Meaningful engagement of occupational therapy students: community engaged learning experiences in regional Australia

Community engaged learning is an established pedagogical approach in higher education. A new occupational therapy program is being developed in regional Australia under the university’s mission to provide quality and inspiring learning experiences to students based on scholarly teaching practices. This study aims to determine if participation in an occupational therapy community engaged learning assignment promotes the achievement of student learning objectives and enhances engagement with community organizations in regional NSW, Australia. Qualitative analysis of student reflections and community feedback indicates that both intended and unintended learning outcomes were achieved and positive relationships have been established between the university and community organisations.