“Flipped classrooms” in training in maxillofacial surgery: preparation before the traditional didactic lecture?

Effectiveness of a flipped classroom for undergraduate in implant dentistry hands-on course

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare the learning in the implant dentistry hands-on course to that of the flipped classroom (FC) and the traditional lecture cohorts (control).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study,80 students were enrolled for the first time in an implant dentistry program. Subsequently, they were divided into two groups. The first, the FC group, which had free access to a video with a PowerPoint presentation on the Chaoxing-WHU-MOOC platform about the implant placement on first molar sites before class. The second, the control group, which attended a didactic lecture describing implant practice on the first molar site via a bidirectional multimedia interactive teaching demonstration and then operated on a simulation model. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and the deviation gauge were utilized to analyze the accuracy of the implant placement in the students' models. An online satisfaction questionnaire was distributed to both groups one week after the class.

RESULTS

The linear deviation of the CBCT examination did not show any statistical difference between the two groups concerning cervical, apex, and angular. A significant buccal deviation was observed in the control group compared with the FC group (mean: 0.7436 mm vs. 0.2875 mm, p = 0.0035), according to the restoration-level deviation gauge. A total of 74.36% of students in the FC group placed implant within 0.5 mm buccal-to-lingual deviations, but only 41.03% of students in the control group reached within 0.5 mm buccal-to-lingual deviation ranges. Additionally, 91.67% of the students in the FC group and 97.5% of the students in the control group were satisfied with the practical implant class.

CONCLUSION

FC was more effective than a didactic lecture for implant dentistry practical skill acquisition.

Impact of fully online flipped classroom on academic achievement in undergraduate dental education: An experimental study

INTRODUCTION

The last two decades have seen a shift towards blended learning in education due to technological advancements. This study focuses on dental education, comparing two blended learning models -enriched virtual and fully online flipped classroom - in terms of academic achievement, aligning with the Association for Dental Education in Europe's competencies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was modelled in a quantitative design with a pre-post-test control group experimental design. The study was conducted at Ege University Faculty of Dentistry in Turkey for 4 weeks with the experimental (n = 44) and control (n = 39) groups divided into two groups by impartial assignment. To the experimental group, the theoretical part of the course was tried to be conveyed before each lesson with video lessons prepared with EdPuzzle containing reinforcement questions and a question set consisting of case questions. The practical learning objectives of the course were tried to be gained through the discussion of the previously presented case questions in the online synchronous course. As tools for collecting data, a unique academic achievement test, a course evaluation form and a semi-structured qualitative data collection form were used.

RESULTS

It was seen that the flipped classroom model had a more positive effect on students' academic achievement than the enriched virtual classroom model. The general satisfaction levels of the participants regarding these two models are also higher in favour of the flipped classroom model.

CONCLUSION

This study provides significant findings for educational institutions, policymakers and educators about the impact of fully online teaching methods on academic achievement. In this context, the flipped classroom method can be preferred both in cases where education is blocked and in dental education institutions that want to ensure digital transformation efficiently and partially remotely.

Realistic simulation case scenario as a vertical integration teaching tool for medical students: A mixed methods study

Realistic simulation-based learning has recently become an integral part of medical education and can provide several advantages if applied effectively. This study aimed to develop and validate a realistic simulation case scenario (RSCS) as a novel teaching tool for preclinical medical students. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate student perception of this tool as a teaching strategy, as well as to acquire an in-depth understanding of student perspectives. We employed the mixed methods approach to explore how clinical reasoning develops through a validated RSCS. This study, which included 50 third-year medical students, was conducted at the College of Medicine, Dar Al Uloom University, KSA between November 2021 and February 2022. Most of the participants (94%) were satisfied with the RSCS method and 92% of the participants reported RSCS as more effective in terms of achieving learning objectives. Many advantages of RSCS have been reported, including the provision of realistic knowledge relating to critical care management, encouraging student participation in the learning process, and enhancing interpersonal and problem-solving skills. In conclusion, RSCS is an effective and dynamic teaching approach that aids in knowledge consolidation with a significant impact on the emotions and cognitive abilities of students.

