Integrating the Movement System in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Curricular Design: A Paradigm Shift
Purpose: • Examine the importance and relevance of the adoption of the Movement System as a guiding principle to contemporary DPT education.
• Demonstrate a model of integration of the Movement System as an organizing principle to curricular design and assessment DPT education.
• Illustrate a transformation of contemporary principles of clinical reasoning in an academic program that has adopted the Movement System.
• Create an environment to foster faculty engagement in a paradigm shift that incorporated Movement System in DPT education.
Description: The APTA recognizes that the Movement System is a guiding principle to our identity as a profession who optimizes movement to transform the health of individuals, community, and society. The academic community has an obligation to evaluate curricula to determine the fidelity between APTA vision and academic curriculum to ensure graduates are fully prepared to embark on future professional practice. In this session, the presenter will share how faculty did a comprehensive curricular assessment that led to the adoption of the Movement System in a DPT curriculum redesign that also emphasizes leadership and professional formation as foundational guiding principles. The curriculum uses the Movement System to drive the framework for clinical reasoning that uses the ICF and the patient/client management model to facilitate the graduates’ role as primary care providers who are Movement System experts.
Summary of Use: The faculty will share examples of teaching/learning strategies that integrate the Movement System in curricular and course organization. The participants will be encouraged to consider a paradigm shift that engages faculty to incorporate a consistent Movement System approach in DPT education.
Importance to Members: The academic community will meet our obligation to prepare DPT graduates with a common identity as Movement System experts.