A pilot study comparing the effectiveness of conventional training and virtual reality simulation in the skills acquisition of junior dental students

Abstract

The use of virtual reality (VR) in the training of operative dentistry is a recent innovation and little research has been published on its efficacy compared to conventional training methods. To evaluate possible benefits, junior undergraduate dental students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group 1 as taught by conventional means only; group 2 as trained by conventional means combined with VR repetition and reinforcement (with access to a human instructor for operative advice); and group 3 as trained by conventional means combined with VR repetition and reinforcement, but without instructor evaluation/advice, which was only supplied via the VR-associated software. At the end of the research period, all groups executed two class 1 preparations that were evaluated blindly by 'expert' trainers, under traditional criteria (outline, retention, smoothness, depth, wall angulation and cavity margin index). Analyses of resulting scores indicated a lack of significant differences between the three groups except for scores for the category of 'outline form', for group 2, which produced significantly lower (i.e. better) scores than the conventionally trained group. A statistical comparison between scores from two 'expert' examiners indicated lack of agreement, despite identical written and visual criteria being used for evaluation by both. Both examiners, however, generally showed similar trends in evaluation. An anonymous questionnaire suggested that students recognized the benefits of VR training (e.g. ready access to assessment, error identification and how they can be corrected), but the majority felt that it would not replace conventional training methods (95%), although participants recognized the potential for development of VR systems in dentistry. The most common reasons cited for the preference of conventional training were excessive critical feedback (55%), lack of personal contact (50%) and technical hardware difficulties (20%) associated with VR-based training.

Effects of dental 3D multimedia system on the performance of junior dental students in preclinical practice: a report from China

“…This result may contradict some conventional conceptions relating to the use of multimedia in education. It has been suggested by some that extensively detailed and frequent computer feedback can be discouraging to students, especially for inexperienced dental students with little understanding of the related concepts (Quinn et al 2003;Leblanc et al 2004;Urbankova et al 2004). Thus, interpersonal communication has been the traditional and favored approach in dental education, both in classes and in labs.…”

De Simodont® in het onderwijs

“…Aangetoond is dat bij de beoordeling van open vragen in een toets-of oefensituatie de overeenstemming tussen docenten niet groot is (De Jong, 1981). Bekend is dat ook de intra-en interbetrouwbaarheid van beoordeling van werkstukken niet optimaal is (Quinn et al, 2003;Sharaf et al, 2007 Bij het gebruik van de virtuele patiënt in een cariologiecasus, waarbij de nadruk ligt op de beslissingen die een student neemt, kan de docent gestandaardiseerde feedback geven, hetgeen de kwaliteit van het onderwijs ten goede komt.…”

Virtual dental surgery as a new educational tool in dental school

“…Virtual simulators offer an opportunity for students to test and observe the results of dental procedures without patient morbidity. Simulators also facilitate repetition of the skill to be learned, offer controlled training variations, and provide opportunities to quantitatively assess student performance (Snow et al, 1996;Suvinen et al, 1998;Buchanan, 2001;Quinn et al, 2003). Developing skills require mastery of two components: knowledge of the concepts of the procedure and the dexterity to perform it (Johnson et al, 2000).…”