Student Self-Assessment of Operative Dentistry Experiences: A Time-Dependent Exercise in Self-Directed Learning.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the process of student self-assessment on operative dentistry skills across four years at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. First, a retrospective analysis of the Class of 2016 students' self-assessment and faculty assessment grade sheets was conducted to determine mean differences and correlations across time. Both preclinical (D2: n=120) and clinical (D3: n=120; D4: n=120) grade sheets were evaluated. Second, 25 students from each of the D1, D2, D3, and D4 classes in 2016 were asked to evaluate dentoform work, and 25 operative calibrated faculty members graded the same two dentoforms. The results of the retrospective analysis were that the D2 students' self-assessment scores were significantly higher than the faculty scores (t-test; p<0.05), and there was a negative correlation of scores (r=-0.503). The D3 students' self-assessment scores were also significantly higher than the faculty scores (t-test; p<0.05), and there was a negative correlation (r=-0.235). The D4 students' self-assessment scores were not significantly different from the faculty scores (t-test; p>0.05), and there was a positive correlation (r=0.408). In the prospective analysis, the D1, D2, and D3 students graded the dentoforms significantly higher (ANOVA; p<0.05) than did the D4 students and faculty members. There was an increasing correlation of scores directly related to experience (D1: r=-0.120; D2: r=0.255; D3: r=0.352; D4: r=0.689). These results support the concept that students' self-assessment is a learned process through experiential and continual encounters across time. The summative goal for all dental schools is to provide students with the skills and knowledge to critically evaluate their work for self-directed learning.

A Training Program Using an Audience Response System to Calibrate Dental Faculty Members Assessing Student Clinical Competence.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of calibration training of departmental faculty and competency graders using an audience response system on operative dentistry concepts across 12 months. The training sessions were designed to further solidify the process and equilibration of clinical opinions among faculty members and provide a more calibrated grading assessment during patient care for student performance feedback. Four (quarterly) calibration sessions occurred over 12 months in 2015. The first session was considered the baseline (control value) for this study. Pre- and post-calibration interrater agreement was assessed. Additionally, a pre and post assessment with ten Likert-scale questions was used to measure students' perceptions of instructional consistency. The results showed that a statistically significant increase in conceptual knowledge scores occurred for both departmental faculty members and competency graders across each of the four sessions (one-factor ANOVA; p<0.05). Interrater reliability agreement also significantly improved for both department faculty members and competency graders' clinical assessments over 12 months of implementation (Cohen's Kappa; p<0.05). There was a statistically significant increase in positive student perceptions on all ten questions (dependent t-test; p<0.05). Implementation of an audience response system for departmental and competency graders was found to be effective in facilitating a discussion forum, calibrating clinical assessments, and improving student perceptions. The positive results from this study support the value of dental schools' introducing faculty development programs to ensure consistent instruction for assessing dental student competence.

Dental students' HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and intentions: impact of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's community-based dental partnership program.

Access to oral health care for vulnerable populations is one of the concerns addressed by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau's Community-Based Dental Partnership Program (CBDPP). The program introduces dental students and residents at several dental schools to care for vulnerable patients through didactic and clinical work in community-based dental settings. This study of the dental students and residents in this program answered three questions: 1) What are their HIV knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors? 2) How has participation in the CBDPP impacted their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors? 3) Has the intervention affected their work placement decisions and attitudes after graduation, particularly with respect to treating people living with HIV and other underserved populations? A total of 305 first- through fourth-year dental students and first- and second-year residents at five dental schools across the United States completed surveys before and after a community-based rotation and following graduation. Response rates at each of the five schools ranged from 82.4 to 100 percent. The results showed an increase in the participants' knowledge and positive attitudes regarding treatment for patients with HIV and other vulnerable populations post-rotation compared to pre-rotation. Results after graduation found that most respondents were practicing in private settings or in academic institutions as residents but were willing to treat a diverse patient population. These findings support the role of training programs, such as the CBDPP, for expanding the dental workforce to treating vulnerable populations including people living with HIV/AIDS.