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Rung AC, Sun J, George R. Dental students' ability to judge the quality of composite restorations' exemplars depicted in photographs and their impact on preclinical skills. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE 2024; 28:471-480. [PMID: 37990439 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Assessing exemplars as a formative activity is thought to promote students' learning. This study aimed to investigate dental students' ability to judge the quality of composite restorations' exemplars depicted in photographs and their impact on students' preclinical skills. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a non-randomised controlled crossover trial with two intervention arms, 92 undergraduates in their first preclinical course self-enrolled in into the intervention group (A1-INT) or control group (B1-CT). The intervention group assessed photographic images of composite restorations before restoring an ivorine premolar with composite while the control group restored the same tooth without assessing the photographic exemplars. Intervention and control groups were swapped 3 days later in a second iteration (B2-INT, A2-CT). Data were analysed in SPSS® version 27 using nonparametric tests. RESULTS Students who did not complete all activities in the study were excluded. Therefore, 57 out of the 92 student participants were included in the study analysis. No significant differences were observed between intervention and control groups' ability to assess quality of photographic exemplars or restoring a tooth in both iterations. CONCLUSION Students were able to identify the quality of composite restorations in photographic exemplars. It appears that assessing photographic exemplars did not have an immediate impact on students' ability to restore a tooth with composite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Rung
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jing Sun
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Roy George
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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Rung A, Hood M, George R. A novel scale to measure students' perceptions of exemplars in a dental school. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE 2022; 26:608-616. [PMID: 34890106 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Exemplars are an effective strategy for initial cognitive and psychomotor skill acquisition and promoting students' self-regulation. Yet, there is limited evidence about students' use and perception of exemplars in dental education. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a scale to measure students' perception of exemplars in an Australian dental school. MATERIALS AND METHODS Phase I assessed the relevant literature and students' responses to an interview. Four themes were identified for developing a 19-item questionnaire rated by an expert panel. Phase II piloted the questionnaire amongst a group of 30 students. Phase III analysed psychometric and qualitative open-ended questions data obtained from a large group of students. RESULTS The principal axis factoring resulted in one single factor that explained over 62% of the variance and had an alpha of .88. The number of questions was reduced from 19 to 6 items with loadings of 0.72 or above for each item. Students reported exemplars are beneficial for their learning and to visually guide them to understand procedures and their intended outcomes. This prompts them to think and mentally prepare before performing. Students further reported using exemplars provided by their courses almost as often as exemplars they search in social media. CONCLUSION Well-developed exemplars could play a key role in enhancing learning and could assist teaching. Understanding students' use and perception of exemplars will help educators to develop and evaluate appealing exemplars. Therefore, this study developed a new instrument to measure students' perception of exemplars, verified its reliability and validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Rung
- School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle Hood
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Roy George
- School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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George PP, Papachristou N, Belisario JM, Wang W, Wark PA, Cotic Z, Rasmussen K, Sluiter R, Riboli-Sasco E, Tudor Car L, Musulanov EM, Molina JA, Heng BH, Zhang Y, Wheeler EL, Al Shorbaji N, Majeed A, Car J. Online eLearning for undergraduates in health professions: A systematic review of the impact on knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction. J Glob Health 2014; 4:010406. [PMID: 24976965 PMCID: PMC4073252 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.04.010406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health systems worldwide are facing shortages in health professional workforce. Several studies have demonstrated the direct correlation between the availability of health workers, coverage of health services, and population health outcomes. To address this shortage, online eLearning is increasingly being adopted in health professionals' education. To inform policy-making, in online eLearning, we need to determine its effectiveness. METHODS We performed a systematic review of the effectiveness of online eLearning through a comprehensive search of the major databases for randomised controlled trials that compared online eLearning to traditional learning or alternative learning methods. The search period was from January 2000 to August 2013. We included articles which primarily focused on students' knowledge, skills, satisfaction and attitudes toward eLearning