Journal of dental education
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In 29 U. S. academic institutions, dental and dental hygiene students are educated on the same campus. The aims of this study were to explore the perceptions of dental and dental hygiene students on the same campus concerning the status quo of shared educational experiences, the benefits of shared education, and their curricular suggestions for shared education. ⋯ Compared to dental hygiene students, dental students were less supportive of suggestions for curricular interventions such as partnering up in lab (on a five-point scale with 5=most positive: 3.99 vs. 3.56; p<0.001), using in-class time for shared group projects (3.83 vs. 3.27; p<0.001), and shadowing in clinics (4.26 vs. 3.16; p<0.001). The more courses dental and dental hygiene students jointly attended, the higher their percentage of clinic time spent on collaborative care (r=0.19; p<0.001). Having dental and dental hygiene programs on the same campus offers opportunities for shared learning, and this study's results suggest those opportunities may translate into increased shared learning.
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Learning to evaluate one's own skills through reflection and self-assessment prepares dental graduates for successfully navigating an ever-changing work environment throughout their careers, but the search continues for the most effective teaching and assessment strategies to develop students' skills in these areas. Beginning with the Class of 2017, the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry adopted e-portfolios as a programmatic (four-year) global assessment measure in the predoctoral dental program, in large part to encourage the development of reflection. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine interrater reliability among raters when scoring reflective writing using a validated measure of reflection skill and to analyze students' level of reflective ability as fourth-year dental students. ⋯ As a result, curricular enhancements at this school have been implemented that involve both faculty and student development. Ongoing evaluation is required to determine if those changes result in higher levels of reflective ability. The positive outcomes of reflection and writing warrant continued examination in how to improve this educational strategy across the curriculum.