Due to public health measures enacted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators and students alike have been suddenly thrust into the realm of online learning. To better understand how active and collaborative learning methods can apply to students studying in isolation, we compared the effects of two teach-and-question assignments: one that utilizes the active learning method of reciprocal peer tutoring and a solo version that requires individual verbalized studying and elaborative interrogation.

IntroductionOur study investigates early experiential learning as a method of curricular integration by allowing students to begin their clinical experience in the first year of the programme, as well as distributing biomedical classes throughout the predoctoral dental school curriculum.Materials and MethodsThis study utilises a quasi‐experimental design with two different groups, Standard Curriculum Group and Integrated Curriculum Group, n = 87. Data were collected from 2017 to 2021.ResultsWe found that, on average, it took 608 h less for the participants in an integrated curriculum group to reach clinical competence in comparison to peers who did not experience the same methods of integration in their programme. These data were collected through daily faculty evaluations of students' progression as well as participants' own self‐assessment. Our results indicate that participants in the Integrated Curriculum Group also experienced a positive effect on their confidence in their ability to apply the biomedical sciences to patient care.Discussion/ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that predoctoral dental programmes may be able to bring about positive outcomes for students' clinical confidence and competence by providing patient care opportunities early in the programme and sequencing the biomedical sciences throughout the curriculum. As such, it appears that early experiential learning may be a viable option for curricular integration that can have a positive effect on both students' confidence in their clinical abilities and their progression to clinical competence.