Instructional Insights: Learnings from a Case Study of Collaborating with an Individual with Lived Experience in Occupational Therapy Education.

Abstract

This case study shares the knowledge gained from working with an individual having lived experience of a health condition contributing toward an occupational therapy education module through the reflections of an occupational therapy academic and an individual with lived experience working in a university. The primary goal is to establish an empirical evidence base for involvement of people with lived experience in occupational therapy education and to encourage other educators and individuals with lived experience to follow this model of teaching and learning in their curricula. Based on the belief that teaching and learning through co-production creates a ‘triangle’ of benefit for individuals with lived experience, students and academics. Individuals with lived experience are seen as powerful, independent, and strong despite their medical condition. Students learn more about important aspects of service provision beyond direct medical and therapy knowledge and academics learn about and model this new way of working. The aim is to promote development of co-production learning activities in occupational therapy education.