You then follow the elective SYK2850 Public Health in a Global Perspective, where you are guided both by a supervisor from OsloMet and from the institution where you have your internship. In addition to being your elective in the 4th semester, the course replaces SYKK/SYKPRA40 og SYKK/SYKP1050.

In the 5th semester you will find opportunities for exchange in practice for a whole semester, while in the 6th semester it is mainly possible to exchange for a 3-month practice.

Criteria for student exchanges and information about stays abroad, can be found here: https://student.oslomet.no/utveksling-hv

Internationalisation at home

The study programme boasts a multicultural student environment and focuses on cultural diversity and global issues. This approach contributes to greater understanding and improves the ability to work in a professional capacity in a diverse society. The English literature in the syllabus provides students with experience in reading academic literature and international research. An understanding of English academic literature is important to be able to actively participate in the international nursing community.

Academic staff affiliated to the study programme are part of international networks and research cooperation. Cooperation with colleagues from other countries contributes to internationalisation, for instance by inviting guest researchers and lecturers to OsloMet. This mainly takes place in the fourth semester, which consists of English-speaking courses. These courses are taken alongside inbound exchange students at OsloMet.

An overview of the courses available in the fourth semester:

• SYKK/SYKPP1050 Public Health and Health Management, 5 credits
• SYKK/SYKPRA40 Promotion of Health and Prevention of Illness, 5 credits
• SYK28xxA and B, Elective courses, 5 credits
• SYKK/SYKP1060 Evidence-Based Practice, 5 credits
• SYKK/SYKP1070 Technology and Society, 5 credits

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. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the relevant course description.

The purpose of the coursework requirements is to:

• promote progress and academic development
• encourage students to seek out and acquire new knowledge
• facilitate cooperation on and communication about nursing issues

The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance, oral presentations, written assignments and tests. The coursework requirements are designed in a way that helps students to develop competence in line with the learning outcome descriptions in the course. Students are normally given three attempts at passing the required coursework. As far as possible, the second attempt will be given before the ordinary exam/assessment, unless otherwise stated in the course description. A third and final attempt is normally given before resit and rescheduled exams. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme. Required coursework is carried out individually or in groups.

Attendance

Attendance is compulsory for teaching activities covering subject matter that the student cannot acquire on his or her own. The minimum attendance requirement for scheduled and supervised group work and seminars is 80 per cent. The students are required to attend 90 per cent of the practical training and simulation and skills training.

From autumn 2022 - The students are required to attend 90 per cent of the practical training, simulation and skills training, lectures, seminars and group work which is related to practical training.

If a student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the person responsible for the course/lecturer will consider whether it is possible to compensate for absence by meeting alternative requirements, for instance oral or individual written assignments. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed.

Written and digital work

Written and digital coursework requirements can be written work, work submitted in various forms, multiple choice questions etc. Coursework requirements that are not approved must normally be improved or retaken. The person responsible for the course/lecturer will assess whether alternative coursework can be carried out. This is agreed between the individual student/group and the person responsible for the course/lecturer.

Activities

Compulsory activities can include oral presentations, observation, participation in specific courses and workshops, simulation, practical skills tests, supervision etc. Coursework requirements that are not approved, must normally be improved or retaken. The person responsible for the course/lecturer will assess whether alternative coursework can be carried out. This is agreed between the individual student/group and the person responsible for the course/lecturer.

Different forms of assessment are used on the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the various courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. During the programme, the students will be given advice, supervision and assessments of their performance. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

The assessment of exams and practical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

The forms of assessment and criteria are described in each course description. All courses taken will be stated on the diploma.

Assessment

The grades used are pass/fail or a grade scale with letter grades from A to F, where A is the highest grade, E is the lowest pass grade and F is a fail. In connection with group exams, all students in the group are awarded the same grade.

Resits/rescheduled exams

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description. In special cases, resit and rescheduled exams in courses with group exams may be held as individual exams.

Appeals against grades

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In connection with group exams, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidate(s) who submitted the appeal. The other students will keep their original grade.

