Edpuzzle versus Moodle: Learning Tools in Pediatric Dentistry Practice: A Study Pilot

Adopting video assignments as a tool to improve first-year pharmacy students class engagement

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of video assignments as a tool to improve students' engagement and maximize their benefit from the assigned homework in a pharmaceutical calculations course.

METHODS

This was an intervention study, including the use of a new electronic educational tool. The study was conducted during the academic year 2021-2022. Six video assignments were created for two of the four modules of the pharmaceutical calculations course for the first-year pharmacy students. The video assignments were employed in a flipped classroom mode, with each video including 3-4 questions on successive steps in one problem. Students' perceptions of the video assignments were assessed through a survey conducted at the end of the course. The survey items represented the five domains of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).

RESULTS

All the first-year students (n=356) were assigned to this new educational tool. A total of 296 students responded to the survey, with a response rate of 83%. The majority of students agreed with the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and behavioral intention to use the video assignment. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive association between two items (perceived usefulness and attitude to use) and the outcome variable (behavioral intention to use).

CONCLUSIONS

The video assignment tool was successfully used to provide immediate feedback to a large class in a pharmaceutical calculations course. The students were in favor of the video assignment compared to traditional paper assignments. This finding could encourage other instructors to assess the benefit of implementing such tools in other pharmacy courses.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Virtual Simulation Platform for Apexification Learning

The traditional teaching methods for apexification face difficulties in meeting dental students' practical training needs. Herein, we aimed to find optimal techniques of learning apexification and to evaluate whether a virtual simulation platform for apexification learning was effective. A virtual simulation learning platform for apexification was developed. Ninety-nine 4th-year dentistry students were classified randomly into the control group (Con, receiving conventional teaching) and the experimental group (Exp, receiving virtual simulation teaching). Theoretical tests before (test 1) and after the virtual simulation training (test 2) assessed the effect of learning. In the Exp group, a questionnaire was used to assess student understanding of the virtual simulation platform. In the Exp group, the test-2 scores were significantly better compared those in the Con group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in the Exp group, the test-2 scores exceeded those of test 1 (p < 0.001). Feedback using the questionnaire covered the evaluation of the Exp group for the virtual reality platform and offered useful suggestions. Applying the virtual simulation learning platform had positive effects on improving learning quality related to apexification.