Development and validation of a cadaveric porcine Pseudotumor model for Oral Cancer biopsy and resection training.

OBJECTIVE: The gold standard of oral cancer (OC) treatment is diagnostic confirmation by biopsy followed by surgical treatment. However, studies have shown that dentists have difficulty performing biopsies, dental students lack knowledge about OC, and surgeons do not always maintain a safe margin during tumor resection. To address this, biopsies and resections could be trained under realistic conditions outside the patient. The aim of this study was to develop and to validate a porcine pseudotumor model of the tongue. METHODS: An interdisciplinary team reflecting various specialties involved in the oncological treatment of head and neck oncology developed a porcine pseudotumor model of the tongue in which biopsies and resections can be practiced. The refined model was validated in a final trial of 10 participants who each resected four pseudotumors on a tongue, resulting in a total of 40 resected pseudotumors. The participants (7 residents and 3 specialists) had an experience in OC treatment ranging from 0.5 to 27 years. Resection margins (minimum and maximum) were assessed macroscopically and compared beside self-assessed margins and resection time between residents and specialists. Furthermore, the model was evaluated using Likert-type questions on haptic and radiological fidelity, its usefulness as a training model, as well as its imageability using CT and ultrasound. RESULTS: The model haptically resembles OC (3.0 ± 0.5; 4-point Likert scale), can be visualized with medical imaging and macroscopically evaluated immediately after resection providing feedback. Although, participants (3.2 ± 0.4) tended to agree that they had resected the pseudotumor with an ideal safety margin (10 mm), the mean minimum resection margin was insufficient at 4.2 ± 1.2 mm (mean ± SD), comparable to reported margins in literature. Simultaneously, a maximum resection margin of 18.4 ± 6.1 mm was measured, indicating partial over-resection. Although specialists were faster at resection (p < 0.001), this had no effect on margins (p = 0.114). Overall, the model was well received by the participants, and they could see it being implemented in training (3.7 ± 0.5). CONCLUSION: The model, which is cost-effective, cryopreservable, and provides a risk-free training environment, is ideal for training in OC biopsy and resection and could be incorporated into dental, medical, or oncologic surgery curricula. Future studies should evaluate the long-term training effects using this model and its potential impact on improving patient outcomes.

Health professionals' recommendations on the use of fluoride varnish for caries prevention in preschool children.

BACKGROUND: Fluoride varnish (FV) is widely recommended for caries prevention in preschool children, despite its anticaries benefits being uncertain and modest. Dentists often report using clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) as a source of scientific information. AIM: To identify and analyze recommendations for clinical practice on the use of FV for caries prevention in preschool children and to assess the methodological quality of the CPG on this topic. DESIGN: Two researchers independently used 12 search strategies and searched the first five pages of Google Search™ and three guideline databases for recommendations freely available to health professionals on the use of FV for caries prevention in preschoolers. Then, they retrieved and recorded recommendations that met the eligibility criteria and extracted the data. A third researcher resolved disagreements. Each included CPG was appraised using the AGREE II instrument. RESULTS: Twenty-nine documents were included. Recommendations varied according to age, patients' caries risk, and application frequency. Of the six CPGs, only one scored above 70% in the AGREE II overall assessment. CONCLUSION: Recommendations on the use of FV lacked scientific evidence, and CPGs were of poor quality. Application of FV is widely recommended despite recent evidence showing an uncertain, modest, and possibly not clinically relevant anticaries benefit. Dentists should be aware that it is necessary to critically appraise CPGs since they may be of poor quality.

