This assessment is designed to allow you to present the knowledge you have gained in class and via independent research regarding the occupational therapist's role with adolescents  (12-18 years) experiencing developmental challenge. Presenting to colleagues, peers and clients is an important professional skill for you to master over the course of your degree, and this task is designed to further develop your presentation skills already obtained in Term 1.

This assessment has three (3) component parts:

Task 1 (Group Task):

Working in groups of 3 or 4, you will develop a 15-minute (groups of 3) or 20-minute (groups of 4) professional presentation for delivery in Week 4 of term. 

Your primary task as a group is to select a physical, cognitive, or psychosocial developmental challenge that impacts upon an adolescent’s (12-18 years) occupational participation and performance and to identify and discuss interventions that occupational therapists might use with this population, as evidenced in relevant, recent (i.e., published between 2016 and 2025), peer-reviewed literature (i.e., academic texts or journals).

Your presentation should include the following elements:

1. Background

Based on at least 5 sources, describe the developmental challenge, and identify the person and environment factors that impact occupational participation and performance (using either the PEOP or CMOP-E).  Make sure the audience clearly understands the nature of the developmental challenge, what causes it, and how it impacts occupational performance.  You should also comment on the usual or potential occupational therapy role with individuals and groups impacted by the developmental challenge described.

2. Best evidence

Each member of the group must choose a recent article discussing an occupational therapy intervention addressing the chosen developmental challenge, and present a brief summary of their article within the presentation, which should:

• describe the intervention and any assessments used or recommended by the authors, 
• identify the model or likely model (if not articulated) used by the authors,
• comment on the success (or otherwise) of the intervention,
• comment on the quality of the article (can you trust the results?) 

3. Conclusion

Integrate your research and tell the audience what it all means.  For example:

• What does your research tell us about the current occupational therapy role and practices with adolescents experiencing the chosen developmental challenge?
• Which article reviewed offered the most promising intervention and why?
• Are there any gaps that require further research or interventions that require further development?

4. Class discussion

Five minutes will be allocated for class discussion at the end of each presentation.  To facilitate this discussion, please prepare two questions to pose to the audience.

Presentation Guidelines: 

• the time allocated for each group presentation will be:

• • 15 minutes (± 2 minutes) for groups of 3.   
  • 20 minutes (± 2 minutes) for groups of 4.    
  • 5 minutes (irrespective of group size) to foster discussion with your peers.

• each member of the group is expected to prepare and deliver an equal part of the presentation. 

Task 2 (Group Task):

Your group will compile a PowerPoint resource to support and accompany your presentation. The resource must include on-slide citations and a reference list using APA 7th formatting.

Task 3 (Individual Task):

You are required to complete an individual reflection (500 words maximum) of your experience and learning around the selected developmental challenge and occupational therapy role. Please be sure to follow academic reflection guidelines by including:

• a description (i.e., the who, what, when, where and why) of the experience,
• an analysis (e.g., which component made you think the most; what was particularly challenging or interesting; did anything challenge or reinforce your prior understanding or past learning; are there any theories that help to explain what happened; etc.?) of the experience, and
• an evaluation (e.g., what did you learn; has it changed what you think? Will it change what you do; etc.?) of the experience.

Level of GenAI use allowed

Level 1, No AI: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

Please refer to the Assessment Tile on Moodle for further details.

Please note, the 72-hour grace period does not apply for this assessment.

Tasks 1 & 2:

• accurate and thorough description of the physical, cognitive or psychosocial developmental challenge, including potential personal and environmental impacts on occupational participation and performance (10 marks),
• accurate and detailed discussion of each article, clearly identifying the purpose, the OT model and/or frame of reference, the assessment tools, and the intervention process, including discussion about success/appropriateness of same (25 marks), and
• facilitation and participation in class discussion in Q & A session (5 marks).

Task 3:

• ability to self-evaluate participation in learning process and to identify plan for improving areas of challenge going forward (10 marks).

Total Marks:  40 (group) & 10 (individual) = 25%

Please refer to the Assessment Tile on Moodle for further details.

