"Will I be competent if I do your course?"

It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot since launching Your OT Tutor. And my answer is usually fairly simple: No.

Don't get me wrong, I pride myself on designing high-quality, practical, evidence-based courses. But I will be the first to say that a self-directed course on its own is simply not enough to learn a new clinical skill to the point where you are truly "competent."

I know business owners would love to send a staff member, especially a new grad, to do some self-directed learning, and have them return ready to hit the ground running with zero ongoing support. But that is just not the reality.

While a good course can do the heavy lifting of initial knowledge development, building actual clinical competence requires a whole ecosystem around it. In this article I’ll unpack what makes a course "good," and what else is required to bridge the gap between learning and doing.

Letting the course do the heavy lifting

To give you a running start, a self-directed course needs to go beyond just dumping information. It should focus on initial knowledge development and deep conceptual understanding. When you are shopping around for CPD, look for these features:

• Quality content: It must draw on evidence-based and client-centred practice. The ability to simplify complex concepts into structured frameworks or step-by-step guides, will make it much easier for learners to apply the content in different clinical situations.

• Real-world case studies: The course should show you what the theory actually looks like in practice. Examples can be built into the presentation, or in the form of example reports and documentation, but there needs to be an emphasis on explaining the why behind the decisions, not just what was done.

• Accessibility: We all process information differently. Learners should reflect on what learning format works best for them and look for courses with these features. It could be courses that include transcripts or PowerPoint slides to read along with, those that come with apps where you can learn on the go rather than only in front of a screen, or learning that is broken down into short modules or clear sections, so you can get through the information in stages if you need to.

• Downloadable resources: If learners don’t have time to watch a full webinar right now, are there flowcharts, clinical reasoning guides, or prompt sheets they can access instead that they can immediately start using in practice?

I’ve said that you should be looking for those features in self-directed courses, but the same ideas can apply to other types of courses, including face-to-face workshops. The take home message is to know how you like to learn and choose a course that will give you that experience.

What is needed beyond the course?

Courses are a great starting point, but they are just the first step. To translate theory into actual clinical competency, you need to wrap the learning in a supportive framework. You don't necessarily have to work through these elements linearly, but instead they should be tailored to the learner’s individual needs.

· Shadowing: For new grads especially, the opportunity to see someone else "doing" the skill in real-time is priceless. But here’s the catch: for the best results, the person doing the showing needs to have some basic educator skills. They must be able to articulate their clinical reasoning and prompt the learner to reflect on the why, rather than just letting them passively recount what they saw.

· Supervision and Mentoring: Learners need an experienced person to discuss the new clinical skill with. This 1:1 discussion gives them the confidence that they’ve understood the course content correctly and helps them refine their clinical reasoning so they understand the why behind the clinical decisions.

· Strategic Report Reviews: If the skill involves a written deliverable (like an FCA or AT report), report reviews are essential in the beginning stages, and often beyond. But here’s a tip for the reviewers: Don't just correct the work! Leave comments that ask questions, prompt alternative ideas, or demonstrate "good" when they are stuck. Adding comments rather than relying on ‘track changes’ forces them to think about and retype the changes themselves. It might take a little longer upfront, but they are far more likely to learn the lesson and not repeat the same mistakes next time. And another bonus tip is to not wait for their "perfect" final draft. If the learner has the tendency to be a perfectionist or to second-guess themselves, you’ll find getting in sooner, before they waste three hours deleting and rewriting the same few paragraphs multiple times, will be much more efficient.

The Power of Competency Sign-Off

When you combine self-directed courses, shadowing, supervision, and rigorous feedback, a clinical supervisor can finally sign-off on the learner’s competency. This is something that is usually done well in the public health system, where governance and competency structures are expected. Yet, in the private sector, it’s rarely seen (though a few of us educators are actively working on something to change this, so keep following for updates!)

But why does objective competency sign-off matter? It ensures safe, appropriate referral allocation, because it’s easier to track who has the skills to do what, and who still needs support in place. It highlights precise gaps for future CPD planning, because clinicians will be able to see which skills need further work to build independence within their caseload.

And finally, when you’re drowning in a busy caseload, feeling like a "jack of all trades and master of none," it can provide objective, reassuring proof that you do know some stuff, and that you’ve probably got more knowledge and skills than you think.

The important thing to remember though, is that reviewing competencies shouldn’t be a one-way street, based purely on the supervisor’s feedback. The learner should be preparing for these discussions by first reflecting on what opportunities they’ve had, how they’ve demonstrated the skills, and be able to articulate their thoughts on where their gaps are.

My final thoughts…

So a great course can be the perfect starting point for learning a new skill, but it’s not all that is needed. Clinicians and business owners need to prepare for the fact that learning a new skill takes time, a combination of learning elements, and a component focused on reflection and competency tracking.

If you’re looking for self-directed learning content with those ‘good’ qualities built in, or a supervisor who can help you understand the why, then come and check out what Your OT Tutor has to offer. There is a huge list of on-demand self-directed content for OTs and OT students, opportunities for regular and ad hoc mentoring and report reviews, and consultancy services to help business owners implement these structures within their workplace. As a proud OT Nerd, continuous learning is so important – I’d love to help you do it well!

If you found this article helpful, check out the Your OT Tutor website, subscribe to the mailing list or sign-up for the Learning Library – there are heaps of resources, courses, and CPD opportunities, with more being added regularly. And if you’re ready for something more, the paid YOTT Alliance and YOTT Connector memberships will take you to the next level, so you can be a better OT who loves what you do!

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