Outcomes Among Student-Clinicians After Participation in LEGO® Club: A Service-Learning Pilot Program

This project explores the impact of an interprofessional (IP) service-learning activity on occupational therapy (OT) and speech-language pathology (SLP) students. Service-learning, paired with reflection and debriefing, can support desired learning outcomes by allowing opportunities for student self-assessment of their own learning in preparation for entry-level practice (Hou & Pereira, 2017). Interprofessional education (IPE) provides students with the knowledge and skills required for team collaboration. In addition, IP collaboration can lead to better health outcomes and increased client satisfaction (Fitzsimmons, Topp, & O’Brien, 2017). Currently, little is known about the outcomes of IPE and collaborative service-learning between OT and SLP students.

LEGO^® Therapy (LeGoff, 2017), an evidence-based social skills program, was chosen as the service-learning program to deliver IPE. Five OT students and four SLP students volunteered to help facilitate a LEGO^® Club. The students worked directly with 10 LEGO^® Club participants, who ranged in age from 5-12 years. LEGO^® Club ran for eight consecutive weeks, with each session lasting 90 minutes. While all OT students and one SLP student were present for the entirety of each session, due to scheduling conflicts the remaining three SLP students were only present for the last 30 minutes of each session. Following each session, all students participated in a group debriefing discussion where they were able to ask questions and share experiences and ideas.

Prior to working with clients, each student created a personalized SMART goal, on which they reflected on their progress toward after each session. The qualitative data these reflections generated were reviewed as part of a QI study as a thematic analysis. All students also completed the Student Self Efficacy Tool- Revised (SSET-R) at baseline, and subsequently after each LEGO^® Club session. Quantitative data was analyzed by identifying the change in SSET-R scores over time. At the end of the LEGO^® Club, all students completed the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Scale (ICCAS), which was also analyzed for quantitative data. Finally, parents and guardians of LEGO^® Club clients were invited to share their feedback on the program.

Analyses of the SSET-R indicate that compared to SLP students, OT students reported a greater improvement in clinical self-efficacy. This may be attributed to OT students spending significantly more time with clients than 3 out of 4 SLP students. Analyses of the ICCAS indicate that while all students reported some improvement in IP collaboration skills, SLP students perceived greater improvement. A ceiling effect was noted in the scores of OT students, likely because OT students had already worked on IP teams during fieldwork experiences. Qualitative results showed that students were able to meet or make substantial progress toward their SMART goals. Themes arose of students feeling better prepared for clinical practice and having a better understanding of the other profession. All parents who provided feedback (n=7) reported that their family enjoyed the program and had interest in participating again.

Interprofessional service-learning activities such as LEGO^® Club are beneficial to OT and SLP students. Length of involvement in the activity may have an impact on learner outcomes, as the students who experienced the full 90 minutes of the activity reported a greater increase in clinical self-efficacy. Students who have not yet completed full-time clinicals with IP teams may show the greatest improvement in IP collaboration skills. To optimize student outcomes, future service-learning activities should ensure that both professions can equally contribute.

References

Fitzsimmons, A., Topp, K. S., & O’Brien, B. C. (2017). Investigation into physical therapist students’ interprofessional experiences during an 8-week clinical clerkship: A qualitative study. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 31(2), 44-53. DIO: 10.1097/00001416-201731020-00006

Hou, S. & Pereira, V. (2017). Measuring infusion of service-learning on student program development and implementation competencies. Journal of Experiential Education, 40(2), 170-186. DOI:10.1177/1053825917699518

LeGoff, D.B. (2004). Use of LEGO® as a therapeutic medium for improving social competence. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 34(5), 557-571. DOI:10.1007/s10803-004-2550-0