OCCT11002 - Introduction to Occupational Therapy Theory and Practice

Showing: 2026 HE Term 2
General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will provide you with a clear understanding of the fundamental theoretical frameworks that guide occupational therapy practice. An historical overview of the profession will be presented so that you can contrast the changes and plot the evolution of occupational therapy practice from the profession's foundations to the present day. The practical application of occupational theory as it drives contemporary occupational therapy practice will be introduced via one key occupational therapy practice model. You will be introduced to the regulatory and professional bodies guiding ethical occupational therapy practice locally and internationally. Skill development will focus on the acquisition of qualiative and quantitative information gathering techniques including interviewing and the application of standardised and non-standardised assessments.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026

Term 1 - 2027 Profile
Bundaberg Cairns Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 30%
2. Practical and Written Assessment 40%
3. Presentation and Written Assessment 30%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE comments
Feedback:
 Students found concentrating for the entirety of long classes to be challenging.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that more breaks and variety in learning activities be introduced to class content to enable continued concentration and engagement.

Action Taken:
 Regular breaks and varied learning activities were scheduled into the workshops.
Source: SUTE comments; informal student feedback
Feedback:
 Students requested more guidance and exemplars for the interview practice.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that increased use of demonstration be incorporated into interview practice classes, including the use of video resources.

Action Taken:
 Demonstration of interview techniques was included in the workshops, as well as providing access to example interview videos.
Source: SUTE comments
Feedback:
 Some students found the Assessment #1 task challenging to understand.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that this assessment task be reviewed, and if retained ensure all instructions are sufficiently clear.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Source: SUTE comments, informal feedback to educators
Feedback:
 Practical content was appreciated, with more requested.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that increased practical content be introduced to workshops in order to support concepts learned in lectures.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Source: SUTE comments, Educator reflection, External assessment by course reviewers
Feedback:
 Some students are challenged to understand and visualise the application of class content to clinical practice.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that the order of content in the two Year 1 OCCT units be reviewed and rearranged as needed so that students can be engaged in practical, clinically relevant activities across the whole year.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Source: SUTE comments, Educator reflection, internal curriculum review
Feedback:
 While a highly valued component of the unit, interviewing may be better placed in Term 2.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that communication and interviewing content be moved to Term 2, with activity analysis moved from Term 2 to Term 1.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Source: SUTE comments, Unit Coordinator observations and reflection.
Feedback:
 Students at this level find it difficult to engage in content at the remote campus without an onsite educator.

Recommendation:
 It is recommended that staffing allocations be considered to provide more coverage on the far campus.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the theory and philosophy that underpins the profession of occupational therapy
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the development and scope of the occupational therapy profession over time
  3. Describe the occupational therapy practice process across various contexts
  4. Conduct person-centred information gathering processes.

This content contributes to the development of Occupational Therapy Australia Competencies for Entry Level Practitioners.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment • • •
2 - Practical and Written Assessment • •
3 - Presentation and Written Assessment •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • •
2 - Problem Solving • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
8 - Ethical practice • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • • •
2 - Practical and Written Assessment • • • • •
3 - Presentation and Written Assessment • • • • • •