YouTube as a learning modality for clinical procedures among medical and dental students: A study in public sector teaching institutes.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and analyse the influence of YouTube as a learning modality for clinical procedures among medical and dental students in a public-sector setting. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the medical and dental constituent institutes of Jinnah Sindh Medical University and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre between August and October 2023, and comprised undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students of either gender aged 18-40 years. Data was collected using a self-administered, structured, closed-ended 16-item questionnaire, which was developed in the English language and explored the usage of YouTube as a source of information about medical and dental clinical procedures. Data was coded and analysed using SPSS 26. RESULTS: Of the 314 participants, 153(48.7%) were medical students and 161(51.3%) were from the dental stream, 175(55.7%) were females, and 139(44.3%) were males. YouTube was a helpful tool for 143(45.5%) students who used it when needed, 172(54.8%) used it occasionally before attempting procedures, while majority of the dental students 140(44.6%) used it to study for prosthodontics. There were 154(49%) students who supported the idea that faculty should recommend watching relevant videos on YouTube, while 256(81.5%) preferred other websites. Conclusion: YouTube was mostly used for learning clinical procedures by the students.

An insight into the clinical learning environment of dental institutes: a study in the twin cities of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceptions of dental students regarding their clinical learning environment in an urban setting. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted from March 2020 to May 2021 after approval from the ethics review committee of Islamic International Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan. It comprised of clinical year students, house officers and postgraduate trainees from 6 dental teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Data was collected using a pre-validated instrument assessing the dental clinical learning environment. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: Of the 1030 students approached, 561(54.4%) responded. Of them, 448(80%) were girls, 234(41.7%) were 3rd year students, 110(19.6%) were 4th year students, 120(21.4%) were house officers and 97(17.3%) were postgraduate trainees. Female students had a better patient attitude and were more confident in their abilities to keep up with their peers (p<0.05). The students were content with the performance of their clinical teachers, with a mean score of 70.99+/-16.0, while the lowest score of 54.67+/-22.9 was for clinical infrastructure and materials. Students of Islamabad pointed out the lack of clinical materials and maintenance of equipment but noted better research opportunities compared to their Rawalpindi counterparts (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical learning environment for Islamabad and Rawalpindi cities individually was good. Overall, students were satisfied with their clinical teachers, learning and training experience. Dental materials, infrastructure and maintenance factors scored the lowest.

Reopening of a school of dentistry in the era of COVID-19 pandemic, "Step-by-step" approach.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has a great impact on all aspects of higher education worldwide. In Iran, after several months of lockdown, all dental schools coped with the challenge of "reopening." School of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) planned to facilitate the process of reopening using a "step-by-step" approach. The aim of this study was sharing our experiences of reopening of the school during the pandemic. METHODS: TUMS School of Dentistry planned a "step-by-step" approach of reopening of school to both provide infrastructure of online education for theoretical credits and reassure all staff and students about infection control for practical courses. Also, a two-section survey on students' satisfaction with a variety of aspects of reopening process and the clinical performance of students in different clinical courses was conducted. RESULTS: Findings showed 65.1% of the students, attended the survey, were satisfied with reopening of the school. Also, 86.4% were satisfied with the new online method of education for theoretical courses. Regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) provided for the students, 22.9% and 56.5% of them were satisfied and moderately satisfied, respectively. Additionally, 78.2% of the students were satisfied with the newly developed online assessment method. CONCLUSION: Although reopening of schools during COVID-19 pandemic seems enigmatic for all authorities and students, the "step-by-step" plan designed by TUMS School of dentistry including emotional and infrastructural prerequisites might be a reliable method for all people, who are in charge of management of dental school in uncertain crisis.

A comprehensive approach to identify challenges for clinical reasoning development in undergraduate dental students and their potential solutions.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical reasoning is a core competence in health professions that impacts the ability to solve patients' health problems. Due to its relevance, it is necessary to identify difficulties arising from different sources that affect clinical reasoning development in students. The aim of this study was to explore a comprehensive approach to identify challenges for clinical reasoning development in undergraduate dental students and their potential solutions. METHODS: Mixed methods were used in four stages: (1) students and clinical teachers focus groups to identify challenges to clinical reasoning development; (2) literature review to explore potential solutions for these challenges; (3) Delphi technique for teacher consensus on pertinence and feasibility of solutions (1-5 scale); and (4) teachers' self-perception of their ability to implement the solutions. RESULTS: Three categories and seven subcategories of challenges were identified: (I) educational context factors influencing the clinical reasoning process; (II) teacher's role in clinical reasoning development; and (III) student factors influencing the clinical reasoning process. From 134 publications identified, 53 were selected for review, resulting in 10 potential solutions. Through two Delphi rounds, teachers rated the potential solutions very highly in terms of relevance (4.50-4.85) and feasibility (3.50-4.29). Finally, a prioritisation ranking of these solutions was generated using their scores for relevance, feasibility, and teachers' self-perception of their ability to implement them. CONCLUSIONS: The present comprehensive approach identified challenges for clinical reasoning development in dental students and their potential solutions, perceived as relevant and feasible by teachers, requiring further research and follow-up actions to address them.

