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Interactive journals: an educational strategy to promote reflection
1School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, McMaster University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
Interactive journals effectively foster reflective skills in occupational therapy students within mental health education. This strategy enhances self-awareness and positive attitude shifts, crucial for clinical reasoning development.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Therapy Education
- Clinical Reasoning
- Mental Health Practice
Background:
- Reflection is vital for clinical reasoning in occupational therapy.
- Mental health practice encourages student introspection and self-awareness.
- Developing reflective skills is a key educational objective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the use of interactive journals in undergraduate occupational therapy mental health curriculum.
- To explore the potential of interactive journals in fostering reflective skills.
- To analyze student experiences with interactive journaling.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative case study design was employed.
- Undergraduate occupational therapy students utilized interactive journals biweekly.
- Faculty provided written feedback within 24 hours to student journals.
- Journal entries were thematically analyzed throughout the course.
Main Results:
- Frequent themes included increased student awareness and openness to mental health practice.
- Students reported positive attitude changes linked to new knowledge and experiences.
- Interactive journaling facilitated personal and professional introspection.
- The strategy demonstrated potential for promoting reflection.
Conclusions:
- Interactive journals are a viable strategy for enhancing reflective practice in occupational therapy students.
- This method supports the development of critical thinking and self-awareness in mental health education.
- Integrating reflective tools like journals can improve learning outcomes in specialized practice areas.