Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions: Follow-Up on Changes Within Canadian Academic and Fieldwork Curricula.
Diane MacKenzie, Mary Roduta Roberts, Rose Martini and 2 others
PMID 39801139WHAT IT FOUND
Canadian occupational therapy programs were back to in-person teaching and pre-pandemic graduation timelines by 2023, keeping some online elements.
Fieldwork placements are still hard to fill, and educators still flag students' communication and interpersonal skills as a concern.
Key findings
01By 2023 the pandemic disruptions to Canadian occupational therapy programs had largely reversed: no program reported students finishing late in 2023, down from four programs in 2021 and one in 2022, and face-to-face lectures, labs and problem-based learning had all increased again.
02Fieldwork was the main unresolved problem. Programs reported fewer placement offers, attributed to preceptor burnout and workforce shortages, with some sites ending placements early or being less willing to take early-level students.
03Concerns about students' communication and interpersonal skills continued, and programs split delivery accordingly: hands-on skills such as transfers stayed in person everywhere, while two programs moved communication-heavy skills online and one moved group facilitation and dynamics entirely online.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study reports what educators perceived, not measured student outcomes. No competency, exam or placement performance data were collected, so it cannot show what online or hybrid delivery did to learning. Respondents were asked to recall details of academic years up to three years earlier, so the reported numbers may be imprecise. Not every program answered every question and respondents could skip sections, so the number of responses varies from question to question and percentages can be hard to compare. Only one person took part in the planned follow-up interview, so the qualitative half of the intended mixed methods design is almost absent. The authors note the findings may not apply to all Canadian occupational therapy programs or regions.
Declared interests
The authors report that they received no financial support for the research, authorship or publication of the article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the concerns about online learning as proof that it damaged students' skills. This study collected educators' perceptions only and no student competency or exam data, so it cannot show what online delivery did to learning.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →