Abstract: Against the backdrop of digital transformation in education, this article explores a collaborative learning model for student-centered occupational therapy course. Two classes of the rehabilitation therapy major in the 2022 cohort at Nanjing Normal University of Special Education were selected as the research subjects. For the content“analysis and application of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF) framework”, an instructional design was implemented: the control group was trained using the traditional blended learning model, while the experimental group (digitalization group) employed a digitalized blended learning model with the assistance of the HiTeach Intelligent Teaching System, leveraging its group collaboration and differentiated assessment functions. The results showed that the ICF case analysis ability and theoretical knowledge level of the experimental group (digitalization group) were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05), with statistically significant differences. This indicates that group collaboration and differentiated assessment empowered by digitalization contribute to enhancing the teaching effectiveness of collaborative learning in occupational therapy course.

Key words: Digitalization, Occupational therapy, HiTeach, Collaborative learning, Group collaboration, Differentiated assessment, Blended learning