Leader: Dr Ted Brown

Offered

Peninsula Second semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

Includes an overview of the skills necessary to critique and evaluate the usefulness and quality of research evidence. Students will be guided through the research evidence on different research methodologies and analyses to further understand research paradigms and critique research literature supporting evidence for their practice. Students will be introduced to sampling, hypothesis testing, measurement concepts and statistics. Components of evidence-based practice will be introduced related to OT. The McMaster Guidelines for Critical Review Form for quantitative and qualitative studies will be used to evaluate the relevant evidence. Students will complete a critically appraised paper.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

Theme 5: Research

1. describe the assumptions underpinning various research paradigms;

2. describe and demonstrate quantitative research methods relevant to occupational therapy practice: scientific method, research questions, hypothesis testing, sampling methods, research designs (eg non-experimental, experimental, quasi-experimental designs, single-case design, surveys, and randomised control trials);

3. describe and demonstrate qualitative research methods relevant to occupational therapy practice: basic premises, research questions, sampling methods, research designs (eg in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, ethnography, action research, and discourse analysis);

4. describe components sampling theory and hypothesis testing (eg standardisation, normal distribution, null and alternate hypothesis, type I & II errors, statistical power);

5. describe general measurement concepts: levels of measurement, reliability, validity, clinical utility, sensitivity to change;

6. calculate basic statistics for data sets (eg measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, degrees of freedom, statistical significance, inferential statistics, parametric statistics, nonparametric statistics);

7. critique research evidence using the McMaster Guidelines for Critical Review Form - Quantitative Studies; and

8. critique research evidence using McMaster Guidelines for Critical Review Form - Qualitative Studies.

Assessment

Critically appraised paper: quantitative research (1200 words): 20%
Critically appraised paper: qualitative research (1200 words): 20%
two one hour wriiten exams made up of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions :30%(each)
Hurdle requirement: attendance at 80% of tutorials.

Prerequisites

PSY1022

Co-requisites

Available to students enrolled in Bachelor of Occupational Therapy only