An outcomes-based module education via flipped classroom enhances undergraduate oral histopathology learning

INTRODUCTION

Oral histopathology is a bridge course connecting oral basic medicine and clinical dentistry. However, the application of outcomes-based education via flipped classroom (FC) in oral histopathology has not been well explored. This study has assessed the efficacy of outcomes-based education via FC in undergraduate oral histopathology module learning in Nanjing Medical University of China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 214 third-year students were enrolled and assigned to the FC group of the batch 2022-23 (n = 110) and the traditional classroom (TC) group of the batch 2021-22 (n = 104) to participate the oral histopathology sessions respectively in the study. The FC group were required to preview the online course materials pre-class, followed by in-class quizz, in-class interactive group discussion, and slides microscopic observation. The outcomes-based formative and summative assessments for FC were designed. The TC group attended traditional laboratory class for the same glass slides microscopic observation. In addition, a questionnaire was performed to investigate the satisfaction of learning. Along with this, the performances of FC group in written theory tests and oral histopathology slide tests were compared with TC group.

RESULTS

Students in the FC group gained significantly final higher scores of the course than those in the TC group (score: 83.79 ± 11 vs. 76.73 ± 10.93, P<0.0001). Data from the student questionnaires indicated a preference for outcomes-based module education via FC. In the questionnaires, most students considered outcomes-based module education via FC to be beneficial to learning motivation, knowledge comprehension, critical thinking and teamwork. FC group had a higher level of satisfaction with oral histopathology teaching than TC group (satisfaction score: 4.599 ± 0.1027 vs. 4.423 ± 0.01366, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

An outcomes-based module education via FC has a promising effect on undergraduate oral histopathology education.

Virtual learning in maxillofacial surgery in the post-COVID world: where are we now?

During the COVID-19 pandemic we developed a post-graduate virtual learning environment (PGVLE) in the West Midlands region for higher trainees in oral and maxillofacial surgery. We continued to develop this following the pandemic and sought to examine the trainee experience with this resource as restrictions eased. The PGVLE comprises a total of nine semesters mapping General Medical Council (GMC) learning objectives in the specialty across a total of 63 events using BigBlueButton™. Webinars are delivered on a weekly basis by subspecialty experts. Trainee feedback was sought using SurveyMonkey™ examining self-assessed confidence levels using visual analogue scores (VAS) and Likert items regarding trainers and content. A focus group was convened and the transcript analysed using grounded theory analysis (GTA). Likert items revealed overwhelmingly positive responses, with 96.2% (n = 281) of responses being positive regarding content and 97.5% (n = 475) agreeing with positive comments regarding faculty. VAS scores improved by an average of 39.0% and improvements were statistically significant for most sessions. The focus group highlighted the relevance of teaching to GMC learning objectives, the achievement of consistently high standards, the potential for conflict with clinical commitments and issues surrounding peer interaction. Satisfaction scores remain high with the PGVLE programme, which is very much here to stay in the post-graduate education of our trainees. With the easing of restrictions, we have moved to a hybrid method of learning with the potential for 'flipped classroom' methodology moving forwards.

Exploration of flipped classroom approach to enhance critical thinking skills

Flipped classroom approach has become well-accepted and widely-used in different levels of education. Critical thinking was deemed as the core goal of higher education institutions to enhance students' competence advocated in the 21st century. The definition of critical thinking originating from Peter Facione was one of the most widely-accepted and commonly-used at present. The aim of the research was to explore a flipped classroom approach which was effective to enhance critical thinking skills proposed by Peter Facione, namely interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation and self-regulation. This study selected 300 junior students majoring in business administration (100 students), international trade (100 students), and accounting (100 students) respectively of a private university in China, and took the Marketing flipped classroom course as an example. The quantitative research method was adopted in the research, and a questionnaire with 22 questions was used to collect data from the participants. The study involved two rounds. Each round involved three control classes with a traditional teaching instruction approach conducted and three experimental classes with a flipped classroom approach adopted. After analyzing and discussing the data collected, the research found that the flipped classroom approach promoted students' critical thinking skills to some extent. Through the study, a modified model of flipped classroom approach to enhance critical thinking skills was put forward. The modified model can be applied to more other courses at different levels, especially business courses. The research also had some limitations, including the 5-point Likert scale used, the representativeness and individual differences of participants, and the application of the study. In the future research, aspects regarding other skill development, effectiveness of course feedback and assessment, interdisciplinary knowledge, and implementation of the marketing plan etc.can be explored deeper.

