Occupational Therapy

UWL Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Manual

• Table of Contents
• Section 1 - Introduction
• Section 2 - Curriculum Information
• Section 3 - Administration
• Section 4 - Evaluation
• Section 5 - Supervision

• AOTA Self-Assessment Tool for Fieldwork Educator Competency
• AOTA Fieldwork Educator Resources
• AOTA Resources for Fieldwork Education
  • AOTA’s Fieldwork Educators page offers a variety of tools to support those supervising OT students, including guidelines, supervision requirements, competency self-assessments, sample forms, fieldwork publications, and links to educator training programs. Visit the site to explore resources that help you develop and manage high-quality fieldwork experiences.
• AOTA Commission on Education (COE) Guidelines for Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education
  • This open access AOTA document outlines key expectations for Level I and Level II fieldwork, including supervision practices, site roles, and the foundational principles that support effective OT fieldwork education. It is a useful reference for any fieldwork educator seeking clear, nationally aligned guidance.
• AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section (AESIS)
  • AESIS offers mentoring, webinars, and a collaborative community to support occupational therapy educators. These resources help fieldwork and academic instructors strengthen their teaching, mentoring, and professional roles, while staying connected to current trends in OT education.
• AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2020
• John Hopkins Medicine (video_: Fieldwork Education—Becoming an Effective Fieldwork Educator
• Fieldwork Educator’s Guide to Level I Fieldwork (book)
• Fieldwork Educator’s Guide to Level II Fieldwork (book)
• New Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) tool (main page)
  • FWPE Items
  • FWPE Rating & Scoring Guide

• UWL OT Program’s Annual Distinguished Lecture Series
  • Each spring, the UWL Occupational Therapy Program hosts our Distinguished Lecture—an engaging professional development event featuring leading voices in occupational therapy. Level II Fieldwork Educators who supervised a student in the previous year receive free admission, which includes 4 hours of continuing education. Please visit the OT Program’s homepage for annual lecture details and registration information.
• AOTA Fieldwork Educators Certificate Workshop
  • A national 2-day training program designed specifically for fieldwork educators to strengthen supervision, teaching, evaluation, and program development skills. Provides 15 contact hours (1.5 AOTA CEUs).
• AOTA Continuing Education & Professional Development Portal
  • AOTA hosts 200+ CE courses – article-based, video-based, multi-module, and textbook-based Learn & Earn courses. Many topics support supervision, cultural humility, clinical reasoning, teaching/learning frameworks, and practice updates across all settings.
• Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA)
  • WOTA offers ongoing professional development opportunities relevant to fieldwork educators, including a selfpaced Fieldwork Educators Training Course, free and discounted CE webinars, annual conferences, and an ethics series that covers supervision and professional competence. Fieldwork educators can also engage in advocacy and leadership events that strengthen their ability to mentor students.
• ClinEd Web Fieldwork Educators Training Course
  • A self-paced, online, 7-hour AOTA-approved CEU course designed to enhance clinical supervision skills. Developed in collaboration with academic fieldwork coordinators, the course covers supervision techniques, learning styles, effective feedback, and strategies for supporting students in practice.
• OccupationalTherapy.com – Fieldwork & Supervision CE Courses
  • Many AOTA-approved CEUs, including live and on-demand courses specifically about fieldwork education, supervision models, teaching strategies, and student learning.
  • Elevating OT Fieldwork Education: Foundations, Theory & Practical Strategies (Video Course)
    • A video course created specifically for OT fieldwork educators, covering foundational OT beliefs and educational principles, practical clinical teaching strategies, student clinical reasoning, key fieldwork educator competencies, and student-centered, culturally responsive supervision.
• OT Potential Continuing Education
  • AOTA-approved CEUs via podcast-based and live webinar learning. Topics often include professional roles, teaching/learning, mentoring, clinical reasoning, and leadership.

UWL & Campus Resources

• Well-being
• Counseling & Testing Center (Mental Health Services)
• UW System Student Behavioral Health Resource Hub
• Center for Civil Dialogue & Civic Engagement
• Inclusive Excellence – Access, Belonging, & Compliance
• Diversity Resources & Services
• Equity and Inclusion – Statements & Commitment

Other Resources and Supports

• AOTA
  • Inclusive Teaching and Learning for Occupational Therapy Experiential Education
  • Trauma-Informed Care: Developing Fieldwork Competence
  • Strategies for Managing Fieldwork Burnout: Fostering More Self-Awareness, Setting Clearer Objectives, and More
• Articles and Evidence Supporting Student Well-Being and Cultural Humility
  • “Student Psychosocial Well-being and Burnout During Level II Fieldwork: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Analysis” (2025)
  • “Occupational Therapy Student Characteristics Influencing Level II Fieldwork: An Exploratory Study of Mental Health, Confidence, and Mindful Self-Care” (2024)
  • “Use of Formal and Informal Strategies to Manage Stress During Level II Occupational Therapy Fieldwork” (2023)
  • “Exploring Occupational Therapy Student and Entry-Level Practitioner Perceptions of Mental Health Accommodations” (2023)
  • “The Impact of Trauma on Graduate Occupational Therapy Students: Trauma-Informed Implications for Educators” (2021)
  • “Building Stress Resilience and Wellbeing: Introducing Mindfulness Training to Reduce Stress in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students” (2021)
  • “Exploring Occupational Therapy Student Stress: Professor and Student Perspectives” (2021)

• “Experiential Learning Theory in Fieldwork Education (2025)
• “The Perception of Occupational Therapists and Their Use of Therapeutic Use of Self When Interacting with Clients and Fieldwork Students” (2025)
• “Mapping Review of Fieldwork Education Literature” (2024)
• “Collaborative Fieldwork Supervision Model Supports Identified by Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Educators” (2023)
• “The Intentional Fieldwork Education Model: Guiding Fieldwork Educators Toward Intentionality and Competency to Enhance Student Learning” (2022)
• “Perceptions on Non-traditional Models of Fieldwork Supervision” (2022)
• “Differentiating Fieldwork Settings: Matching Student Characteristics to Demands” (2018)
• “Factors Influencing Occupational Therapists’ Decision to Supervise Fieldwork Students” (2017)
• “National Survey of Fieldwork Educators: Implications for Occupational Therapy Education” (2015)
• “The Collaborative Model of Fieldwork Education: A Blueprint for Group Supervision of Students” (2015)
• “Supervision of Occupational Therapy Level II Fieldwork Students: Impact on and Predictors of Clinician Productivity” (2015)
• “Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education: Value and Purpose” (2009)