Jamia Hamdard organises webinar on “Smart Clinical Occupational Therapy Plan during COVID 19 Lock down”
New Delhi: In continuation with the webinar series, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in association with All India Occupational Therapists’ Association (AIOTA) organised a national level webinar on “Smart Clinical Occupational Therapy Plan during COVID 19 Lock down” on 13th June aiming to create various platforms of e-learning, modes of instructions & ways of preparation to be carried out by the faculty as well as students for their presentation of tasks & activities assigned to them after every teaching session.
The webinar got an overwhelming response from more than 30 universities in India as well from abroad and was hosted both on the google meet platform and streamed live on YouTube.
The resource person for the webinar, Dr. Jyothika Bijlani, Dean, Academic Council of Occupational Therapy, AIOTA conducted the whole session in a very efficient manner. She stressed on the fact the All India Occupational Therapists’ Association (AIOTA) is seriously concerned for current educational disruption globally due to long shutdown of the countries threatening the right to education. The laboratory/ practical/ clinical training is utmost affected due to the physical absence of students in the occupational therapy institution.
Under the guidance of President of AIOTA ,Dr Anil K Srivastava, the Academic Council of Occupational Therapy (ACOT) has taken an initiative to prepare a clinical education model titled ‘Smart Clinical OT Educational Plan during COVID-19 Lockdown” for both graduate and post graduate students in Occupational Therapy to keep the clinical learning process going. This e-learning program through the use of technology may prove to be an effective smart clinical educational tool which not only supports the students & the faculty but also restores learning & fulfils the credit hours of clinical education as per the minimum standards of OT education. We are thankful to the faculty of AIOTA accredited colleges in India for their valuable contribution & also executives of AIOTA & ACOT for their full support in preparation of this e- learning program.
Dr.Anil Kumar Srivastava (President, All India Occupational Therapists’ Association) gave the presidential remarks and highlighted that AIOTA has developed “The Smart Clinical OT Educational Plan during COVID-19 Lock Down”. This module is based on the various evidences from other fields of science & suggests novel way of clinical teaching guidelines for Bachelor’s & Master’s Occupational Therapy program in India for effective use of e-learning technology during the Lock-Down period. It may help in overcoming the clinical learning challenges & the loss of clinical learning hours in occupational therapy during this COVID 19 pandemic.
The panellists for the webinar were Dr. Sebestina Anita D’souza, Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dr Anurupa Senapati, Head, Department of Occupational Therapy, NIRTAR and Dr Ruchi Nagar Buckshee, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Hamdard. The panellists emphasized that in the midst of lockdown, the educationalists are facing a great challenge in teaching learning process and using e-learning facility students would be able to engage themselves in the active learning process even in the situation of lockdown or home quarantine and faculty would be able to adapt to this novel way of teaching and achieve the clinical learning objectives by supervising and moderating the sessions.
Under the patronage of Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain and Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ahmed Kamal, the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has always promoted various ICT platforms and taken initiatives for such events. Team Rehab acknowledge and is thankful to Jamia Hamdard administration their positive support and guidance in the successful accomplishment of the webinar.