Clinical experience improves academic outcomes in dental Oral surgery education.

INTRODUCTION: This paper aimed to determine if the level of a dental student's clinical experience in oral surgery influences the student's oral surgery academic outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The oral surgery clinical activity and academic outcomes for all students who completed their dental training in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 from the University of Sydney were analysed for correlation. RESULTS: The clinical activity performed by 313 students was recorded. There was a weak, but statistically significant, Pearson correlation between total dental extractions and academic outcomes (r = .243, p = <.001). The total number of dental extractions performed was the only statistically significant variable on academic outcomes with linear regression analysis (ß = .227, p = .005; model R2  = .077). The increase of a student's clinical experience from less than 45 to more than 65 dental extractions raised their oral surgery academic results by an average of 6.4%. There were no academic benefits to earlier clinical experience. CONCLUSION: An increase in experience with dental extractions resulted in an increase in oral surgery academic outcomes, plateauing at 65 dental extractions. There was no academic advantage to dental student's having earlier clinical experience.

The impact of oral health education on the incidence and severity of oral mucositis in pediatric cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Oral health education is an effective measure to prevent oral mucositis (OM) by improving self-management and effectively engaging patients in their health care. This systematic review aimed to determine the impact of oral health education interventions on the incidence and severity of OM. Bibliographical searches were carried out by two independent examiners in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Virtual Health Library, and SIGLE, until June 2022. The eligibility criteria were based on the PICO strategy, considering studies with pediatric oncology patients, aged 0 to 19 years, who had attended oral health education activities and had been examined for the incidence and/or severity of OM. Data were extracted for qualitative synthesis and organized in spreadsheets. The quality assessment of the selected studies was performed using the ROBINS-I tool. Meta-analysis was based on the group frequencies of OM ulcerative lesions, adopting a significance level of 5%. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to define the certainty of the evidence. The primary search retrieved 1827 articles. After removing duplicate records and screening titles and abstracts for eligibility, a total of 21 articles were selected for full-text analysis. Of these, seven eligible studies were included for data extraction and qualitative synthesis, while four studies were selected for quantitative synthesis. All studies had a longitudinal design; three performed a before-after comparison and four were controlled studies. OM was assessed by the following scales: OAG, WHO, ChIMES, and WCCNR. While data analysis of the selected studies was heterogeneous, the implementation of oral health education strategies was found to reduce the incidence and severity of OM during the follow-up period. The meta-analysis showed a favorable outcome for the educational intervention. The likelihood of patients attending oral health education activities to manifest OM ulcerative lesions was significantly lower (P = 0.002) than that of the control. The GRADE analysis presented a low certainty of the evidence. To conclude, oral health education interventions improved OM outcomes in pediatric oncology patients with a low quality of evidence.

