Fostering globally competent dental students through virtual team-working, problem-solving and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning.

Background/purpose: : Development and acquisition of communication, logical thinking, team-building, critical appraisal, critical thinking and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning must be considered as skill sets and global core competencies for a dental professional. Therefore, an international online study course to foster undergraduate dental students' skill sets in these areas was established and this study aimed to report the perceptions of participants. Materials and methods: An international online course consisting of three levels pertaining to the school year was delivered to dental undergraduates of Japan and Thailand from September to December in 2021. An online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain feedback from the participants and assess the implementation of the course. Results: In total, 64 responses were obtained from students who participated in all the assigned online sessions and completed the questionnaire (a response rate of 88%). More than 95% of students from each level felt that the programme increased their motivation to study clinical dentistry, and was beneficial for their future and made them appreciate the importance of participating in international exchange. The ratio of favourable respondents was more than 90% with a 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: Fostering globally competent dental students is important and the acquisition of necessary skill sets could be enhanced through international virtual team-working, problem-solving and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning activities. These are beneficial for undergraduate dental student training so that they graduate with a broader global perspective and an appreciation of the importance of delivering person-centred culturally sensitive dental care.

Evaluating e-learning on an international scale: An audit of computer simulation learning materials in the field of dentistry.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Global networking and e-learning courses are an effective strategy for sharing educational content and there is potential scope to use e-learning technology in dental education. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the challenges encountered in international e-learning use and decipher optimum solutions for disseminating course/systems on an international scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An e-learning course with four computer-assisted simulation materials developed among international faculties was provided to dental undergraduates at dental schools in Japan and Vietnam in 2020. A post-questionnaire survey plus pre- and post-tests were conducted to obtain learners' feedback and assess the success of the course's implementation. RESULTS: Altogether, 41 students participated, with a response rate of 78.8%. The mean post-test score was significantly higher than that of the pre-test (p < 0.001). Students from both groups felt that e-learning was beneficial, useful for their future, and should be continued. CONCLUSION: This study showed that e-learning/course provision could be achieved at an international level by using a common online system, which is beneficial for students to gain a wider perspective and global dental education. Learners indicated that they learned without any major problems in learning operations. This type of educational material creation and course implementation is extremely important in global networking and dental education in the present era; and communication and cooperation between the faculties was important for course provision. More countries should be included in future studies to ensure that it has global application.

Dental Hygiene Learning Outcomes Obtained Through Computer-Assisted Simulation Modules.

Purpose: Education reflecting current knowledge is required for competent health care providers but the number of educators and/or lecture/clinical contact hours are often limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning outcomes and practicality of interactive simulation modules developed for a computerized learning system in dental hygiene education.Methods: Twenty-nine Japanese fourth-year dental hygiene undergraduates were given access to five interactive modules, delivered via a learning management system (LMS), for one month. The modules provided virtual clinical settings to take learners through decision-making processes for explaining procedures and treatments, and making appointments in English. Pre- and post-tests and a questionnaire were used to evaluate the knowledge gained and to receive learner's feedback. Participants were classified into two groups (study group and non-study group), based on their use/non-use of modules made available during the five-week period for statistical analysis.Results: Post-test scores were significantly higher in the study group (n = 22) than in the non-study group (n = 6), (p = 0.024). Post-test scores were also significantly higher than the pre-test scores in the study group (p = 0.001). No significant differences in the post- versus pre-test scores were found in the non-study group. The questionnaire response rate of 100% (n = 29) indicated that participants considered the interactive modules, including the system operation, as convenient and beneficial.Conclusion: Modules made available via a LMS for self-study were beneficial for Japanese undergraduate dental hygiene students in the acquisition of knowledge and skills for clinical decision-making in English.

English education for healthcare professionals in Japan.

In a global environment, education for healthcare professionals should include cultivating human resources who have the necessary skills to work in an international arena. This article will review the current status of English education for dental healthcare professionals in Japan. After conducting a literature search using the keywords: English education, Japan, and dental, only a few studies were found that investigated and proposed suggestions for dental professional English education. Even so, these were still in the early stages with outcomes yet to be fully evaluated. Even though English is thought indispensable for global professionals, and that increasing chances for communication skills is necessary, little attention has been addressed to English education for dental professionals or the implementation of such education in the Japanese undergraduate dental curricula. With the current reality of field expansion in dentistry, the need for not only improved English communication skills for Japanese dentists, but also the acquisition of essential expertise, psychomotor, teambuilding, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills in English as well as Japanese, is a definite probability. In order to reach this level of knowledge, further efforts and research would be necessary for the advancement and development of dental professional English education in Japan.

Evaluation of simulation learning materials use to fill the gap in Japanese dental English education.

Even though English is most frequently the common language when the patient's native language differs from that of a dentist, the opportunities for Japanese undergraduate dental students to learn dental English are now quite limited. The purposes of our study were to investigate: the effectiveness and feasibility of the computer-assisted simulation materials as one solution strategy for dental English education in Japan, and the needs and demands for dental English from the learners' side. Interactive simulation materials for medical interviews in English and clinical cases which were translated to English, were delivered via Learning Management System (LMS) to nineteen trainee residents of dentistry (residents). Evaluation for the materials, learners' knowledge and interests in the contents, and ease of operation were obtained by post-questionnaire (response rates were 100% and 95%, respectively). Both questionnaire-surveys received positive feedback toward the materials, yet 47% answered that they lacked the level of knowledge about contents of the medical interview in English. Results were sufficient to suggest that the residents would like to have the opportunity to study or practice medical interview in English, or English related to dentistry, and that the simulation materials could be one of the solution strategies for opportunity provision.