Live lectures and videos do not differ in relation to learning outcomes of dental ergonomics

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare the knowledge attained by third-year dental students in physical ergonomics altering live lectures and videos in teaching. The second aim was to investigate implementation of the theoretical knowledge on ergonomics into practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty-five students divided into two groups attended a live lecture (45 min) or viewed videos (45 min). After the first teaching session, the groups changed parts. All students answered a questionnaire with 13 true or false-questions on ergonomics at baseline and immediately after both teaching sessions. Friedman's test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare questionnaire scores of the student groups. Additionally, we photographed 17 randomly selected students 3 months after baseline during a simulation workshop on endodontics. We analyzed the photographs for ergonomic postures using a specific 12-point checklist.

RESULTS

At baseline, no difference in the knowledge between the two groups was discovered, when both scored 72%. After the first teaching session, significant improvement in both groups (p < .05) was found; and there was no statistically significant difference in the scores between the groups (88% in the lecture-first and 82% in the video-first group). After the second teaching session, the scores were similar in both groups. Overall all improvement in both groups was significant (p < .001). The photograph analysis showed half of the postures being in accord with the ergonomic guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

Both live lectures and videos showed similar outcomes in teaching ergonomics. Implementation of the knowledge on ergonomics is insufficient. Videos provide an easy-to-organize alternative to live lectures in teaching dental ergonomics. New means are needed to have dental students implement their knowledge on ergonomics into practice.

Accepted standards on how to give a Medical Research Presentation: a systematic review of expert opinion papers

Background: This systematic review aimed to extract recommendations from expert opinion articles on how to give a medical research presentation on a scientific conference and to determine whether the experts agree on what makes an effective or poor presentation. Methods: Presentation-related terms were searched within article titles listed in PubMed, restricting the search to English-language articles published from January 1975 to July 2015. Recommendations were extracted from the articles, grouped by content, and analyzed for frequency. Ninety-one articles were included. Among 679 different recommendations, 29 were given in more than 20% of articles each. The five most frequent recommendations were to keep slides simple, adjust the talk to the audience, rehearse, not read the talk from slides or a manuscript, and make eye contact. Results: No article gave advice that was the complete opposite of the 29 most frequent recommendations with the exception of whether a light or dark background should be used for slides. Conclusions: Researchers should comply with these widely accepted standards to be perceived as effective presenters.

Brain Friendly Teaching-Reducing Learner's Cognitive Load

Many didactic lectures induce a cognitive load in learners out of proportion to the content that they need to learn (or can learn) during that teaching session. This is due in part to the content, and in part to the way it is displayed or presented. By reducing the cognitive load on our audience, we can increase long-term retention of information. This article briefly summarizes some of the science behind cognitive load as it relates to presentations, and identifies simple steps to reduce it, while maximizing learning.

Performing dual roles in education and practice

AIM

To examine the benefits and challenges of dual posts, defined here as lecturers who work in clinical practice and have separate contracts with different organisations.

METHODS

A case study approach was used to collate different perspectives. Equal numbers of participants were selected from lecturers (n=3) and dual post holders (n= 3), and one manager was included (n=1). Semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim to collect data. Key words were identified then highlighted throughout the transcripts and text retrievers searched the large amounts of data gathered. Key words were grouped into multiple sub-themes, which were then further grouped into four themes.

FINDINGS

Four main themes emerged from the data: duality, theory/practice, credibility and student experience. Some benefits and challenges of dual posts were identified. Benefits included helping students contextualise theory into practice and maintaining currency in practice. Challenges were maintaining a multifaceted role and managing expectations in both roles.

CONCLUSION

Dual post holders are regarded as an important part of the team by all stakeholders involved in this study. However, more clarification about the expectations of each role is required and post holders should have more support from their organisations.

Reconsidering the lecture in modern veterinary education

Those teaching in the higher-education environment are now increasingly meeting with larger cohorts of students. The result is additional pressure on the resources available and on the teacher and learners. Against this backdrop, discussions and reflections took place between a practitioner, within a UK veterinary school, and an educational researcher with extensive experience in observing teaching in veterinary medicine. The result was an examination of the lecture as a method of teaching to consider how to resolve identified challenges. The focus of much of the literature is on technical aspects of teaching and learning, reverting to a range of tips to resolve particular issues recognized in large-group settings. We suggest that while these tips are useful, they will only take a practitioner so far. To be able to make a genuine connection to learners and help them connect directly to the discipline, we need to take account of the emotional aspects of our role as teachers, without which, delivery of knowledge may be undermined.

Successful lecturing: a prospective study to validate attributes of the effective medical lecture

OBJECTIVE

In a study conducted over 3 large symposia on intensive review of internal medicine, we previously assessed the features that were most important to course participants in evaluating the quality of a lecture. In this study, we attempt to validate these observations by assessing prospectively the extent to which ratings of specific lecture features would predict the overall evaluation of lectures.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

After each lecture, 143 to 355 course participants rated the overall lecture quality of 69 speakers involved in a large symposium on intensive review of internal medicine. In addition, 7 selected participants and the course directors rated specific lecture features and overall quality for each speaker. The relations among the variables were assessed through Pearson correlation coefficients and cluster analysis. Regression analysis was performed to determine which features would predict the overall lecture quality ratings. The features that most highly correlated with ratings of overall lecture quality were the speaker's abilities to identify key points (r =.797) and be engaging (r =.782), the lecture clarity (r =.754), and the slide comprehensibility (r =.691) and format (r =.660). The three lecture features of engaging the audience, lecture clarity, and using a case-based format were identified through regression as the strongest predictors of overall lecture quality ratings (R2 = 0.67, P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified core lecture features that positively affect the success of the lecture. We believe our findings are useful for lecturers wanting to improve their effectiveness and for educators who design continuing medical education curricula.