Exploring students' perspectives from two Canadian dental schools toward online learning experiences

Undergraduate endodontic curricula across Canadian Dental Schools: A cross-sectional analysis

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate and assess the degree of uniformity in endodontics education at the undergraduate level among Canadian dental schools. The objective is to enhance Canadian dental education programs to meet societal oral health needs while incorporating advancements in the field of endodontics.

METHODS

An online survey comprising 36 multiple-choice questions targeting the nature of endodontic teaching was conducted as our methodology. Participation was sought from directors of the undergraduate endodontics program at all ten Canadian dental schools in 2021 and 2022.

RESULTS

A remarkable 100% response rate and the findings revealed a certain level of consistency among Canadian schools concerning pedagogical and assessment methods, as well as the endodontic topics taught to undergraduate students. However, notable variations were observed in the equipment and materials utilized. This study serves as a fundamental reference for identifying future modifications to the undergraduate endodontics curriculum in Canada.

Assessment of the students' performance and support needs in a novel digital carving exercise

OBJECTIVES

In recent years, digital technology has been rapidly expanding in dental practice, which entails an early integration of digital dentistry into the preclinical dental curriculum. This study introduces first-year dental students to a digital carving exercise and investigates its role in enhancing their understanding and performance in traditional wax carving activities. Another objective was to explore the students' challenges and needs for support in the digital carving activity.

METHODS

Digital carving exercise was introduced into the first-year dental morphology curriculum in 2020. Students' performance in anterior wax carving was quantitively compared prior to and following the implementation of the exercise. The students' grades in the digital carving exercise were also compared across three academic years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. Qualitatively, an interpretive description approach using focus group with 31 first-year dental students was utilized to explore their perspectives regarding the digital exercise.

RESULTS

A statistically significant improvement was found in the students wax carving performance following the incorporation of the digital carving activity (p-value = 0.0001). Students' performance in the digital carving exercise also statistically improved over the years. Students' challenges included the technology's unfamiliarity, and a perceived irrelevance of the exercise. Additional guidance, resources, and timely feedback were reported among the students' support needs during the exercise.

CONCLUSION

Digital carving is a promising tool in anatomical education that can improve the students' spatial understanding and manual dexterity. However, educators need to carefully integrate it into the curriculum to address the students' challenges and optimize their learning experience.

Dental Students' Satisfaction With Web-Based Learning During the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated an accelerated shift in education, moving from traditional learning to web-based learning. This transition introduced a notable transactional distance (TD) between the instructors and learners. Although disease control and staff and students' safety are the top priorities during a pandemic, the successful delivery of education is equally crucial. However, the ramifications of this swift transition are particularly critical in the context of dental education. Dental education is inherently practice oriented, necessitating hands-on training and manual skills development, which poses unique challenges to distance learning approaches.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine dental students' web-based learning satisfaction and experience of TD, investigate the predictors of web-based learning satisfaction, and explore the perceptions of students about the advantages and disadvantages of web-based learning.

METHODS

This study explored the factors associated with web-based learning satisfaction using TD theory during the transition to web-based education. Psychological factors that could influence satisfaction were adapted from the health belief model. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey of 345 dental students from 2 institutions in South Korea who were enrolled in the spring semester of 2020. Data were collected between July 8 and September 14, 2020. Qualitative analysis was used to examine responses to open-ended questions concerning perceptions of web-based learning.

RESULTS

A multivariate hierarchical linear regression model was used to analyze the effects of student characteristics, TD, and psychological factors (ie, perceived risk of infection and efficacy belief of web-based learning) on web-based learning satisfaction. The average score for web-based learning satisfaction was 3.62 (SD 0.84), just above the midpoint of the possible range (1-5). Self-regulated learning (β=0.08; P=.046), learner-instructor interaction (β=0.08; P=.03), and learner-content interaction (β=0.64; P<.001) were associated with higher levels of satisfaction. Moreover, a significant association was revealed between high efficacy beliefs in web-based learning (β=0.20; P<.001) and satisfaction. Although the learning structure (synchronous vs asynchronous) did not exhibit a significant association with satisfaction, the qualitative analysis results revealed that each structure possesses distinct strengths and weaknesses. The students in synchronous learning (79/345, 22.9%) recognized heightened autonomy in the "learning environment" (19/79, 24%); however, technical issues (28/79, 35%) and reduced concentration (15/79, 19%) were identified as downsides. Conversely, the students in asynchronous settings (266/345, 77.1%) emphasized unlimited access to learning content (74/266, 27.8%) and the flexibility of "learning in preferred time" (69/266, 25.9%). Nevertheless, challenges, such as self-management difficulties (66/266, 24.8%) and limited interactions (55/266, 20.7%), were evident.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that efforts to minimize TD, facilitating self-regulated learning and interaction among students and instructors, are critical for achieving web-based learning satisfaction. Moreover, establishing a common understanding among students regarding the necessity and efficacy of web-based learning during epidemics could enhance their satisfaction.

Thriving in foreign learning environments: The case of hands-on activities in early years of dental education

OBJECTIVES

Hands-on learning environments can challenge learners' wellbeing in dental education, given their unfamiliarity with students. As today's learners are more aware about their wellbeing needs, it is important to explore the depth and complexity of the challenges they experience and provide them with the necessary support strategies. This study aims to identify the challenges and sources of cognitive overload of early years' dental students across two time-points: 2012 and 2022. We also aim to describe the students' recommendations for future program revision considerations to support students' wellbeing.

METHODS

This study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitatively, we utilized an Interpretive Description approach and conducted focus groups with first-year dental students in 2023. Quantitively, we utilized first-year dental students' responses to the Study Habits survey administered in 2012/2013.

RESULTS

Five main concerns and sources of cognitive load emerged from the focus groups and survey data: steepness of the learning curve, inconsistent feedback, stigma around asking for support, structural and organizational challenges, and lack of resources. Students also identified several suggestions to support their wellbeing, including time, instructor support, non-graded exercises, additional resources, and re-organizing the curriculum.

CONCLUSION

This study adopts a wellbeing lens to examine students' transition into hands-on learning activities. These findings were utilized to propose the TIPSS Support Framework (Time, Instructor Capacity Building, Peer Learning and Other Resources, Safe Learning Spaces, and Spiraling Curriculum). The proposed model can serve as a prototype for future studies to explore its applicability and effectiveness in other dental programs.