Active learning in undergraduate classroom dental education- a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Previous reviews on active learning in dental education have not comprehensibly summarized the research activity on this topic as they have largely focused on specific active learning strategies. This scoping review aimed to map the breadth and depth of the research activity on active learning strategies in undergraduate classroom dental education.

METHODS

The review was guided by Arksey & O'Malley's multi-step framework and followed the PRISMA Extension Scoping Reviews guidelines. MEDLINE, ERIC, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched from January 2005 to October 2022. Peer-reviewed, primary research articles published in English were selected. Reference lists of relevant studies were verified to improve the search. Two trained researchers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-texts articles for eligibility and extracted the relevant data.

RESULTS

In total, 93 studies were included in the review. All studies performed outcome evaluations, including reaction evaluation alone (n = 32; 34.4%), learning evaluation alone (n = 19; 20.4%), and reaction and learning evaluations combined (n = 42; 45.1%). Most studies used quantitative approaches (n = 85; 91.3%), performed post-intervention evaluations (n = 70; 75.3%), and measured student satisfaction (n = 73; 78.5%) and knowledge acquisition (n = 61; 65.6%) using direct and indirect (self-report) measures. Only 4 studies (4.3%) reported faculty data in addition to student data. Flipped learning, group discussion, problem-based learning, and team-based learning were the active learning strategies most frequently evaluated (≥6 studies). Overall, most studies found that active learning improved satisfaction and knowledge acquisition and was superior to traditional lectures based on direct and indirect outcome measures.

CONCLUSION

Active learning has the potential to enhance student learning in undergraduate classroom dental education; however, robust process and outcome evaluation designs are needed to demonstrate its effectiveness in this educational context. Further research is warranted to evaluate the impact of active learning strategies on skill development and behavioral change in order to support the competency-based approach in dental education.

Global Plastic Surgery: A Review of the Field and a Call for Virtual Training in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Lack of surgical access severely harms countless populations in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many types of surgery could be fulfilled by the plastic surgeon, as populations in these areas often experience trauma, burns, cleft lip and palate, and other relevant medical issues. Plastic surgeons continue to contribute significant time and energy to global health, primarily by participating in short mission trips intended to provide many surgeries in a short time frame. These trips, while cost-effective for lack of long-term commitments, are not sustainable as they require high initial costs, often neglect to educate local physicians, and can interfere with regional systems. Education of local plastic surgeons is a key step toward creating sustainable plastic surgery interventions worldwide. Virtual platforms have grown popular and effective-particularly due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic-and have shown to be beneficial in the field of plastic surgery for both diagnosis and teaching. However, there remains a large potential to create more extensive and effective virtual platforms in high-income nations geared to educate plastic surgeons in LMICs to lower costs and more sustainably provide capacity to physicians in low access areas of the world.

Semi-flipped classroom-based learning interventions in a traditional curriculum of oral medicine: students' perceptions and teaching achievements

BACKGROUND

In recent years, flipped classes have emerged and become popular in college medical education. However, due to the huge medical learning system and the limited pre-class study time of students, it is difficult to implement in all courses. And then we adopted the semi-flipped classes (SFCs) to evaluate its teaching effect. This study analysed three educational methods that can be used in oral medicine courses: online education, offline education, and semi-flipped classes.