Please note, the 72-hour grace period does not apply for this assessment.

This research assignment will allow you to identify, review and analyse the current literature on the benefits (or otherwise) of occupational therapy interventions with people in middle adulthood (aged 40-65 years) experiencing occupational participation and performance challenges due to a chronic condition.

The primary goal of this task is to articulate an opinion (i.e., that occupational therapy intervention is beneficial or otherwise) based on evidence.  It will consist of two parts: 

1. An annotated bibliography, including search strategy

2. An oral viva 

The combined tasks require you to:

1. describe the associated physical, cognitive and psychosocial developmental expectations of people in middle adulthood (40-65 years),
2. select and describe a specific chronic condition that may pose a developmental challenge and articulate how it may influence a person’s occupational participation and performance abilities (identify and use an OT model for this),
3. establish a thesis statement (what you plan to argue and how you plan to support your claim),
4. identify, describe, discuss and analyse 3 separate occupational therapy interventions reported in the literature as evidence (or otherwise) for your thesis statement (be sure to use your professional reasoning in identifying both the potential pro’s and con’s of the intervention for your selected chronic condition, and
5. develop a ‘future statement’ (i.e., recommendations for where to from here) using the evidence provided to direct future research and/or your recommendations for appropriate future clinical practice.  
6. demonstrate your search strategy, i.e., how you used research databases and/or AI tools to locate appropriate evidence.
    

Task 1: Annotated Bibliography

For this task, you will use AI tools to assist in researching and summarising academic articles in occupational therapy. You will create an annotated bibliography of 3 peer-reviewed journal articles, published in the past 10 years (i.e., 2016-2025) discussing and synthesising their content in relation to your selected condition of mid-life, and then reflect on the role of AI in your research process.

The objective of this task is to identify, describe, discuss and analyse 3 separate occupational therapy interventions as evidence of your thesis statement.

Completing this task as an annotated bibliography provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your research skills by:

• Developing a thesis statement
• Locating current and relevant peer-reviewed journal articles
• Discussing their application to occupational therapy
• Applying APA referencing style

To complete this assessment, you will:

1. Identify three (3) peer-reviewed journal articles describing occupational therapy interventions for your chosen condition of mid-life.
2. Provide a correct APA 7th edition citation for each article.
3. Write a 150–250 word annotation (per article) summarising the key points and discussing its relevance to your chosen condition.
4. Synthesise the three articles from your annotated bibliography, and write a short summary (e.g., a short paragraph between 150-400 words) describing the key findings from the three articles, and explaining their collective significance to your thesis statement.
5. Write a 150–500 word reflection on your experience using AI in the research process.

Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.

Since this task involves reflecting on your experience using AI, you do not need to cite AI tools when using them for research support. However, your reflection should critically evaluate how AI influenced your research process, its advantages and limitations, and its impact on your learning. The annotations and summary must be your own work, demonstrating critical thinking and synthesis of the literature. AI can support structuring and refining your writing, but the final submission must reflect your analysis and academic voice.

Task 2: Oral viva

You will attend an individual 15-minute oral viva, during which you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding about the middle adulthood developmental stage, and the occupational performance issues relevant to individuals at that stage of life. You will also be asked to describe what you found out about your chosen condition of mid-life and its implications for occupational performance.  Finally, you will have the opportunity to discuss and provide evidence for your thesis statement and your future statement.

A viva is a live Question-and-Answer session where your examiner will ask you questions and record the answers. To facilitate this, Zoom will be used, and you will require the following: 

• Access to a computer/device such as a tablet or mobile phone with a camera. 
• The Zoom link to access the assessment. 
• A stable internet connection. 
• A microphone connected to the computer or device. 
   

Procedure:

• Your examiner will provide an outline of the assessment and ask you a little about yourself. 
• You will have 15 minutes to answer a series of questions, and you may be asked to clarify some of your answers.
• You must remain on camera throughout the assessment unless you have a formal accessibility plan. If this is an issue for you, please contact the accessibility team as soon as possible. 
• You may be prompted by your examiner if more details are required. 
   

