HOT TOPIC: Level Up: Integrating Game-Based Learning Into OT Education

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Course Description

Occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant education demands pedagogical approaches that cultivate clinical reasoning, professional identity, and occupation-centered practice. Yet, traditional lecture-based formats often struggle to sustain the active engagement these skills require. Game-based learning (GBL) offers a compelling alternative, and growing evidence in health professions education suggests that well-designed game mechanics can enhance knowledge retention, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving.

This Hot Topic presentation cuts through the intimidation factor: you do not need a budget, a software license, or a game design background to harness the power of GBL. Drawing on contemporary evidence and direct classroom experience, the presenter will introduce a focused set of simple, low-tech game mechanics and demonstrate how each maps onto instructional objectives across OT and OTA curricula.

Attendees will explore a practical framework for selecting game mechanics to match specific instructional outcomes, whether teaching occupation-based assessment, group dynamics, or ethical reasoning. Brief exemplars applicable across both program levels will illustrate how even a 20-minute in-class activity structured around game principles can shift learner engagement and deepen application of content.

Participants will leave with a concise toolkit and a clear entry point for integrating game-based approaches into their own courses, grounded in the belief that play is not the opposite of learning — it is one of its most powerful expressions.

Speakers

Content Level

Introductory: This level assumes the audience has little or no information regarding the content area. This level assumes the audience has little or no information regarding the content area.

Practice Areas

Fieldwork and Academics/Education