A curriculum is more than just a collection of courses needed to earn a degree. It is a comprehensive framework for learning shaped by a vision, mission, goals, program outcomes, and a learning assessment plan. This foundational structure informs the content, instructional strategies, learning resources, and experiences, ensuring that every design element is interconnected.
Curriculum design, therefore, is a dynamic ecosystem within the broader contexts of its institution, profession, and division. It begins with understanding the key features of these larger ecosystems that will shape the curriculum’s purpose and direction. To initiate this process, Dr. Barb Hooper, Division Chief and an educational expert in occupational therapy, brought together a diverse team of practitioners, educators, entrepreneurs, and scholars to design the curriculum. The team thoroughly analyzed data from various stakeholders, including Duke leaders, global experts in occupational therapy, leaders in U.S. occupational therapy education, practitioners, and the curriculum team's expertise.
The team discovered that Duke values innovation, leadership, collaboration, and various perspectives. We also learned that occupational therapy globally is increasingly focused on meeting the occupational needs of communities and populations and demonstrating the impact of occupational therapy services.
The team also explored various educational theories and models to guide occupational therapy teaching at Duke. The curriculum incorporates integrative learning, transformative learning, and idea-based learning principles. These approaches are encapsulated in a unique educational model for occupational therapy developed by Dr. Hooper: the Subject-centered Integrative Learning Model (SCIL-OT). The SCIL-OT model is the foundation for the curriculum design, providing a framework that ensures both faculty and students remain focused on the fundamental concept at the heart of occupational therapy—human occupation as a source of health, well-being, and flourishing. By adopting the SCIL-OT model, we reinforce the vision of occupational therapy and education that we uphold at Duke.