Digital Learning Resources for Prosthodontic Education: The Perspectives of a Long‐Term Dental Educator Regarding 4 Key Factors

Abstract

Technological advances have led to the introduction of 3D education programs specifically designed for dentistry, leading to the author's use of these programs in the education of dental students. Based on this usage, this paper proposes there are 4 key factors that can enhance student education (spatial ability, interactivity, critical thinking, and clinical correlations with integration of multiple dental disciplines). These key factors can be incorporated into student learning through the use of 3D education programs in class. Lessons learned from using these programs include the importance of regular use in class as well as testing students both visually and textually on the content present in such programs. In this way, students will use the program and thereby enhance their 3D visualization skills while learning the required didactic information. Simply providing students with access to such programs without regular use in class and without testing the students on the content leads to these programs' lack of use. As a result, the students miss an opportunity to enhance their ability to visualize structures three dimensionally and manipulate them in their minds, a process known as spatial ability that is linked to success in the sciences.

Enhancing Student Learning in Dental Anatomy by Using Virtual Three‐Dimensional Models

“…Previous studies have shown that virtual 3D models can be used in dental education to enhance student learning 7 and student spatial visualization 8 . Many of the disadvantages of using physical teeth in the classroom can be alleviated by using virtual 3D models of natural teeth.…”

Immersive 3D Educational Contents: A Technical Note for Dental Educators

“…These devices could also open up many applications through the use of digitized 3D files [3][4][5][6][7]. They were reported to improve the capacity of medical and dental students of learning disciplines such as anatomy [4,7,8]. Moreover, the development of educational platforms and hybrid teaching is especially useful in these times of COVID-19, as they increase the educational possibilities, that include learning of spatial ability, interactivity, critical thinking and decision-making [8,9].…”

Enhancing Student Learning in Removable Partial Denture Design by Using Virtual Three‐Dimensional Models Versus Traditional Two‐Dimensional Drawings: A Comparative Study

“…The use of virtual 3D models can be beneficial to student learning in dental education . This is accomplished by engaging spatial visualization, which has been shown to be correlated to improved student performance in the medical field …”

“…The use of virtual 3D models can be beneficial to student learning in dental education. 1 This is accomplished by engaging spatial visualization, which has been shown to be correlated to improved student performance in the medical field. [2][3][4] In the University of Iowa College of Dentistry preclinical removable partial denture (RPD) course, great emphasis is placed on the design aspect of RPD treatment.…”