COVID-19 restrictions necessitated wholescale conversion of curricula to online learning environments globally. We used a mixed-methods study design to evaluate the conversion of a large foundational interprofessional course, at our university, to an asynchronous online learning environment. A survey was used to gauge if students learned interprofessionally and about interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP). A COVID-19 discussion board was used to assess learner knowledge of their own and other health professions and value for IPCP. Survey results indicated students perceived the online session as effective as it would have been in person. The COVID-19 discussion board presented evidence that students met all Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies for IPCP, shared knowledge of their and other health professions, and expressed the value and essentiality of IPCP. Findings support social context as a main requisite for interprofessional education, and within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were able to heighten their connection to the global interprofessional community. Circumstances surrounding COVID-19 highlight the need for increasing IPCP education. One unforeseen positive that has emerged in spite of this global catastrophe is enhanced student awareness of IPCP and interprofessional comradery as evidenced through student discussions in this course.
Little research exists on reciprocal learning, a type of peer-assisted learning in which students act concurrently as both teacher and learner in small groups. The aims of this pilot study were to assess the feasibility of using case-based reciprocal learning with dental students and to assess its impact on students' satisfaction and perceived clinical reasoning, educational value, and use of evidence-based dentistry. In this quasi-experimental mixed methods study conducted in 2018, small-group sessions led by a third-year dental student were designed to expose second-year students to clinical portfolios prior to clinical rotations, promote evidence-based dentistry, and improve students' clinical critical thinking skills by having them work in small groups to teach and learn from each other. After the intervention, all 76 students in the sessions were invited to complete a survey with 11 Likert-scale items and six open-response questions assessing their engagement in learning, perceived educational value, and of 86%. Among the survey respondents, 87.7% agreed/strongly agreed that the small groups facilitated enhanced learning, and 66.2% agreed/strongly agreed that they learned the material better because they had to teach it to their peers. Also, 74.6% agreed/ strongly agreed that their clinical critical thinking improved, and 92.3% agreed/strongly agreed that they felt better prepared to complete a patient portfolio once they reach clinic. This study found that reciprocal learning had favorable outcomes in terms of students' perceptions of learning. The students reported that the small groups enhanced their learning, improved their comfort in asking questions in small groups, and exposed them to a variety of clinical situations.
Narrow-diameter TiZr implants may be preferred for patients who have insufficient bone volume without bone augmentation procedures due to the material's enhanced biomechanical properties. ZrO implants may be a suitable alternative for esthetic regions. Further clinical studies are recommended to investigate the long-term performance of TiZr and ZrO implants.
The use of collaboration while in dental school can help prepare dental students for the team‐oriented nature of the workforce. One way to do this is via collaborative group testing (CGT), a method of assessment allowing students to learn from one another. The aim of this study was to examine the CGT method in a predoctoral dental education setting to determine if student examination performance improved with the addition of collaboration and if collaborative testing was beneficial to students’ learning process. In 2016, all first‐year dental students (n=76) at one U.S. dental school were assessed in an introductory comprehensive care course using a two‐stage CGT in which students were assessed individually, prior to taking the same test in collaboration with an assigned partner. Three quizzes and a final examination were given in which student participants served as both control (individual assessments) and treatment (collaborative assessment). At the conclusion of the course, a questionnaire was administered to ascertain student perspectives. All assessments yielded favorable results with an overall score improvement from a mean of 81.1% on individual assessments to 91% on collaborative assessments (p=0.001), indicating that collaboration improved assessment outcomes. Additionally, retention of material was suggested with individual scores on the cumulative final surpassing average individual scores of the preceding quizzes (p<0.001). Students’ responses on the questionnaire indicated that they perceived implementation of CGT was beneficial to their learning process. With these results, this testing methodology shows promise to enhance dental student learning, material retention, and teamwork.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.