The active participation of students in their own placement learning is encouraged and is a positive skill for students to learn as they move towards graduation as an occupational therapy practitioner.  A range of tools have been developed by the profession to support students getting organised for a placement.  These include:

  • iQIPP- AH Guide for Students.  IQIPP stands for Improving Quality in Practice Placements – Allied Health and is a series of guides for students, universities, practice educators and practice placement organisations to assist with the preparation of and reflection on placement quality.  Please contact your university placement co-ordinator for a copy of the guide and encourage your student to complete their guide in preparation for placement.
  • Student activity plans (SAPs) have been developed within the Occupational Therapy Clinical Education Program (OTCEP) in Queensland Health as a method to communicate planned learning activities and training which are tailored to the needs of the student, the demands of the placement setting and the requirements of the organisation.  A SAP (see example) is an interactive word document which lists planned learning activities and may include imbedded documents for easy reference to learning tools such as reflective worksheets. Within placement settings SAP templates may be developed that can be modified in preparation for each placement (see SAP tip sheet).  

Video: Helping Your Student Get Organised

Jodie Copley is an OT Lecturer and Researcher at The University of Queensland in Brisbane. Here, Jodie provides her unique insights into some essential tips and suggestions you can use to help your student get organised on placement. 

Resources: Further great resources from the OTCEP are available here:

Tip Sheet: Promoting a Positive Learning Environment.pdf

Tip Sheet: Overview of student activity plans.doc

Template: Student Activity Plan Template.doc