Raising awareness about microbial antibiotic resistance in undergraduate dental students: a research-based strategy for teaching non-laboratory elements of a microbiology curriculum

Abstract

Background: Resistance to antimicrobial agents has become a problem in modern society. Antibiotic resistant bacteria undermine the prevention and treatment of infections. Undergraduate dental students in Europe are required to receive information in aspects of microbiology relevant for dental practice, including oral microbial pathogens and resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial compounds. The objective of this study was to implement a research-based strategy to aid the understanding of the increase in antimicrobial resistance in undergraduate dental student training. The primary outcome of this project is the efficacious delivery of the learning objectives. Methods: Ten volunteer undergraduate student "ambassadors" were recruited to manage the project with assistance from lead academics. Student ambassadors were a source of peer learning for their colleagues. The project consisted of three phases: Pre-project preparation (in which the ambassadors received special instruction and training); Practical experience (in which the ambassadors worked with volunteer student colleagues to carry out the project); Public presentation of results (in which ambassadors presented study results at a scientific conference of their choosing). Results: A total of 1164 students volunteered for the project, corresponding to an average participation rate of 76.4% students per year of the course. Following final debriefing, student participants and ambassadors were strongly positive in their evaluation of the achievement of 8 key student learning objectives. The results demonstrate that most volunteers improved their knowledge related to antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in microbiology. Additional benefits of participation in this project included an improvement in dental knowledge and ethics in biomedical research for the student volunteers, whilst the student ambassadors reported improved knowledge about critical thinking and study design, as well as a deeper understanding about microbiological analysis methods.

Antibiotic use and resistance: an unprecedented assessment of university students’ knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) in Lebanon

“…Higuita-Gutiérrez and colleagues, reported in 2020 that medical students from three medical schools in Medellin, Colombia exhibit poor knowledge regarding antibiotic use due to insufficient training with regard to antibiotic use and bacterial resistance [34]. Whereas, Veses and colleagues in the same year, after surveying undergraduate dental students at Universidad Cardenal Herrera, concluded that awareness campaigns are needed to promote student's use of antibiotics in young generations particularly among the pre-professional health sciences students [35]. Interestingly, as a result of the lack of training they discovered, Tsopra et al 2020 used a game called 'AntibioGame' through which students play the role of a doctor meeting patients in consultation as a promising tool for improving knowledge in antibiotic prescription [36].…”

Effectiveness of a Hybrid Project-Based Learning (H-PBL) Approach for Students’ Knowledge Gain and Satisfaction in a Plant Tissue Culture Course

“…Project-based strategies for teaching science subjects have also demonstrated positive effects on knowledge acquisition and critical thinking for microbiological analysis methods among undergraduate dental students [43]. In that study, there was no analysis of the scores obtained by the students in their exams, but two questionnaires for evaluating the student learning objectives were used to measure the effect of the strategy.…”

Analysis of ten-year teaching evaluation of oral microbiology lab curriculum

“…A survey conducted at CEU Cardenal Herrera University revealed that the inclusion of authentic research experiences in microbiology courses had a positive impact on students. The results indicated improvements in critical thinking skills, knowledge of research design, and a deeper understanding of microbial analysis methods [ 25 ]. Our educational philosophy aligns with this approach, we strongly encourage students with a keen interest in research to approach their tutors and seek opportunities to participate in laboratory work.…”