Dental students' preference and perception on intraoral scanning and impression making.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the preference and perception on intraoral scanning and impression making among dental students. METHODS: Final-year dental students from the 2019 and 2020 cohorts were invited to complete an online questionnaire via Google-Form. Their preference on the intraoral-scanning/impression making techniques and their perception on these techniques including the ease of defect identification, ease of infection control, need of chairside support, ease to master the technique as a beginner, efficiency in their hands and ease to handle the scanner software (yes/no) were collected. The results were analysed using McNemar tests and binary logistic regression test. All tests were performed at significance level α = 0.05. RESULTS: Ninety-seven students participated in this study with a response rate of 96.0 %. Eighty-one students (83.5 %) have tried intraoral scanning on peers. Fifty-three (54.6 %) students preferred intraoral-scanning and were categorized as Pro-scanning group. Forty-four (45.4 %) students either preferred impression-making (n = 21) or not sure (n = 23) were categorized as Others. More than half of students in both groups felt that intraoral-scanning is easier to identify defect, easier in infection control and require less chairside support. Higher proportion of students in the Pro-scanning group felt that intraoral-scanning requires less chairside support, easier to master as a beginner, more efficient in their hands and they can deal well with the scanner software than that in Others (P < 0.05). Regression shown that students preferred a technique that they perceived is more efficient (P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: While intraoral scanning has perceived advantages, many students still prefer impression making that works more efficient to them.

Educating medical students in oral health care: current curriculum and future needs of institutions in Malaysia and Australia.

Poor oral health has been associated with compromised general health and quality of life. To promote comprehensive patient management, the role of medical professionals in oral health maintenance is compelling, thus indicating the need for educational preparation in this area of practice. This study aimed to determine the extent of training in oral health in Malaysian and Australian medical schools. An audio-recorded semi-structured phone interview involving Academic Programme Directors in Malaysian (n = 9, response rate=81.8%) and Australian (n = 7, response rate = 35.0%) medical schools was conducted during the 2014/2015 and 2014 academic years, respectively. Qualitative data was analysed via thematic analysis, involving coding and grouping into emerging themes. Quantitative data were measured for frequencies. It was found that medical schools in Malaysia and Australia offered limited teaching of various oral health-related components that were mostly integrated throughout the curriculum, in the absence of structured learning objectives, teaching methodologies and assessment approaches. Barriers to providing oral health education included having insufficient expertise and overloaded curriculum. As medical educators demonstrated support for oral health education, collaboration amongst various stakeholders is integral to developing a well-structured curriculum and practice guidelines on oral health management involving medical professionals.

The teaching of Dental Public Health - 50 years on.

In 1966, James published an article in the British Dental Journal (and reprinted here) which made recommendations on the teaching of dental public health. The following commentary reviews the ideas put forward by James and how these relate to concepts of dental public health in the undergraduate dental curricula of 2016 .

Association between gender and self-assessment skills amongst Japanese dental students.

Background/purpose: Self-assessment in dental education is considered a fundamental skill for proficient oral healthcare providers. While previous studies looked at self-assessment in education, few have done so at Japanese institutions. This study aimed to assess potential associations between gender and self-assessment skills in Japanese dental students. Materials and methods: Dental students from Niigata University (n = 301) completed preclinical prosthodontic exercises and self-assessed their practical exam performance. Three calibrated faculty evaluated students' work using the same rubric. The difference between student self-assessment score and mean faculty grade was defined as the student-faculty (S-F) gap, indicating how accurately students evaluated their work. The gap scores were stratified by quartiles by faculty grade and by gender. Regression analysis was used to investigate potential associations. Results: Students mean S-F gap was 2.9 ± 10.5 % with a significant negative association to faculty grades (coefficient, -0.32; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between male and female students for faculty grades, self-assessment scores, and S-F gaps. When stratified by quartile, mean S-F gaps of bottom quartile students (5.7 ± 11.9 %) were significantly higher than the rest of the class (1.9 ± 9.8 %; P = 0.01), while the mean S-F gaps of students in the top quartile (-0.8 ± 10.2 %) were significantly lower than the rest of the class (4.2 ± 10.3 %; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Niigata University students generally overestimated their performance. Students with higher faculty grades self-assessed themselves more accurately than students with lower faculty grades. Gender did not influence S-F gaps, despite dentistry in Japan shifting toward a female-dominated field.

Familiarity with ChatGPT Features Modifies Expectations and Learning Outcomes of Dental Students.

