Journal of dental education
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Much progress has been made in the science of caries risk assessment and ways to analyze caries risk, yet dental education has seen little movement toward the development of frameworks to guide learning and assess critical thinking in caries risk assessment. In the absence of previous proactive implementation of a learning framework that takes the knowledge of caries risk and critically applies it to the patient with the succinctness demanded in the clinical setting, the purpose of this study was to develop a model learning framework that combines the science of caries risk assessment with principles of critical thinking from the education literature. This article also describes the implementation of that model at one dental school and presents some preliminary assessment data.
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Comparative Study
Effective use of e-grading in the dental simulation clinic.
The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a grading software system, accessible from any platform, that engages today's generation of students and replaces paper grading. Set up at one U. S. dental school in an all-access, anytime (24/7) web-based program accessed through tablets, the software allows for a comparison between students' self-grading and instructor grading. ⋯ Other reports generated by the software allow for instructor calibration, exporting of grades directly into the university grading report system, and visual analysis of trends within each class. In a post-course survey, students (56 percent response rate) and faculty (79 percent response rate) agreed that the electronic grading was more efficient and allowed more time for faculty-student interaction than the previous grading system, thus creating an environment more conducive to learning. Overall, the software has improved students' perception of enhanced kinetic skills, while facilitating administration of preclinical projects and practical examinations.
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A growing body of literature suggests that today's learners have changed and education must change as well since Millennial generation students expect technology to be used in their coursework. This study sought to determine what educational technology is being used in U. S. dental hygiene programs, what student and faculty perceptions are of the effectiveness of technology, and what barriers exist to implementing educational technology. ⋯ The greatest perceived barrier to implementing technology was technical difficulties. This study suggests that support services should be available to faculty and students to ensure successful implementation of technology. Dental hygiene educators have adopted many types of educational technology, but more data are needed to determine best practices.
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Previous research has indicated that dentists do not routinely engage in tobacco cessation interventions with their patients due, in part, to a lack of training in the predoctoral curriculum. From 2010 to 2012, this study at one U. S. dental school evaluated the effectiveness of experiential learning and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to improve first-year dental students' knowledge and beliefs about tobacco dependence and cessation interventions. ⋯ Results suggest that OSCEs utilizing standardized patients may be an effective method for assessing tobacco dependence education. Preparing for and participating in an OSCE with a standardized patient may help increase student knowledge and shape the beliefs of early dental students about engaging in patient tobacco cessation interventions. Findings were mixed on the impact of experiential learning on OSCE performance, suggesting further research is needed.
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Comparative Study
Dental rounds: an evolving process of curriculum integration at the LSU School of Dentistry.
With the support for curriculum change expressed by the American Dental Education Association's Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI), the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry (LSUSD) initiated a course that vertically integrates the basic sciences and clinical sciences and promotes critical thinking. The resulting Dental Rounds course includes presentations by D3 and D4 students on interesting clinical cases, which the entire student body is required to attend. Following the third year of the program, a formal evaluation was conducted, in which surveys were disseminated to students, recent graduates, and faculty members to collect feedback on the efficacy of the course, its perceived value, and its success as an educational tool. ⋯ Most respondents reported that the objectives of the course were being achieved, but they identified case-related discussion as an area for strengthening critical thinking skills. As a result, modifications were planned to include formal participation of D1 and D2 students in the presentations, less frequent sessions to accommodate more complete cases, more emphasis on basic science, more structured mentoring, and a modified question format. Dental Rounds was a necessary integration step in dental education for LSUSD, and it is anticipated that the planned modifications will lead to strengthening of critical thinking skills in both students and faculty.