and cost-effectiveness and adverse effects as secondary outcomes. Two reviewers independently extracted data from the included studies. Due to significant heterogeneity among the included studies, we presented our results as a narrative synthesis. FINDINGS Fifty-nine studies, including 6750 students enrolled in medicine, dentistry, nursing, physical therapy and pharmacy studies, met the inclusion criteria. Twelve of the 50 studies testing knowledge gains found significantly higher gains in the online eLearning intervention groups compared to traditional learning, whereas 27 did not detect significant differences or found mixed results. Eleven studies did not test for differences. Six studies detected significantly higher skill gains in the online eLearning intervention groups, whilst 3 other studies testing skill gains did not detect differences between groups and 1 study showed mixed results. Twelve studies tested students' attitudes, of which 8 studies showed no differences in attitudes or preferences for online eLearning. Students' satisfaction was measured in 29 studies, 4 studies showed higher satisfaction for online eLearning and 20 studies showed no difference in satisfaction between online eLearning and traditional learning. Risk of bias was high for several of the included studies. CONCLUSION The current evidence base suggests that online eLearning is equivalent, possibly superior to traditional learning. These findings present a potential incentive for policy makers to cautiously encourage its adoption, while respecting the heterogeneity among the studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Paul George
- Health Services and Outcomes Research, National Healthcare Group, Singapore ; Joint first authors
| | - Nikos Papachristou
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK ; Joint first authors
| | | | - Wei Wang
- Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Chaoyang District Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Petra A Wark
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ziva Cotic
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kristine Rasmussen
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - René Sluiter
- Department of Health Evidence, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Riboli-Sasco
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lorainne Tudor Car
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Eve Marie Musulanov
- Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Bee Hoon Heng
- Health Services and Outcomes Research, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Chaoyang District Beijing, P.R. China
| | | | - Najeeb Al Shorbaji
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Azeem Majeed
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Josip Car
- Health Services and Outcomes Research, National Healthcare Group, Singapore ; Health Services and Outcomes Research Programme, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College & Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Divaris K, Barlow PJ, Chendea SA, Cheong WS, Dounis A, Dragan IF, Hamlin J, Hosseinzadeh L, Kuin D, Mitrirattanakul S, Mo'nes M, Molnar N, Perryer G, Pickup J, Raval N, Shanahan D, Songpaisan Y, Taneva E, Yaghoub-Zadeh S, West K, Vrazic D. The academic environment: the students' perspective. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE 2008; 12 Suppl 1:120-30. [PMID: 18289275 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2007.00494.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Dental education is regarded as a complex, demanding and often stressful pedagogical procedure. Undergraduates, while enrolled in programmes of 4-6 years duration, are required to attain a unique and diverse collection of competences. Despite the major differences in educational systems, philosophies, methods and resources available worldwide, dental students' views regarding their education appear to be relatively convergent. This paper summarizes dental students' standpoint of their studies, showcases their experiences in different educational settings and discusses the characteristics of a positive academic environment. It is a consensus opinion that the 'students' perspective' should be taken into consideration in all discussions and decisions regarding dental education. Moreover, it is suggested that the set of recommendations proposed can improve students' quality of life and well-being, enhance their total educational experience and positively influence their future careers as oral health physicians. The 'ideal' academic environment may be defined as one that best prepares students for their future professional life and contributes towards their personal development, psychosomatic and social well-being. A number of diverse factors significantly influence the way students perceive and experience their education. These range from 'class size', 'leisure time' and 'assessment procedures' to 'relations with peers and faculty', 'ethical climate' and 'extra-curricular opportunities'. Research has revealed that stress symptoms, including psychological and psychosomatic manifestations, are prevalent among dental students. Apparently some stressors are inherent in dental studies. Nevertheless, suggested strategies and preventive interventions can reduce or eliminate many sources of stress and appropriate support services should be readily available. A key point for the Working Group has been the discrimination between 'teaching' and 'learning'. It is suggested that the educational content should be made available to students through a variety of methods, because individual learning styles and preferences vary considerably. Regardless of the educational philosophy adopted, students should be placed at the centre of the process. Moreover, it is critical that they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Other improvements suggested include increased formative assessment and self-assessment opportunities, reflective portfolios, collaborative learning, familiarization with and increased implementation of information and communication technology applications, early clinical exposure, greater emphasis on qualitative criteria in clinical education, community placements, and other extracurricular experiences such as international exchanges and awareness of minority and global health issues. The establishment of a global network in dental education is firmly supported but to be effective it will need active student representation and involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Divaris
