Multidisciplinary Postgraduate Education in Assistive Technology: Challenges and Opportunities
By Seale, Jane K.; Turner-Smith, Alan R.; RESNA 2001: Annual Conference Proceedings, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 196-198Publication Date: June 2001
Paper exploring the opportunities and challenges that multidisciplinary postgraduate courses in assistive technology (AT) may face. Assistive technology is a shared concern of all those who work in the rehabilitation field. Rehabilitation professionals need to learn how to collaborate and communicate with one another, which is where multidisciplinary education comes into place. Multidisciplinary education involves students from different professions sharing learning of common curricula and learning from their team members through shared activities. The challenges that face postgraduate multidisciplinary education in AT include the fear of rehabilitation professionals losing their identities, student attitudes, and difficulty in deciding on core curricula. To help students' maintain their professional identities, instructors need to try to incorporate multidisciplinary lectures, and show how professionals in each field have a unique identity. In deciding on curricula, content should be equal throughout all disciplines, showing how separate modules contribute to one unique learning experience.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
ISBN: 0-932101-43-7
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number O14193
