The historic city of Krakow, Poland recently played host to the 1st OT-Europe Congress, a landmark event for the profession of occupational therapy. Co-organized by the Polish Association of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Europe, this congress brought together leading experts and practitioners from across Europe to share insights, innovations, and advancements in occupational therapy.
One of the highlights of the congress was the active participation of partners from the SIMBA project. The SIMBA team showcased the project through various presentations and posters, highlighting our contributions to the field.
Key Contributions from the SIMBA Project:
- Overview of the SIMBA Project:
- Joke Raats presented a poster detailing the entire SIMBA project, providing attendees with a broad understanding of the project’s scope and objectives.
- Work Package 2:
- Andreja Bartolac presented a poster on focus group studies that provided an overview of stakeholders’ perspectives informing the development of the Framework of key professional OT competencies and Guidelines for the application of SBL in OT education
- Claire Sangster Jokíć delivered an oral presentation elaborating on the Framework and Guidelines, offering deeper insights into their development and application.
- Work Package 3:
- Katrin Pechstädt gave an oral presentation on the development of an assessment tool designed to evaluate student competencies in simulation-based learning, a crucial component for measuring the effectiveness of this innovative educational method.
- Work Package 4:
- Ahmet Emir presented a paper on the creation of simulation scenarios that support simulation-based learning within (European) occupational therapy curricula, emphasizing the practical applications of these scenarios in educational settings.
The SIMBA team was pleasantly surprised by the widespread interest and enthusiasm for simulation-based learning within the occupational therapy education community. The congress provided an excellent platform for networking, exchanging ideas, and forging potential collaborations for future projects.
Overall, the 1st OT-Europe Congress was a resounding success for the SIMBA project consortium, marked by productive discussions and valuable presentations. The event not only highlighted the advancements in the field but also inspired our team to continue our hard work and dedication to improving occupational therapy education through the development and implementation of simulation-based learning in occupational therapy.