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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Karl M, Graef F, Eitner S, Beck N, Wichmann M, Holst S. Comparison between computer-aided testing and traditional multiple choice: an equivalence study. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE 2007; 11:38-41. [PMID: 17227394 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2007.00432.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Computer-aided learning (CAL) is a viable alternative to traditional teaching methods. While CAL is used for teaching only, computer-aided testing (CAT) can be applied as a computer-based examination method. The aim of the present study was to compare the performance of undergraduate students in computer-interactive tests and traditional multiple choice tests and to evaluate the influence of question length and language skills on test results. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-two native German-speaking students and five non-native speaking students were randomly assigned to two groups. They were required to answer 20 conventional multiple choice questions and 20 questions using the interactive MobiTed system. An analysis of variance and t-tests (alpha = 0.05) were used to compare scores. RESULTS Non-native speakers scored significantly lower on the interactive test compared with the native speaking students (P = 0.048 for long questions and P = 0.003 for short questions). There were no significant group differences on the conventional multiple choice test (P = 0.052 for long questions and P = 0.089 for short questions). Based on the results of the native speaking students neither test method nor question length had an influence on overall performance. CONCLUSION Interactive multiple choice tests may provide an alternative to written tests, especially when considering time expenditure. Language skills and question length should be taken into account when setting time limits for examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Karl
- Department of Prosthodontics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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Schittek Janda M, Tani Botticelli A, Mattheos N, Nebel D, Wagner A, Nattestad A, Attström R. Computer-mediated instructional video: a randomised controlled trial comparing a sequential and a segmented instructional video in surgical hand wash. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE 2005; 9:53-58. [PMID: 15811151 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2004.00366.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Video-based instructions for clinical procedures have been used frequently during the preceding decades. AIM To investigate in a randomised controlled trial the learning effectiveness of fragmented videos vs. the complete sequential video and to analyse the attitudes of the user towards video as a learning aid. MATERIALS AND METHODS An instructional video on surgical hand wash was produced. The video was available in two different forms in two separate web pages: one as a sequential video and one fragmented into eight short clips. Twenty-eight dental students in the second semester were randomised into an experimental (n = 15) and a control group (n = 13). The experimental group used the fragmented form of the video and the control group watched the complete one. The use of the videos was logged and the students were video taped whilst undertaking a test hand wash. The videos were analysed systematically and blindly by two independent clinicians. The students also performed a written test concerning learning outcome from the videos as well as they answered an attitude questionnaire. RESULTS The students in the experimental group watched the video significantly longer than the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to the ratings and scores when performing the hand wash. The experimental group had significantly better results in the written test compared with those of the control group. There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to attitudes towards the use of video for learning, as measured by the Visual Analogue Scales. Most students in both groups expressed satisfaction with the use of video for learning. CONCLUSION The students demonstrated positive attitudes and acceptable learning outcome from viewing CAL videos as a part of their pre-clinical training. Videos that are part of computer-based learning settings would ideally be presented to the students both as a segmented and as a whole video to give the students the option to choose the form of video which suits the individual student's learning style.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schittek Janda
- Department of Periodontology and Centre for Educational Research and Technology, Centre for Oral Health Sciences, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
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