OBJECTIVES: The number of approvals for AI-based systems is increasing rapidly, although AI clinical trial designs lack consideration of the impact of human-AI interaction. Aim of this work was to investigate how reading of an AI system (ChatGPT) features/descriptions could influence the willingness and expectations for use of this technology as well as dental students' learning performance. METHODS: Dental students (N = 104) were asked to learn about side effects of drugs used in dental practice via reading recommended literature or ChatGPT. Expectations towards ChatGPT were measured by survey, before and after reading of a system features description, whilst learning outcomes were evaluated via pharmacology quiz. RESULTS: Students who used ChatGPT (YG group) showed better results on the pharmacology quiz than students who neither read the description nor employed ChatGPT for learning (NN condition). Moreover, students who read the description of ChatGPT features yet did not use it (NG) showed better results on the pharmacology quiz compared with the NN condition, although none of them employed ChatGPT for learning. The NG students compared to the YG students had less trust in AI system assistance in learning, and after the AI system description reading, their expectations changed significantly, showing an association with quiz scores. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of students in our cohort was reluctant to use ChatGPT. Furthermore, familarity (reading) with ChatGPT features appear to alter the expectations and enhance learning performance of students.suggesting an AI description-related cognitive bias. Hence the content description of ChatGPTshould be reviewed and verified prior to AI system use for educational purposes.

Live quiz games to teach nutrition in a dental hygiene program: a pilot study.

Introduction: Higher educational institutions increasingly focus on incorporating games to enhance student engagement. Gimkit is a recent addition to gamified learning that allows instructors to create quiz games with randomly repeated questions. Case description: The study of nutrition requires memorization of facts. Gimkit was incorporated into a dental hygiene class to teach nutrition and support rote learning. Anonymous data on student performance and satisfaction were collected. Descriptive statistics were applied to summarize the survey results; the difficulty and discrimination indices were analyzed to evaluate students' academic performance. Results: Ten percent of the class participated in the voluntary survey; academic performance was analyzed for the whole class. The study identified Gimkit as a potential learning tool, especially for content areas that require memorization and learning of facts. Conclusion: Data show a positive impact of in-class gaming on knowledge acquisition and retention.

Introduction: Les établissements d'enseignement supérieur se concentrent de plus en plus sur l'intégration de jeux pour renforcer l'engagement des étudiants. Gimkit est un ajout récent à l'éventail d'outils d'apprentissage ludique qui permet aux instructeurs de créer des jeux-questionnaires avec des questions répétées au hasard. Description de cas: L'étude de la nutrition nécessite de mémoriser des faits. Gimkit a été intégré à un cours d'hygiène dentaire pour enseigner la nutrition et favoriser l'apprentissage par mémorisation. On a recueilli des données anonymes sur les résultats et la satisfaction des élèves. On a eu recours à des méthodes de statistique descriptive pour résumer les résultats du sondage; les indices de difficulté et de discrimination ont été analysés pour évaluer le rendement universitaire des étudiants. Résultats: Dix pour cent des étudiants qui suivaient le cours ont répondu à ce sondage facultatif; on a analysé le rendement universitaire de l'ensemble de la classe. L'étude a établi que Gimkit était un outil d'apprentissage potentiel, en particulier dans les domaines qui nécessitent l'apprentissage et la mémorisation de faits. Conclusion: Les données montrent une incidence positive de l'utilisation des jeux dans le cadre du cours sur l'acquisition et la rétention des connaissances.

