Just a quick one (more to come next week) but just to let the world know about another freebie book chapter that is available on the net. Titled "Leading and Managing Occupational Therapy Services: An Evidence-Based Approach" It looks like another one to add to the pile about bringing the evidence world into practice (what some may define as scholarship in practice). The sample chapter available here (pdf) is titled "Introducing others to evidence-based practice". Haven't had time to have a decent look myself yet but the full book details are available at the publishers FA Davis and Amazon for a bargain price (??) of $44 (not yet available in the UK it seems).

Due to a few technical hitches I have no internet connection at home and, until I can get it fixed, the amount I can blog is quite reduced.. So this is really a two part message; 1. Im still here and have lots to add 2. If anyone fancies writing something then contact me. Just to remind you all this isnt really meant to be "Will's Blog" - more of a independent blog for those who have something to contribute but don't want to run a fully fledged site.

I've had quite a few requests to write all sorts of stuff but sadly Im running out of time. Book/product reviews, clinical experiences, the disparity between education and practice, theory v's practice, changes in the healthcare system are just a few ideas. What do you get out of it? The fame of course!

An interesting prototype of a "intelligent" toy can be seen here.

"When children play with toy cars they tell stories; they provide their own narration, voice-overs, and special effects - rolling cars over and over in slow motion and making dramatically stretched crashing noises.

The HotCam is a manual control (not remote control), toy car with an onboard (driver’s view) video camera and microphone. The HotCam car enables children to record certain ”˜scenes’ in their own stories. The children can then ”˜play’ their captured scenes through a television. In this way HotCam stories can be shared with parents, siblings and friends, and children can re-experience their stories."

Seems like a fantastic opportunity to observe and monitor children during play in real-life situations - unhindered by adults standing over them, or by going to an unfamiliar room with a huge black one-way mirror (observation room I mean!). Note the footage shows not only the child at play but also the social interactions with his sister. Although it is just a prototype Mattel did take on the original designer as an intern so you never know it may be hitting the shelves soon (at a ridiculously high price I dare say)

via Make

I have a far longer article in the works regarding gadgets and gizmos but just thought I would share this one for starters. Im not sure this stuff is available in the UK (anyone??) but at first glance it looks amazing. Called "Plasti-Dip" it comes in a spray can and adds grip to practically any household object. Brilliant. Although it can't claim to turning a tool/utensil into a "oxo good grip" it certainly adds texture to an object that may increase friction. However reading some comments on this product suggests that it does tend to flake. Loctite Color Guard is a suggested alternative (although again, not sure about its availability in the UK) as is "pickup truck bed liner" whatever that is..?!

See this 5 page article on how to use it (via Make)

There are a lot schools using the Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach to educating health professions - including OT which now has a number of courses that are highly PBL focussed.

The theory behind PBL is that education should allow students to "learn how to learn". i.e. rather than teaching reams of facts parrot like fashion, students are given problems - or in Occupational Therapy - cases (e.g. referral information). These are then discussed in groups in a free-form fashion. Sessions are then broken down how the group decides to investigate and problem solve.

In short this method of teaching suits some students and not others. Some, often who traditionally "enjoy" tests and exams or are just used to the assessment approach can find this method of learning painful - "I can't see what we are learning?!" often being the response. Others it works well for. Some would argue that it suits a profession such as OT where questions are rarely known by any one person - a good clinician will be able to find the answers and best approach - that's what matters.

Evidence is for PBL is mixed with a large amount of research investigating as to how competent students feel they are in a given subject post-PBL teaching(see refs below and this page for a list of abstracts). Some new research (6th March 2006) from Washington University suggests that testing students is not only useful to assess a level of skill but also to improve learning and memory:

"Students who self-test frequently while studying on their own may be able to learn more, in much less time, than they might by simply studying the material over and over again," says Henry L. Roediger III, Ph.D. "Incorporating more frequent classroom testing into a course may improve students' learning and promote retention of material long after a course has ended."

( see here for the full press release via bb)

So perhaps a new middle line should be taken? Perhaps PBL teaching needs to highlight that students should self-assess themselves regularly with clear goals to attain. Note that Im stating "self-assess" - not self-evaluate which is commonly used in PBL teaching already. Evaluation of student involvement from a educator is also done. My argument is that you cannot evaluate until you have assessed your own skills - and not just "fact finding skills". This piece of evidence seems to suggest that not only is the assessment worthy but also may improve learning. Surely that's a good thing all round?

Refs:
"Repeated test-taking better for retention than repeated studying, research shows" at : http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-03/wuis-rtb030606.php

de Witt P, Franzsen D (1999) Evaluation of the Students' Experience and Their Learning Approaches in the Problem Based Learning (PBL) Component of the Occupational Therapy Course at the University of the Witwatersrand, South African Journal of OT 29(1):7-9

McCannon R, Robertson D, Caldwell J, Juwah C, Elfessi A (2004)Students' Perceptions of Their Acquired Knowledge During a Problem Based Learning Case Study, Occupational Therapy in Health Care 18(4):13-27

See also: "The PBL Handbook" http://meds.queensu.ca/medicine/pbl/pblhome.htm

Im currently building a nice sortable table of basic grade rotations around the country - where, when they employ, how much and most importantly the posts in each rotation. Until I make it presentable if you have any details about rotations send them to me on links@metaot.com.

It will hopefully be useful - not only if your looking for a rotation round the country but also from a research point of view. There are some rumours circulating that there are fewer basic grade posts this year due to cut-backs. Such a list may put some light on the situation.

Until then if you are looking for band 5 rotations in the NHS click here.

PS: yes, I do intend to do the same list for other bands/grades :)