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This study assessed the merits of introducing a novel, online interactive training module designed to positively engage dental students and teach them to recognize and report signs of child abuse and neglect. The study aimed to determine if the online training module educated the students equivalently or better than a lecture presentation of the same content. Seventy-two students from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine's class of 2015 (90 percent of the class) agreed to participate and were randomly assigned to either a traditional lecture-based presentation or the online training module. Study participants were given a twenty-question multiple-choice pretest on their knowledge of child abuse recognition and reporting prior to the start of the study. The same instrument was administered as a posttest. At the end of the training, questionnaires were also given to both groups to assess students' perceptions of the two educational methodologies. The results showed that the interactive online training module was more effective than the lecture-based method. Results of the posttest comparison of the two groups were statistically signiicant (p<0.05) in favor of the online training group. Additionally, the students reported that the interactive online training module was engaging and a helpful resource, but on average they did not prefer it as a total replacement for the lecturebased approach.Mr.

Research Summary Nanocomposite MaterialsThe work described in this paper is focused on evaluating the effect of the processing method and nanoclay (montmorillonite) content on the tensile, compressive, and impact properties of clay-epoxy nanocomposites. Nanocomposites are synthesized by two methods: mechanical mixing and shear mixing. Both these methods are capable of producing bulk quantities of clay-epoxy nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the nanoclay has exfoliated in the mechanically mixed specimens. Results show that as nanoclay content increases the tensile modulus increases for both mechanically and shear mixed specimens, while the compressive modulus remains largely unchanged. The total energy absorption under impact loading is found to be higher in mechanically mixed specimens.

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