Assessment of practical training

Practical training is assessed as pass or fail and is assessed by the practical training supervisors in cooperation with the contact lecturer at the university. The final decision on whether to award a pass or fail grade is made by the university.

The assessment takes its point of departure in given criteria based on learning outcomes for the course, assessment criteria, the continuous assessment, the suitability assessment and compulsory activities carried throughout the practical training.

To pass the practical training, the student also must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The practical training requires at least 90% attendance.

• Less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• Between 10–20% absence: If possible, the student can make up for the practical training missed. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the supervisor at the university.
• More than 20% absence: The student must retake the whole clinical training course

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence and does not have a valid reason for absence, the practical course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt.

If the student has failed the practical training twice, he/she must normally leave the programme. Reference is also made to the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet, chapter 8, Supervised practical training – Number of attempts.

One or more of these criteria is the basis for the grade Failed in practical training in bachelor's Programme in Nursing at OsloMet:

The student:

• has not complied with the attendance requirement or failed to attend practice training without a valid reason and without giving notice
• has not achieved learning outcomes and completed compulsory activities / written documentation made visible in the assessment form established for the practical training period
• has endangered the patient's life and health by going beyond the limits of their own competence
• has not requested or taken into account guidance, or shown a willingness to acquire a lack of knowledge or competence
• shows lack of self-insight
• shows a lack of language and/or communication skills (from autumn 2023)

Suitability assessment

The suitability assessment is a continuous overall assessment that takes place throughout the study programme. Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. If the student shows signs of posing a threat to patients’ and/or colleagues' physical and mental health, rights and safety, questions should be raised about whether the person is fit to practice the profession. Staff from the university or the practical training establishment and fellow students can submit a notification of reasonable doubt. Students must be informed as early as possible that the notification has been submitted. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme.

The aim is to assess whether the students have the professional and personal preconditions required to work as a nurse. More detailed provisions about the assessment of suitability can be found in the Regulations relating to suitability assessment in higher education (2006).

https://student.oslomet.no/skikkethetsvurdering

Transfer discussion - from autumn 2022If a student or subject teacher/contact teacher reports a need for a transfer discussion, an interview can be called before the next course. In some cases, the head of studies and a representative of the Section for Academic Affairs may also attend.

The purpose of the transfer discussion is to clarify how the student can implement their learning outcomes in the best possible way in the next course, by facilitating various learning challenges and guidance needs.

External programme supervisor

The study programme has an external programme supervisor in line with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. The external programme supervisor is charged with evaluating the examination and assessment in:

• SYKK/SYKP1200 Microbiology and Infection Control
• SYKK/SYKP1300 Pharmacology and Administration of Medicine
• SYKK/SYKPPRA40 Promotion of Health and Prevention of Illness

The study programme is based on the national regulations relating to a common curriculum for health and social care education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 6 September 2017, and the regulations relating to the national guidelines for nursing education adopted on 15 March 2019, with amendments of 1 December 2019. Nursing education in Norway is also subject to an EU directive. The directive concerns provisions regarding approval of academic qualifications for regulated professions in the EU and EEA. The study programme is in accordance with Directive 2005/36/EC on approvals of professional qualifications, with later amendments including Directive 2013/55/EU.

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences, 21 November 2019

Last adjusted by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences 23 January 2023

Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Nursing and Health Promotion

The programme description applies to students starting the programme in 2021.

The work and teaching methods will facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and general competence and have the greatest possible transfer value to professional practice. Emphasis is therefore placed on using a variety of work methods and alternating between theoretical studies and practical training. Teaching activities should stimulate active learning and engagement.

The occupational therapy programme aims to educate independent, creative and flexible candidates who are capable of dealing with social change and cultural diversity. Therefore, emphasis is placed not only on the content, but also on the learning process itself, whereby the students develop critical thinking, clinical reasoning and the ability to cooperate; skills for lifelong learning.