METHODS

We used two surveys to evaluate the three educational methods. In the first survey 46 teachers and 238 undergraduates shared their experience of the live-streaming and traditional offline courses offered in the different oral medicine curricula; we used anonymous questionnaires to evaluate their class experience. In the second survey 94 students shared their experience of the semi-flipped and traditional classrooms. Students who attended the SFCs in the experimental group learned about the oral mucosa disease by themselves using an online video course and then participated in offline interaction with teachers. The evaluation of the above educational methods was conducted using the anonymous questionnaires and final exam assessment.

RESULTS

According to the first survey, teachers and students both agreed that the overall teaching experience and learning effectiveness in offline education are superior to those in online education. According to the second survey, students who participated in the SFCs performed better in the final exam than those who participated in the simple offline classes. Additionally, the survey showed that the new teaching method helped students gain more knowledge and positively influenced their clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the online and offline educational methods, the SFC showed better results in both the questionnaire and final exam assessment. Hence, the effectiveness of medical education can be improved by adopting a teaching mode that combines online and offline teaching methods. Scientific and logical SFCs designs, along with their effective implementation, would eventually make SFCs an important tool for medical education.

Exploring the activities and outcomes of digital teaching and learning of practical skills in higher education for the social and health care professions: a scoping review

Higher education for health care professionals faces numerous challenges. It is important to develop and apply methods supporting education, especially the practical skills. This scoping review aimed to explore the activities and learning outcomes of digital technology in practical skills teaching and learning in higher education for the social and health professions. Scoping review recommendations and the PRISMA-ScR checklist were applied. Randomized controlled trials published between 2016 and 2021 involving students in higher education who were taking courses in the social sciences and health care and reported interventions with digital technology activities and practices in practical teaching and learning were included. The CINAHL Plus, PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts/Social Services Abstracts databases were searched. Teaching methods were blended, e-learning or other online-based, and digital simulation-based activities. Teaching and learning environments, methods, resources, and activity characteristics varied, making a summary difficult. Interventions were developed in a face-to-face format prior to digitalization. The outcomes were measured at the knowledge level, not at the performance level. One-third of the studies showed a significant improvement in practical skills in the intervention group in comparison to the control conditions. The use of digital technology in the learning and teaching process have potential to develop of students' skills, knowledge, motivation, and attitudes. The pedagogy of technology use is decisive. The development of new digital methods for teaching and learning practical skills requires the engagement of students and teachers, in addition the researchers.

The effect of flipped classroom in multiple clinical skills training for clinical interns on Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE)

AIMS

The flipped classroom (FC) is a hybrid approach, combining online learning and face-to-face classroom activities. To comprehensively evaluate the role of the Flipped Classroom (FC) model in clinical skills teaching of medical interns and investigate the acceptance and recognition of FC and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE).

METHODS

In the teaching of clinical skills, the students were further grouped into two groups- A and B (A = 37, B = 42), using a computer-based random digital method. group A adopted the traditional classroom (TC) model, and group B adopted the FC model. OSCE was used to assess the clinical skills of the two groups of interns. Two independent sample t-test was used to analyze the difference of participant's demographic data and OSCE scores between the two different teaching model. We sent FC questionnaires to group A and OSCE questionnaires to groups A and B.

RESULTS

The score of OSCE in group B was higher than that in group A (P = 0.024), especially in the heart physical examination (P < 0.050), lung physical examination (P < 0.050), and abdominal physical examination (P < 0.050). The result of the FC questionnaires showed that regarding online courses, most students in group B thought watching videos was a good way to prepare for class (97.6%), For offline courses, most medical interns said that it enhanced their learning ability (88.1%), and they could accept this form of teaching (85.7%). As for the form of OSCE questionnaires, most people in group A and B said that they knew more about this form of assessment (81.0%), that it truly reflected the clinical ability (82.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

FC model has shown good results in clinical skills training, while FC and OSCE can be further promoted in future teaching and assessment.