Poor Quality of Sleep is Associated with Lower Academic Performance in Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the quality of sleep and associated factors among dental students. Methods: All dental students regularly enrolled at the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, were invited to participate. A structured online questionnaire was applied to collect the independent variables, including academic performance. Quality of sleep was assessed by the validated version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Sample was dichotomized as good sleep quality (total score: ≤ 4) and at least poor quality (total score: ≥ 5). Adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance to detect the association between sleep quality and independent variables. Independent adjusted models were performed to the whole-sample, only undergraduate and only graduate dental students. Results: Poor quality of sleep was detected in 266 (65.2%) dental students, of which 228 (68.9%) and 38 (49.4%) were undergraduate and graduate dental students, respectively. Female students presented a prevalence ratio (PR) 19% higher compared to males (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.41). When only graduate students were considering, those that reported not being the head of the family presented a PR 4.39 higher for poor quality of sleep (95% CI 1.91-10.09). Poor quality of sleep was associated with lower academic performance among undergraduate students (PR: 0.94; 95% CI 0.89-0.99), but not significantly associated when graduate students are considered (PR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.96-1.03). Conclusion: It was concluded that dental students, mainly female ones, have high prevalence of poor quality of sleep, which is associated with undergraduate student's worst academic performance. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41782-022-00223-2.

Designing a Tool to Assess Professionalism among Dental Students.

Objectives: Professionalism is essential to a strong and trusted patient-doctor relationship, which is believed to potentially enhance patient compliance and treatment outcomes. The purpose of our study was to develop and conduct a psychometric analysis of an assessment tool to evaluate the professional behavior of dental students. Materials and Methods: The study was performed in the School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. After providing a pool of various criteria to assess professionalism, an expert panel prepared the primary version of the tool. The tool was set in a questionnaire frame to explore the significance level and evaluation feasibility of each criterion. The questionnaire was completed by tutors of the "Medical Ethics" course (n=6). After necessary revisions, face and content validity were evaluated by giving the checklist to eight experienced dental educators to determine the relevance, clarity, and simplicity of the questions. In the second stage, the final checklist (37 items) was given to dental educators to evaluate twenty students. To assess the reliability of this checklist, at least two professors evaluated each student, and weighted-κ was calculated. Minor revisions were made based on the received feedback. Results: According to our data, the total validity of the tool (S-CVI) was 100%. For all items except one, the weighted-κ coefficient was ≥ 0.5, indicating sufficient reliability for these items. Conclusion: Despite the limitations of the present study, the designed tool to evaluate professionalism among dental students in different clinical departments seems to be both valid and reliable.

Effect of Clinical Rotation Timing on Learning Quality of Dental Students.

Objective: Dental educational curricula are under constant modification and improvement. However, designing a comprehensive, efficient, and flexible curriculum is still challenging for the authorities. An efficient curriculum should obviate the educational needs of students and promote their knowledge and expertise for future practice. Time planning of clinical rotations is highly important for optimization of the learning process. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two different timing models of clinical rotations, namely four versus two rotations in each semester. Materials and Methods: A total of 74 dental students and 54 faculty members of Tehran University of Medical Science that experienced both rotation models for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) participated in this study. A questionnaire was designed to assess different aspects of the two timing-models. Results: A one-sample t-test indicated that students' and faculty members' mean perception were significantly better regarding the two-rotation program. Conclusion: This study indicated that changing the time planning of educational rotations can affect different aspects of education.

How To Teach 'Listening For Learning' In A Clinical Context?

Active listening skills are an important factor in communication skill set. And for budding doctors they need to be incorporated in the undergraduate medical programs. Studies have shown that patients, prefer the doctors who can listen to them instead of just looking at their signs and symptoms. Listening is related to empathy when strictly talking from patient's perspective. Having better listening skills can also lead to less prescription errors and help the doctor to identify some missing points from the history that can help in the diagnosis. Listening skills can be taught in different ways. Role plays are a safe way to teach them however, while teaching them in a clinical setting; we need to approach it in a different way like bedside teaching, Chairside Dental OPD etc.

The perceptions of dental hygiene students about an asynchronous oral biology course.

