Computer-Based Simulation in Occupational Therapy Lecture Courses: A Program Evaluation of Simulation Implementation

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited the use of computer-based simulations in occupational therapy educational programs. Research supports computer-based simulations as an alternative to in-person clinical fieldwork experiences. However, a knowledge gap exists for the instructional design and implementation of computer-based simulations within occupational therapy lecture courses. In this program evaluation, faculty explored and implemented computer-based simulations in pediatric lecture courses, combining simulation best practices and varying instructional designs. Entry-level occupational therapy doctorate students shared their perspectives through a survey design quality improvement study. Student responses were gathered using the Simulation Evaluation Tool-Modified (SET-M) questionnaire and Student Feedback Survey to gather quantitative and qualitative data. The SET-M revealed that 87–95% of students agreed that the simulations promoted their learning, and 85.7–100% agreed that the simulations improved their confidence in providing therapy. Qualitative data revealed patterns about experiential learning via technology and the student learning process. Students reported the most learning using productive failure instructional design. However, students preferred using the flipped classroom instructional design to interact with the simulations. Findings suggest that computer-based simulation instructional designs are valuable learning tools in occupational therapy lecture courses.