Designing Flipped Classrooms to Enhance Learning in the Clinical Skills Laboratory

Flipped classroom is an educational technique in which content is delivered online for students to study at their own pace in preparation for in-class learning. Benefits include increased flexibility, enhanced student engagement and satisfaction, and more effective use of time spent during face-to-face teaching. However, the development and implementation of flipped classroom teaching are also associated with challenges, including time required to develop learning materials and getting students to engage with the preparatory work. This teaching tip describes a structured approach to designing and implementing the flipped classroom approach for clinical skills to allow a greater focus on practicing the hands-on skills and the provision of feedback during the laboratory session. First, the rationale for flipping the classroom and the expected benefits should be considered. On a practical level, decisions need to be made about what to include in the flipped component, how it will complement the face-to-face class, and how the resources will be created. In the design phase, adopting a structured template and aligning with established pedagogical principles is helpful. A well-designed flipped classroom motivates learners by including different elements such as quality educational media (e.g., videos), the opportunity to self-assess, and well-defined connections to relevant knowledge and skills. Student engagement with the flipped material can be promoted through different strategies such as clear communication to manage student expectations and adapting the delivery of the face-to-face component. Finally, gathering feedback and evaluating the initiative are important to inform future improvements.

Study on the Reporting Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials of Flipped Classroom in Medical Education

BACKGROUND

With the deepening of medical education reform, the flipped classroom has become a commonly used teaching method. Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that flipped classroom combined with problem-based learning (PBL) improves many students' abilities. It remains unclear whether the design and reports of these RCTs comply with specifications. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic assessment of the quality of RCTs investigating the effectiveness of flipped classroom teaching in medical education.

METHOD

Two investigators searched PUBMED and EMBASE and analyzed 15 filtered RCTs addressing flipped classroom in medical education, published between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021. The overall reporting quality was assessed using the overall quality score (OQS) according to the 2010 CONSORT statement.

RESULTS

The search revealed 15 RCTs closely related to flipped classrooms. After analysis, it appeared that least half of them made no mention of half of the OQS items in the CONSORT 2010 statement. Since the flipped classroom is an emerging teaching method, all the retrieved articles were published after 2016. Furthermore, a number of issues that we considered very important were not adequately addressed in the RCT reports.

DISCUSSION

Although the CONSORT 2010 statement was issued 12 years ago, the quality and content of many RCTs are not satisfactory. Our findings suggest that authors need to make more effort to meet the CONSORT statement requirements. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Flipped Classroom Experiences in Clinical Dentistry – A Strategic Mini-Review

Background:

Pedagogy in dental education has evolved over the decades. Today, many alternative modes of content delivery are being used as an adjunct to the traditional classroom. A flipped classroom is one among those that are being explored for teaching clinical dentistry.

Objective:

This mini-review is aimed at evaluating the available evidence in the efficacy of flipped classrooms and its related aspects in the learning curve of clinical dentistry.

Methods:

A thorough literature search on electronic databases for all the studies focusing on the following evidence-based question: “Is Flipped classroom in clinical dentistry a useful mode of pedagogy delivery? was performed. A combination of MeSH terms using Boolean operators “AND,” “OR:” FLIPPED [All Fields] AND (“dental health services” [MeSH Terms] AND “health” [All Fields] AND “services” [All Fields]) OR “dental” [All Fields]) AND (“learning” [MeSH Terms] OR “learning” [All Fields]). Specific terms such as “Perio” OR “Prostho” OR “Restorative” OR “Ortho” OR “Oral medicine” OR “Maxillofacial surgery” OR “Pediatric” OR “endo” was also used. Data from these articles addressing the aim of this study was extracted.

Results:

A total of 16 articles were considered for the review. The majority of the studies considered flipped classroom as a successful model of pedagogy. The most common mode of outside classroom activity was pre-recorded videos. In-classroom activities, a combination of seminars, interactive discussions, and quiz were explored. Time constraints, lack of faculty development programs are considered to be negative factors for the success of the flipped classroom.

