Learning styles preferences and e-learning experience of undergraduate dental students / Preferências nos estilos de aprendizagem e experiência com e-learning de estudantes de graduação em Odontologia

Introduction: Education in the health sciences has been undergoing profound changes due to the incorporation of information and communication technologies. Students learn through a variety of approaches, according to their learning styles. Blended learning, which combines technology-aided learning (e-learning) with traditional face-to-face teaching methods, has been found to improve learning outcomes. Objective: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the learning styles of undergraduate dental students and their experience towards the use of e-learning. Material and method: Two electronic questionnaires were sent to 174 students. The learning styles were determined by the Felder & Soloman Index (ILS), which evaluates the following four dimensions of learning: processing information (active-reflexive); perceiving information (sensorial-intuitive); receiving information (visual-verbal); and understanding information (sequential-global). To determine the e-learning experience we used four questions (Likert scale - five-point) which addressed the experience and the use of information and communication technologies. Result: Most students presented a well-balanced style for the active-reflective (60%) and sequential-global (68%) domains. The sensing style (64%) was predominant. A lower percentage presented a global characteristic (9%). We did not find significant differences regarding the age groups (19-21 and 22-33 years) and genders (P>0.05, χ 2). However, in terms of age the difference was significant concerning websites helping in learning (P=0.0363, Mann-Whitney). Conclusion: We conclude that the students do not have the same learning styles and e-learning experience. Methods such as blended learning could provide advantages when teaching undergraduate dental students.

Introdução: A educação em ciências da saúde tem passado por profundas mudanças devido à incorporação de tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs). Os estudantes aprendem através de diferentes abordagens, de acordo com o seu estilo de aprendizagem. O ensino híbrido, que combina tecnologia (e-learning) com o ensino face-a-face, tem apresentado bons resultados. Objetivo: Os objetivos deste estudo são avaliar os estilos de aprendizagem de alunos de graduação em Odontologia e a experiência com e-learning. Material e método: Dois questionários eletrônicos foram enviados a 174 estudantes. Os estilos de aprendizagem foram determinados pelo Índice de Felder & Soloman (ILS), que avalia as quatro dimensões do aprendizado: processamento da informação (ativo-reflexivo); percepção da informação (sensorial-intuitivo); recebimento da informação (visual-verbal); e entendimento da informação (sequencial-global). Para determinar a experiência com e-learning foram usadas quatro perguntas (escala Likert de cinco pontos) sobre o uso das TICs. Resultado: A maioria dos estudantes apresentou um estilo equilibrado para ativo-reflexivo (60%) e sequencial-global (68%). O estilo sensitivo (64%) foi predominante. Uma porcentagem mais baixa apresentou características globais (9%). Não foram encontradas diferenças quanto aos grupos de idades (19-21 e 22-33 anos) e aos gêneros (P>0,05, χ2). Contudo, houve diferença entre os grupos de idades considerando a ajuda dos websites no aprendizado (P =0,0363, Mann-Whitney). Conclusão: Os estudantes não têm os mesmos estilos de aprendizado e experiência com e-learning. Métodos alternativos ao ensino convencional, como o ensino híbrido, podem significar vantagens no ensino da graduação em Odontologia.

Profile and scientific production of Brazilian researchers in dental materials

Aim: To describe the demographic characteristics and academic production of the NationalCouncil for the Development of Science and Technology (CNPq) researchers whose areas ofexpertise focus on dental materials. Methods: Secondary data were obtained from the detailsof dentistry researchers registered as receiving a CNPq grant for scientific productivity. Variablessuch as gender, category of scientific productivity grant, time of completion of PhD program,geographical distribution and affiliated institution, scientific production and human resources trainingwere analyzed. Data from 2007-2009 triennium were considered. Mann-Whitney and chisquaretests compared the variables. Results: Researchers in categories 1A + 1B are thosewho completed their PhD program more than 14 years ago. All (100%) of dental materialresearchers are dentists and affiliated to universities, being approximately 92% of those affiliatedto public institutions. Male gender (62.2%) and category 2 grant (40.5%) are prevalent, and ahigh concentration of CNPq grantees in the southeastern region (75.7%) was observed. Ingeneral, there was a predominance of publications in CAPES Qualis B journals (59.0%), but apredominance of publications by new doctors in CAPES Qualis A2 and B1 journals was found.A higher mean of publications of book chapters (0.97) compared with full publications of books(0.43) per researcher was observed. Annually, researchers supervised more scientific initiationgrants (median = 0.45), followed by doctoral (mean = 0.36) and master students (median =0.30). Conclusions: There is a high concentration of researchers in the southeastern region,predominance of male gender and scholars in grant category 2. Publications are mainly inCAPES Qualis B journals. and researchers in grant categories 1C and 1D and with less timedoctoral produce more publications. The publication of books chapters is larger than entirebooks...