Preparation for this assessment task

• Set up in a quiet environment where you won’t be disturbed. 
• Ensure you are available at least 15 minutes before your allocated time. 
• Review the assessment requirements and the assessment criteria. 
• Prepare a brief introduction of yourself, including where you are from and what influenced your decision to research this condition. 
   

Vivas will be conducted on Wednesday or Friday of Week 8 (10 or 12/09/2025), according to a schedule released in Week 6.

Please refer to the Assessment Tile on Moodle for further details.

• theoretical knowledge and interpretation of developmental expectations for middle adulthood (10 marks)
• theoretical knowledge and interpretation of the chronic condition and it's potential impact on occupational participation and performance (10 marks)
• identification, investigation, interpretation, and synthesis of OT interventions currently implemented with people experiencing developmental and occupational challenge due to the specified chronic condition (20 marks)
• identification and explanation of the thesis and future statements (10 marks)
• professional communication (5 marks)
• resources and referencing (5 marks)
• search strategy (5 marks)
• reflection (5 marks)

Total Marks: 70 = 35%

Please refer to the Assessment Tile on Moodle for further detail.

Over the course of your professional practice (WIL) experiences, you will generate a professional practice portfolio using an occupational therapy practice process model, CMOP-E and the Canadian Practice Process Framework (CPPF), as your guide. The portfolio will document your interactions with individual clients, as well as your group-based activities, and your interprofessional education (IPE) experience. This document should be built on as you progress through the term and should include the following sections:

Section 1: Context/background for the intervention sessions (600 words):

• a discussion about social isolation in older people and its implications for their health and wellbeing (you will need to refer to peer reviewed research for this part), and
• a description of the service (CatholicCare CQ) and the clients who use it.

Section 2: The occupational therapy practice process, based on the CPPF:

This section should demonstrate a step-by-step enactment of your engagement with the CPPF, using your professional practice sessions to evidence your work.  You need to include Action Points 3, 4, 5, & 7, as outlined below:

Action Point 3: Assess/Evaluate (Individual Task)

• list and briefly describe each assessment used with the client (<100 words for each assessment), and 
• a synopsis of your assessment results (500 words), including:

• your client’s demographics (age/generation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, living situation, etc), and
• your client’s occupational profile, including occupational history and experiences, patterns of daily living, occupational strengths, occupational challenges, interests, values, hopes/aspirations.

Action Point 4: Agree on Objectives and Plan (Individual Task)

• identify 3-5 overall aims for your client/client group that can be achieved in the context of the ‘Ageing Well Morning Tea’ sessions (this should be linked to the activity you have chosen),
• document a single goal in the format of a SMART goal.

Action Point 5: Implement the Plan (Group Task)

• the activity plan developed as part of your group session, including the rationale for choice of activity, and
• your completed Risk Assessment (using the template provided) for the activity.

Action Point 7: Evaluate Outcome

• (Group Task) progress note documenting your group session (i.e., the session facilitated by you), written in SOAP format, and
• (Individual Task) your personal reflection/s (600 words) about the group session that you implemented, as well about your experiences of the program as a whole.  Include reflection and comment on your commitment to ethical and professional behaviour.

Section 3: Inter-professional perspectives

• documentation from your IPE meetings (inter-professional assessment plan, and intervention plan). 
• a personal reflection (300 words) of the process.

Section 4: A Reference List of readings and resources used to support your learning, in APA 7th format.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 1, No AI: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge

More information about the portfolio components and expectations can be found in the WIL Guide and on the Assessment Tile on Moodle.

• theoretical knowledge and interpretation of the challenges facing older adults in the community (10 marks)
• enactment of the OT practice process (Action Point's 3, 4 & 5) (20 marks)
• enactment of the OT practice process (Action Point 7) (15 Marks)
• ethical practice and professional behaviour (5 marks)
• reflection on performance and learning needs (10 marks)
• professional communication (5 marks)
• resources and referencing (5 marks)
• mandatory attendance (10 marks)

Total Marks: 80 = 40%

Please refer to the Assessment Tile on Moodle for more information.