Conclusion:

Within the limitation of the study, flipped classroom can be adapted as a method of pedagogy in clinical dentistry.

A study to assess the awareness of periodontitis and its relationship with systemic health among undergraduate medical students

Introduction The association between periodontitis and certain systemic diseases is well established; however, there is a distinct lack of research available on its awareness among medical students in the United Kingdom.Aims To determine the awareness of fourth-year undergraduate medical students concerning periodontitis including its risk factors, relationship with systemic health and students' attitudes towards oral diseases and further education.Methods We delivered an online survey via a weekly email news bulletin to 299 fourth-year medical students and received 101 completed responses.Results Medical students were largely aware of the most common features of periodontitis and recognised that systemic diseases may affect the periodontium. There was less awareness of the associations between certain systemic diseases and periodontitis and there appeared to be confusion with tooth decay. Perceived knowledge was generally reported to be poor and most students believed that further teaching would improve their medical practice.Conclusions Increased teaching on periodontitis within the medical curriculum would benefit students. This may be achieved using an integrated teaching approach. Future doctors should graduate with an adequate education on the interdisciplinary links and should be capable of signposting or referring patients early to the appropriate services where indicated to improve patient care.

Effectiveness of computer-assisted learning in sports dentistry: studies over a multiple-year period and at two universities

INTRODUCTION

Insufficient educational resources on sports dentistry result in varying lecture implementations across dental schools, which cause knowledge gaps amongst students. Thus, a new interactive sports dentistry-related computer-assisted learning (CAL) module was created to facilitate dental school undergraduate students' education. This study compared the CAL module's learning effectiveness with conventional video lectures (VL) and assessed its effectiveness when used over several years at a university, and examined its validation in different university contexts, and students' perceptions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Participants were 305 fifth-year students. Students from a university in Tokyo participated for 3 years and those from a university in Saitama for 1 year. In each year, the students were divided into two groups-CAL and VL. They studied their assigned modules in 20-min lessons. A written test was administered to determine their knowledge acquisition levels, along with a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-two consenting participants were included in the statistical analysis. The CAL groups' test scores at both schools were significantly higher than the VL groups' every year (p < .001). Furthermore, test results from all years revealed no gender differences or repetition of the school years at either school. Most students at both universities evaluated the CAL module as excellent.

CONCLUSION

The interactive CAL module generated consistently strong results over multiple years, during which it was used by a diverse group of students at two universities. The students highly rated the module's learning process as well as its contents.

The effectiveness of collaborative teaching in an introductory online radiology session for master of nursing students

AIM

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the collaborative teaching of a multi- disciplinary team on the introductory online radiology session for the Master of Nursing students.

BACKGROUND

The teaching method for basic radiology reading for the Master of Nursing program was delivered via a 4-hour didactic face-to-face lesson and was ineffective as evidenced by the students' feedback and evaluation. Therefore, a multi-disciplinary team consisting of nursing, medical and radiology staff developed a 4-week online radiology session to enhance knowledge, attitudes and confidence of the Master of Nursing students in interpreting basic chest radiographs, abdominal radiographs and computed tomographic brain scans.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study design using pre-test and post-test was adopted. The effectiveness of the online radiology session was evaluated on the students' knowledge, attitudes, and confidence. Forty Master of Nursing program students completed the pre-test and post-test questionnaires (response rate 74%) and responded to the open-ended questions in the post-test. IBM-SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data and quantifying qualitative data technique was used to analyse the qualitative data.

RESULTS

The participants demonstrated an improvement in knowledge and confidence mean scores of the post-test compared to pre-test. There was improved self-rated proficiency in reading and interpreting a film radiograph but no difference in the way they perceived the importance of radiological investigations vis-à-vis the physical examination and routine laboratory testing. Quantifying quantitative data technique showed that majority of participants appreciated the learning process as it could be done at their own pace and the lectures could be replayed again. However, participants hoped for improved interaction with the tutor during learning and the use of real-life cases in the scenarios.