Background: Medical and dental schools have long-established pedagogical approaches to teacher-centred face-to-face learning. The 3-year baccalaureate dental hygiene (DH) program at the University of Alberta, which enrolls 42 students of diverse ages and experiences each year, is no exception. Oral Biology II (OBIOL 302) is an intermediate-level course in the DH program; it was moved to an asynchronous online format to manage the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-method study explores the factors affecting the dental hygiene student experience in this online, asynchronous learning environment. Methods: This study used a quantitative anonymous survey with a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate the workload and flexibility of the course as well as student acceptance of the assessments. The mean score and standard deviation were calculated for each question in the online survey. A research facilitator conducted interviews using a semi-structured interview guide to further explore student experiences. The qualitative data were then analyzed using a 6-step method of thematic analysis. Results: The study participants found the format and workload of the online course appropriate and well-suited to the spring term. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed 3 intersecting elements-course structure, communication, and non-curricular aspects-as the key factors shaping student experiences in an online environment. Conclusion: ,This study identified the major factors affecting the online learning experience of students from the students' point of view, which will be a useful guide to design more effective online courses for health science education.

Contexte: Les écoles de médecine et de dentisterie ont depuis longtemps établi des approches pédagogiques en personne centrées sur l'enseignant. Le programme de baccalauréat de 3 ans en hygiène dentaire (HD) de l'Université de l'Alberta, qui accueille chaque année 42 étudiants de divers âges et expériences, ne fait pas exception. En vue de gérer les perturbations de la pandémie de la COVID-19 , Oral BiologyII (OBIOL 302), un cours de niveau intermédiaire au programme d'hygiène dentaire, a été déplacé vers un format asynchrone et en ligne. La présente étude à méthode mixte explore les facteurs qui influencent l'expérience des étudiants en hygiène dentaire dans un environnement d'apprentissage asynchrone et en ligne. Méthodologie: Cette étude a utilisé une enquête quantitative anonyme et une échelle de Likert en 5 points pour évaluer la charge de travail et la flexibilité du cours, ainsi que la manière dont les étudiants ont accueilli les évaluations. La cote moyenne et l'écart type ont été calculés pour chaque question de l'enquête menée en ligne. Un facilitateur de recherche a mené des entretiens à l'aide d'un guide d'entretien semi-structuré en vue d'explorer davantage les expériences des étudiants. Une analyse des données qualitatives a ensuite été réalisée à l'aide d'une méthode d'analyse thématique en 6 étapes. Résultats: Les participants à l'étude ont trouvé le format et la charge de travail du cours en ligne appropriés et bien adaptés au semestre du printemps. L'analyse thématique des données qualitatives a révélé 3 éléments interdépendants comme étant les facteurs clés qui façonnent les expériences des étudiants dans un environnement en ligne : la structure du cours, la communication et les aspects non scolaires. Conclusion: Cette étude a défini les principaux facteurs ayant une incidence sur l'expérience d'apprentissage en ligne des étudiants, selon le point de vue de ces derniers, ce qui constituera un guide utile pour élaborer des cours en ligne plus efficaces pour l'enseignement des sciences de la santé.

Hands-on live demonstration vs. video-supported demonstration of an aesthetic composite restoration in undergraduate dental teaching.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Live hands-on demonstration of dental procedures is a central format in undergraduate dental teaching. It captures the immediacy of the clinical situation and allows for direct communication between instructor and students, but it also requires an experienced instructor who is able to handle both the performed treatment and its visualization alongside the actual teaching. The aim of the present work is to compare the hands-on demonstration of a class IV composite restoration to a teaching format where the instructor guided the students through a prerecorded procedural video of the same treatment. METHODS: The effect of both interventions on the students' self-perceived learning outcomes was analyzed by questionnaires (response rate 100%) in a randomized controlled double-blind (participants, outcome assessor) parallel group design (September 10 to October 3, 2019). In-class discussions were explored qualitatively by thematic analysis. RESULTS: Both teaching formats increased the students' self-reported motivation, self-efficacy, and patient-centeredness in a similar way, with no significant differences between interventions. During in-class discussions, both the instructor and the students were more active in the video group. In contrast to the hands-on group, discussions in the video group also involved patient-related topics, such as aesthetics and general health. The video-supported teaching format considerably reduced the amount of time spent on optimizing the visualization of the performed treatment. CONCLUSION: Video-supported instructor-guided demonstrations may represent a promising teaching format as an alternative to live hands-on demonstrations of dental procedures in undergraduate dental education.