Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 38

FEATURE STUDENT EDUCATION
The power of creativity
Emma Dudzinski and Sarah Drake look at creativity in the occupational
therapy curriculum at the University of East Anglia
T
he University of East Anglia set up creative
projects in 2010 as an innovative opportunity
for third year undergraduate occupational
therapy students to make connections
between occupational science theory and creative
media.
The creative project replaces six weeks of formal
teaching and offers the opportunity for students to
be self-directed in their learning.
1
Background and rationale
1. Identity pot design ideas.
2. Students Nathan Foulger
and Ada Jones making
their identity pots.
The creative project was designed to facilitate the students’
personal and professional development through engagement
2
in creative occupations, problem solving, reflection and
teamwork (Collins et al 2011).
The European University Association (2007) states that it is important to embed creativity within
education in order to encourage the development of problem-solving abilities. As highlighted by
Rogaten and Moneta (2016), there is consensus amongst educational researchers that creativity is an
essential ability required for adaptation in a constantly changing work environment.
Creativity is at the core of the occupational therapy profession (Schmid 2004), however the use of
3
creative activities in occupational therapy practice appears to have declined over the years (Perruzza and
Kinsella 2010).
We were keen for our students to learn more about the relationship between creativity, occupational science
and health and wellbeing. We wanted the students to have the opportunity to reflect on how creative media could
be used to express feelings, increase self‐awareness, improve problem solving and enhance learning (Creek 2008).
3. Identity pots made by
the winning group.
The creative process
Working in small groups, students design an intervention based on a creative activity to support an identified group
of people to meet their occupational needs. The intervention is aimed at a group of people who are not usually
engaged by occupational therapists in creative activity, for example refugees and survivors of domestic violence.
The intervention must have meaning for the specified group, potential to be a transformative experience and
potential to be delivered in a cost-effective and sustainable way.
Examples from this year’s cohort include puppet making for refugees to help them learn English and express
their identity, and a cooking group for young people with a gaming disorder.
The creative project builds on student-led sessions in the second year, which focus on occupational justice,
deprivation, identity, balance, adaptation and dark occupations. Students apply two of these occupational science
concepts to their project and utilise any form of creative media to present their work, such as film making, textiles
and photography.
Students develop a business plan for their intervention and receive supportive teaching at the start of the
semester from a local innovation hub to support idea development and business planning.
A faculty member is assigned to each project group to advise and guide students through the creative process
and ensure ethical boundaries are maintained.
Presentation of creative projects
This year, on completion of the creative project, students pitched their project ideas to their peers and a panel
comprising university lecturers, occupational therapists and staff from the local innovation hub.
38 OTnews July 2019