Purpose The need to innovate predoctoral dental education is well established; however, there are few recent reports to guide substantial curriculum transformation. The purpose of this study was to describe faculty perspectives on their vision of future graduates, curriculum needs, and potential barriers to a successful redesign. This information would be used to inform strategic planning for the predoctoral curriculum transformation. Methods Eighty full‐time faculty from the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry participated in 60‐minute focus groups in March 2018. Focus group questions were developed to elicit perceptions about the current curriculum, what the dental graduate should know in 2040, and what is needed to engage faculty in curriculum change. Transcripts of the focus group sessions were analyzed by a third‐party research group using qualitative thematic analysis to identify pertinent themes shared by participants. Results Faculty identified that developing clinical skill that engages multiple specialties, student time to engage in advocacy activities, and opportunities to integrate biomedical, clinical, and behavioral sciences as critical features of the curriculum. They believed the 2040 graduate should be able to critically evaluate literature, exhibit strong leadership skills, and adapt to the changing healthcare environment. To better engage faculty in curriculum change, there needs to be dedicated time, sufficient resources, a clear plan, and greater collaboration across the school. Conclusion When embarking on curriculum transformation, engagement with faculty is a critical component of the change process. Focus groups can be used as a technique to better understand faculty perspectives about curricular needs and the overall vision.
PurposeResidents function as important educators of dental students; however, they often have limited training in educational best‐practices. Resident‐as‐teacher programs have been designed and implemented in other health professions to prepare residents to teach in clinic and classroom settings. In this research, we describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a 2‐day workshop for first‐year advanced dental residents.MethodsThe program engaged residents in techniques to: (1) foster psychological safety, (2) use the cognitive apprenticeship framework, (3) deliver quality feedback, and (4) conduct effective didactic instruction. Nineteen first‐year residents attended 2 four‐hour workshops in July 2019. The impact of the program was evaluated using Kirkpatrick's model, which included participant reactions, learning, and self‐reported behaviors.ResultsMost residents (at least 83.3%) reported the value and quality of the workshop was high or very high. With regard to knowledge, residents had statistically significant higher scores after the workshop on knowledge questions about cognitive apprenticeship (P < 0.01), feedback strategies (P < 0.05), and classroom instruction techniques (P < 0.05). Resident reported self‐efficacy had a statistically significantly increase (P < 0.05) after the workshop in psychological safety, cognitive apprenticeship, and most items related to providing feedback; there were few changes in self‐efficacy on classroom instruction strategies.ConclusionOverall, a workshop to prepare residents as teachers can improve knowledge and self‐efficacy in evidence‐based educational practices.
Following the adoption of competency-based education in dentistry in the 1990s, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) were introduced in the field of medicine in the mid-2000s to help educators better determine the competence of trainees. More recently, the field of dental education has begun exploring EPAs as a framework for assessing competence while ensuring compliance with accreditation standards. This paper explores one dental school's process of preparing for implementation of a major curriculum change using an EPA assessment framework, shifting away from the use of singular assessments for competency determination to a global and longitudinal approach using a constellation of data to determine practice readiness. This paper describes how the EPA framework was developed, including the complementary capacities, assessment tool development and programming, and data reporting to follow learner progression and determine practice readiness. We discuss lessons learned leading up to implementation, and we position this perspective as a space to describe opportunities and complexities to consider when using a
To describe the implementation and impact of an introductory session on psychological safety for incoming first-year Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) learners. Methods: In August 2020, first-year DDS students participated in a 2-h online instructional session focused on defining psychological safety, the behaviors that promote and disrupt it, and setting expectations for learner and faculty behavior to foster it. Learners worked in small groups to discuss the various components of psychological safety and document their discussion in a collaborative workspace before a large group debriefs. Participants were requested to complete an electronic survey before and after the session to evaluate their change in knowledge, confidence in performing tasks to foster psychological safety, and perceptions about their level of control. Six months after the session, learners were requested to participate in a focus group for additional feedback and reflections.Results: Seventy-four participants completed the before and after experience survey. There was a statistically significant increase in knowledge of the components of psychological safety and perceptions of control. In addition, selfreported measures of confidence to perform the tasks increased from an average rating of 36% confident before the session to 86% confident afterward. In the experience, learners were active in their discussion and generated many ideas about behaviors that promote and disrupt psychological safety, which informed the creation of learner and faculty classroom expectations. Conclusion: Engaging learners in discussions about psychological safety can be a useful activity to establish expectations and create group norms that may support collaborative learning environments.
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