A Scoring System for Assessing Learning Progression of Dental Students’ Clinical Skills Using Haptic Virtual Workstations

Background With the rapid development of technology, traditional dental education has undergone a transition with the active incorporation of digital technology into curricula. DCARER is a recently developed digital real‐time evaluation system for the digital assessment of student preclinical simulation practice performance. The system provides supplementary feedback on process analysis in addition to an objective final result. This study evaluated the grading validity of the DCARER system and its effect on dental preclinical practice skills training. Methods Seventy‐three residents of Grade 2018, all of whom had completed their 3‐year term residencies in standardised and systematic training, were recruited into this study to examine the system's grading validity. All performed crown preparations with the adoption of the DCARER system, which generated both process and final scores. Three experts gave their own grade anonymously according to the final work. The differences between the digital system and the expert scores were analysed. In addition, 60 dental students in Grade 4 and 10 dental faculty members were randomly divided into traditional and digital groups. The students in the traditional group prepared the tooth with the guidance of supervisors, whilst the digital group used the DCARER system. After the class, the students’ tooth preparations were scored by the same three experts in a blinded manner. The students and faculty members completed two different sets of questionnaires to evaluate the effects of teaching, acceptance, satisfaction, and evaluation accuracy of the digital system and the traditional method. Results The grading validity assessment showed no significant difference between the tooth preparation scores given by the DCARER system and the experts (P> .05). The unique process scores given by the DCARER system were weakly correlated with the final scores given by both the digital system and the experts. The main characteristics of the 60 students and 10 faculty members were homogeneous at baseline (P> .05). The tooth preparations of the traditional group scored significantly lower than those of the digital group (P < .01). More students in the digital group (93.3%) believed the judgement to be objective than in the traditional group (73.3%). All students guided by the DCARER system (100%) and 80% of students taught in a traditional manner felt that the assessment reinforced the learning process. Faculty members reported that use of the digital system did not significantly increase their workload and reinforced the learning process for the internship. Conclusion The results presented here indicate the validity of grading using the digital real‐time evaluation system. Students and faculty could benefit from application of the system in tooth preparation practice, which may provide effective clinical interaction training for dental education.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the quality of preclinical simulation training for dental students using a new digital real‐time evaluation system

Tang

Cao

Liu

et al. 2020

“…A haptic‐enhanced VRS system with a fully immersive display system will provide the most direct experience of virtual environments . The interaction between the virtual object and reality could accurately be expressed via the haptic system, which was an essential step in enhancing the sense of presence and immersion in VR applications . Therefore, future investigations will involve an updated Virtual Educational System for Dentistry with a haptic‐enhanced VRS system (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China) …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation training for ceramic crown preparation in the dental setting using a virtual educational system

Liu

Zhou

Yuan

et al. 2019

Objectives The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a pre‐clinical training of ceramic crown preparation using the Virtual Educational System for Dentistry. Material and Methods Fifty‐seven dental students were recruited to prepare a ceramic crown under the guidance of the Real‐time Dental Training and Evaluation System (RDTES) in order to collect pre‐learning data. They participated in the online virtual learning course independently on the Virtual Learning Network Platform (VLNP). One week later, the students were invited to complete their post‐learning crown preparation with the RDTES. A questionnaire survey explored students' perceived benefits or drawbacks of the virtual educational system. Students were allocated into Group A (n = 15), B (n = 24) and C (n = 18) based on their pre‐learning performance. Differences of assessment results amongst different groups were evaluated by ANOVA and Kruskal‐Wallis tests. The pre‐ and post‐learning assessment results in all groups were compared using paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results The error scores for four assessment items (instrument selection, preparation section, preparation reduction, preparation surface and profile) and total score of outcome assessment after the virtual learning were significantly different with those before the virtual learning (P < 0.05). There were significant interactions between time and student group in the mean scores of process and outcome assessments (P < 0.001), except for the assessment item “damage of adjacent teeth.” Conclusion The application of a Virtual Educational System for Dentistry with the VLNP and RDTES in pre‐clinical operative training helps students improve their clinical skills.

“…These systems are gaining momentum as a useful tool to educate dental students 7,8 . The reported advantages of VR simulation in dental education include 9‐11 : The potential to provide iterative and unlimited practical learning Greatly reduced overheads for resource consumables and teaching staff Immediate, objective feedback The ability to create tailored and standardised exercises …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re‐defining the virtual reality dental simulator: Demonstrating concurrent validity of clinically relevant assessment and feedback

Dixon

Towers

Martín

et al. 2020

Introduction Virtual reality (VR) dental simulators are gaining momentum as a useful tool to educate dental students. To date, no VR dental simulator exercise has been designed which is capable of reliably providing validated, meaningful clinical feedback to dental students. This study aims to measure the concurrent validity of the assessment and the provision of qualitative feedback, pertaining to cavity preparations by VR dental simulators. Methods A cavity preparation exercise was created on a VR dental simulator, and assessment criteria for cavity preparations were developed. The exercise was performed 10 times in order to demonstrate a range of performances, and for each, the simulator feedback was recorded. The exercises were subsequently three‐dimensionally printed, and 12 clinical teachers were asked to assess the preparations according to the same criteria. Inter‐rater reliability (IRR) between clinical teachers was measured using a free‐marginal multirater kappa value. Clinical teacher assessment responses were compared with the VR simulator responses and percentage agreements calculated. Results IRR values for each exercise ranged from 0.39 to 0.77 (69.39%‐88.48%). The assessment of smoothness (κfree 0.58, 78.79%) and ability to follow the outline (κfree 0.56, 77.88%) demonstrated highest agreement between clinical teachers, whilst the assessment of undercut (κfree 0.15, 57.58%) and depth (κfree 0.28, 64.09%) had the lowest agreement. The modal percentage agreement between clinical teachers and the VR simulator was, on average, 78% across all exercises. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that it is possible to provide reliable and clinically relevant qualitative feedback via a VR dental simulator. Further research should look to employ this technique across a broader range of exercises that help to develop other complex operative dental skills.