Journal of dental education
-
Comparative Study
Faculty impressions of dental students' performance with and without virtual reality simulation.
This study compared faculty perceptions and expectations of dental students' abilities using virtual reality simulation (VRS) to those who did not use virtual reality simulation (non-VRS) in an operative dentistry preclinical course. A sixteen-item survey with a ten-point rating scale and three open-ended questions asked about students' abilities in ergonomics, confidence level, performance, preparation, and self-assessment. The surveys were administered three times to a small group of preclinical faculty members. ⋯ Faculty perceptions of VRS students' abilities were higher than for non-VRS students for most abilities examined. However, the faculty members' expectations of VRS training were higher than their perceptions of the students' abilities after VRS training for most abilities examined. Since ergonomic development and technical performance were positively impacted by VRS training, these results support the use of VRS in a preclinical dental curriculum.
-
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a widely accepted educational method centered on the discussion and learning that emerge from a clinically based problem; however, little has been reported on the details of PBL case-writing in the dental education literature. This article outlines some principles of writing a PBL case as it is practiced at a Chinese dental school and presents, as an example, an actual case based on a clinical problem (ameloblastoma of the jaw) intended to provide a learning focus for predoctoral dental students. A good PBL case should allow for progressive, interdependent actions to be taken in the evaluation and overall management of the patient in context and should trigger inquiry and discussion among students in both the basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathophysiology, etc.) and related clinical sciences. The epidemiological, sociological, and ethical considerations related to each problem should also be emphasized as an essential component of effective health care provision.
-
In community-based dental education programs, student-provided services can be an important source of community clinic and practice revenues. The University of Michigan School of Dentistry has developed a revenue-sharing arrangement with multiple community clinics and practices. ⋯ These funds are used to cover program costs and enrich the curriculum. Revenue-sharing with community clinics and practices helps to ensure program longevity and is an increasingly significant source of school revenues.
-
Since 2002, community-based education at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry (COD) has evolved from non-existent to a robust program that is an essential component of the predoctoral program. As part of the college's curricular innovation, community-based education has demonstrated alignment of the COD's mission with that of our parent institution, contributed significantly to student learning and preparedness, and enhanced clinic experiences and revenue. ⋯ The faculty has been generally supportive, but properly focused on demonstrated student learning outcomes. This faculty observation and evaluation, supported by evidence, has resulted in the faculty's rethinking traditional teaching and learning strategies, allowing innovative educational changes.
-
The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information about the status of ethics teaching and learning in U. S. dental schools and to recommend a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education. A survey to collect this information was developed by the authors and administered by the American Society for Dental Ethics. ⋯ This study also identified the respondents' perceptions of unmet needs in ethics education. Four general themes emerged: the need for ethics to be more fully integrated across the curriculum, including carryover into the clinical years; the need to assess and ensure competence; the need for faculty development; and the need for more attention to method of instruction. Recommendations based on the study findings are offered for a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education.