The students will receive follow-up throughout the programme in the form of supervision and feedback. In some cases, the students will assess each other’s work and provide feedback to each other (peer reviews). Students who have progressed further in the programme can be required to teach students at lower levels.

More detailed descriptions of the most common work and teaching methods used in the programme are provided below. The individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Independent work

As an occupational therapist it is important to be able to work independently, but at the same time cooperation in different arenas is essential. Independent work will therefore include both cooperation with fellow students and individual work. Students are expected to work independently with the curriculum, digital resources, assignments and teaching preparations, and are also responsible for their common learning environment.

Skills training

The students acquire skills through practical training with each other, through role play, simulation or together with users/patients. They develop the therapist role through supervision and teaching that promote reflection on their own professional practice.

Activity analysis

Activity analysis means that the students work systematically on activities through testing and observation where they apply analysis tools and terminology to understand all factors that influence occupational performance. This might include risk assessments, analysis of the influence of the environment, the skills and functions required to perform activities, activities’ possibilities for grading and adaptation, and analyses of occupational activities’ roots in culture and society.

Seminars

Seminars can be in the form of case-based teaching where the students solve complex assignments based on cases from their practical training. Seminars can also be discussion forums that emphasise different perspectives on key topics, or that help to summarise learning outcomes at the end of a course. Seminars normally require the students to come prepared, for example by using digital resources such as video clips or podcasts, academic texts, articles and interactive assignments.

Project work/Field work

Students often work on project assignments in groups over time. Projects often entail field work off campus.

Lectures

Lectures are primarily used to present new subject matter, explain connections, review cases from practical training or highlight main elements in important topics.

Group work and student-driven teaching

Group work is as a learning method used in most courses. Work on different issues, exchange of ideas and solving assignments together strengthen the students’ competence in group leadership, collaboration and communication. The programme emphasises the importance of students learning from each other. Occupational therapists must be able to teach, supervise and advise others, which is why parts of the teaching is student-driven. Students give lectures to each other, present projects, summarise experiences and discuss and provide feedback on each other’s assignments.

Practical training makes up one third of the programme. Each year of the programme includes a period of practical training, and the forms of practical training will vary for individual students. Practical training is supervised. This means that a supervisor from the practical field follows up the student throughout their practical training in cooperation with the contact lecturer from the university. During the first part of the practical training, the student, in cooperation with the practical training supervisor, will write a cooperation agreement where the learning outcomes for the practical training are specified in relation to how the student is to achieve the learning outcomes in the individual practical training establishment. The cooperation agreement must show how the student is to apply theory in practice, and it must be approved by the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university. The learning outcome descriptions must be concrete, relevant, realistic and measurable.

During the practical training, the students must learn to plan, carry out and evaluate the professional practice of occupational therapy. The practical training is an important arena for practising and learning occupational therapy through experience, and for strengthening the students’ professional identity. During the practical training, the students work on different assignments related to the learning outcomes as an integrated part of the practical training.

Assessment of practical training takes its point of departure in the learning outcomes in the course, the cooperation agreement and the formative assessment. The formative assessment, i.e. the assessment of the students’ knowledge, skills, general competence and suitability carried out during the period practical training, is summarised halfway through the period and at the end of it.

Practical training takes place in an interprofessional context in the municipality and specialist health service and in other arenas where occupational therapists work. The programme's location in the city provides opportunities for close cooperation with university hospitals and city districts. Practical training can also be organised as projects with public, private and voluntary parties where the students work in arenas that promote persons’ occupation and participation.

The practical training establishments that cooperate with the occupational therapist programme at OsloMet are primarily located in Oslo or elsewhere in Eastern Norway. The students must expect some travel in connection with the practical training. The students follow the practical training establishment’s rules for clothing. The various establishments may also have special requirements for tests and vaccinations. Separate attendance requirements apply to practical training, see ‘Assessment of practical training’.