CONCLUSION

Collaborative teaching using an online radiology session shows promise over a traditional didactic method of teaching but requires further refinement in terms of participant interaction and the use of case examples.

Dyadic explanations during preparatory self-study enhance learning: A randomised controlled study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the present study was to investigate to which extent preparatory self-study can be improved by encouraging students to engage in individual self-explanations or dyadic explanations (ie in pairs). Individual self-explanations refer to an act of metacognition in which students, after having processed a certain amount of information, attempt to explain their understanding to themselves of what was just learned. Dyadic explanations refer to the same process, but instead of explaining to oneself, the student explains his/her understanding to another student.

METHOD

An experiment was conducted in which 120 medical students studied a video-recorded lecture on the role of protein synthesis inhibition on memory reconsolidation. Participants were randomly allocated to one of four conditions: (1) a control condition in which they listened to the lecture once; (2) a control condition in which they listened to the lecture twice; (3) an experimental condition in which they had to listen to the lecture and provide self-explanations individually; and (4) an experimental condition in which they had to listen to the lecture and provide dyadic explanations. Participants' knowledge regarding the topic was measured three times: at the start and end of the experiment, and one week after the experiment to determine knowledge retention. Data were analysed by means of a 2 × 2 and 4 × 3 repeated-measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

The results suggest that participants who engaged in individual self- or dyadic explanations significantly outperformed participants in the two control conditions in terms of learning and retention (F = 5.67, Wilks Λ = 0.94, P = .019, η²  = 0.05). Moreover, the results suggest that dyadic explanations were more effective than individual self-explanations (F = 3.70, Wilks Λ = 0.83, P = .002, η²  = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

These outcomes suggest that encouraging students to work in pairs or in small teams to prepare for a learning event results in superior preparation and learning.

A Survey to Establish the Extent of Flipped Classroom Use Prior to Clinical Skills Laboratory Teaching and Determine Potential Benefits, Challenges, and Possibilities

The flipped classroom is a technique that involves a reordering of classroom and at-home activities. Content provided prior to classroom interactions is used to prepare students for face-to-face classes. The flipped classroom has been shown to benefit students, including improving examination results, and there is increasing interest in using it in veterinary education. The current study aimed to investigate the potential of the flipped classroom approach to preparing students for practicals in a clinical skills laboratory. An online survey was distributed to the international veterinary clinical skills community to determine the extent to which a flipped classroom is used prior to teaching in a clinical skills laboratory and how educators viewed the benefits, challenges, and possibilities. There were 101 survey participants representing 22 countries, and all were involved in clinical skills teaching; 42 were using flipped classroom techniques prior to teaching in a clinical skills laboratory, and 55 others would consider using the technique in this context in the future. Videos were the most common resource used. The main benefits, experienced or anticipated, were positive changes in student behavior, including preparation and better use of time during practicals by both the students and instructors. The main challenges were the time needed for instructors to develop the materials, lack of student engagement with the flipped classroom, space in the curriculum, and institutional issues. In conclusion, many potential benefits could be realized with a flipped classroom approach embedded prior to clinical skills laboratory practicals.

Providing national level teaching to OMFS specialty trainees in a virtual classroom setting using learning theories of education

COVID-19 has resulted in an expansion of webinar-based teaching globally. Socially distanced e-learning is the new normal. The delivery of regional OMFS teaching programmes in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, for Specialty Trainees (ST's) under the Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST) and Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) umbrellas is variable. We recognised the need to provide additional teaching to supplement this teaching, at a time of crisis in our countries and healthcare systems, which had jointly led to a significant impact on the progression of training. The membership category of Specialty Trainees within the national specialty association-the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) is Fellows in Training abbreviated to FiT. We designed an OMFS FiT (Fellows in Training) webinar series based on the current Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) curriculum. Senior trainers delivered weekly national web-based teaching using learning theories of education. Thirteen webinars were conducted between the 14th of May and the 4th of August 2020. Webinars were attended by 40-75 ST's with 98 percent of trainees rating the webinars as 'excellent' or 'very good', and 99% found the content 'extremely useful' or 'very useful'. We discuss the learning theories used for this teaching which include - Bloom's taxonomy, Bruner's spiral model, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, the flipped classroom model, and Knowles' andragogy model. This pilot national teaching programme has been extremely well received by OMFS trainees and is here to stay!