Increasing globalisation of the labour market and rapid social changes make international professional experience and knowledge of languages and cultures more and more important. Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community in the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to become global citizens. We understand responsible global citizenship to mean attitudes and values, a way of thinking about ourselves and others, an awareness of how our actions affect others, respect and concern for the well-being of others and a commitment to certain types of actions to meet global challenges (cf. the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Leask, B., 2015).

A focus on multicultural and global issues in the programme prepares the student to work professionally in a multicultural society. International academic literature provides the students with specialised terminology in English and relevant knowledge of international relevant professional trends.

Internationalisation takes place both through activities on campus in Norway and through exchanges to institutions abroad.

Students can normally take up to six months of their programme abroad. Students can go on exchanges in the 4th, 5th and 6th semester in connection with the courses ERGOBPRA2, ERGOB3900, ERGOBPRA3 and ERGOB3000. Similarly, foreign students can arrive in the spring semester and take the courses ERGOB1050, ERGOB1060, ERGOBPRA1 and parts of ERGOB3000 together with first and third year occupational therapy students, in addition to the course Technology and Society, which can be taken together with other students at OsloMet.

Reference is made to the criteria that apply to student exchanges and the information about stays abroad.

The courses ERGOB1060 Evidence-Based Practice in Health Care and ERGOB1070 Technology and Society are taught entirely in English. Other courses can also be taught entirely in English to international students if required. The students can decide whether they wish to write their bachelor’s thesis in English or Norwegian. Students who go on exchanges must write their thesis in English if the exchange stay is in a country outside Scandinavia.

Students who undertake different activities with an international and multicultural angle may qualify for the 'Certificate of International Learning' (CIL). Read more about CIL on OsloMet's website.

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the assessment/exam and/or complete practical training. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the relevant course description.

The purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the development of the therapy role.

 The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance and different types of written assignments. Completion of certain activities can also be a requirement, see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

The programme emphases on a good social learning environment with student-active learning forms. To develop knowledge, skills, suitability and therapeutic competence, the students are required to attend teaching activities. The minimum attendance requirement for scheduled teaching activities is therefore 80%. Some seminars and lectures are not compulsory; these will be marked in the time schedule.

If a student exceeds the limit for absence, the lecturer must assess whether and how the student can compensate for the absence. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed. If the absence cannot be compensated, the student’s progress in the programme will be delayed.

The practical training courses require at least 90% attendance. For more information about the requirements that apply to the practical training, see ‘Assessment of external practical training’ below.

Written assignments

Several courses have written assignments as coursework requirements. Written work that is not approved must be reworked before re-submission. If the work is not approved on re-submission, the student cannot take the ordinary exam.

Students are entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled exam. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

More detailed requirements for written work, deadlines etc. are set out in the teaching plan for the course in question.

Different forms of assessment are used on the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the various courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. During the programme, the students will be given advice and guidance and their performance will be assessed. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

The assessment of exams and practical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in each course description. All exams taken and the title of the bachelor’s thesis will be stated on the diploma.

Exams

Each course, except the three practical training courses, is concluded in the form of an exam. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, and what is assessed is whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes. The grades used are pass/fail or letter grades from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

Most courses have coursework requirements that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

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

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are assessed 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 assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. For a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of practical training

Practical training is assessed as pass/fail. Assessment of practical training takes its point of departure in the learning outcomes in the course, the cooperation agreement and the formative assessment. The formative assessment, i.e. the assessment of the students’ knowledge, skills, general competence and suitability carried out during the period practical training, is summarised halfway through the period and at the end of it.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The practical training courses require at least 90% attendance. The attendance requirement includes both the time spent at the practical training establishment and the teaching provided as part of the programme. The following also applies for absence:

• less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• between 10–20% absence: The student can make up for the practical training/teaching missed, if this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university.
• more than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the practical course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt.

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 physical or mental health, rights and safety of his/her patients and colleagues 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 occupational therapy 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.

External Programme Supervisor

The study programme has an external programme supervisor in line with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. 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 courses 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.

Programme Description:

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 21 October 2019.

Applies to students starting the programme in 2020.