Early Effects of COVID-19 on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Training-Results From a National Survey

PURPOSE

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an immense impact on the healthcare industry. Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) clinical practice uniquely exposes providers to COVID-19. The purpose of the present study was to understand the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on OMS residency training programs (OMSRTPs): 1) training and education; 2) availability and use of personal protective equipment (PPE); 3) experience with, and use of, screening and viral testing; 4) resident experience; and 5) program director (PD) experience and observations of the immediate and future effects on OMSRTPs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

OMS residents and PDs in OMSRTPs in the United States were invited to participate in the present cross-sectional study from April 1, 2020 to May 1, 2020. A 51-question survey was used to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on OMSRTPs and to assess the 5 specific aims of the present study.

RESULTS

A total of 160 residents and 13 PDs participated in the survey, representing 83% of US states or territories with OMSRTPs. Almost all residents (96.5%) reported modifications to their training program, and 14% had been reassigned to off-service clinical rotations (eg, medicine, intensive care unit). The use of an N95 respirator mask plus standard PPE precautions during aerosol-generating procedures varied by procedure location, with 36.8% reporting limited access to these respirators. Widespread screening practices were in use, with 83.6% using laboratory-based viral testing. Residents scheduled to graduate in 2022 were most concerned with the completion of the graduation requirements and with decreased operative experience. Most residents (94.2%) had moved to web-based didactics, and a plurality (47%) had found increased value in the didactics.

CONCLUSIONS

Sweeping alterations to OMS clinical practice have occurred for those in OMSRTPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the overall OMSRTP response has been favorable, residents' concerns regarding the ubiquitous availability of appropriate PPE, operative experience, and completion of graduation requirements requires further deliberation.

Maxillofacial education in the time of COVID-19: the West Midlands experience

COVID-19 has accelerated a reliance on virtual technology for the delivery of postgraduate surgical education. We sought to develop a regional teaching programme with robust quality assurance. Webinars were delivered on a weekly basis by subspecialty experts using Zoom™ augmented with interactive polling software. Trainee feedback comprised Likert item rating on content and delivery, free text comments and self-assessed confidence levels using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. A focus group was also convened and transcripts assessed with grounded theory analysis. Likert items revealed 442 (93.2%) positive responses regarding content and 642 (96.7%) positive responses regarding trainer delivery. There were statistically significant improvements in VAS scores across all programme content. Key themes from the focus group analysis were the pragmatics of delivering online education, issues surrounding trainer interactivity in the virtual world, the identification of the FRCS as a driving factor and a desire for case-based content and pre-learning of information (the ‘flipped classroom’). We are continuing to be reactive to trainee feedback in developing our online learning programme which will also include a regional Moodle-based virtual learning environment (VLE), the subject of future educational research in our region.

Flipped classroom in dental education: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

There is a pressing need to explore strategies which adopt and incorporate contemporary teaching methods to keep abreast with technological advances. Flipped classroom is a type of blended learning approach that has received considerable attention as an alternative to traditional lectures. The purpose of this scoping review is to explore the characteristics of the flipped classroom model implemented in undergraduate dental education.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The scoping review has been reported under the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidelines. Systematic search of databases culminated in full-text papers that were evaluated for quality.

RESULTS

A systematic search on flipped classroom in dental education identified a total of 30 papers for full-text evaluation. After further exclusion, 17 studies were selected for data charting.

DISCUSSION

The student satisfaction, learning resources, pre-class and/or in-class activities, and academic scores are analysed and discussed.

CONCLUSION

Flipped classroom improves student satisfaction in majority of the studies, whilst its effect on academic scores, particularly for skill development, needs more research.