Applying “think‐pair‐share” for virtual curriculum retreat

Abstract

With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) leading to ubiquitous changes across the education system, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine took advantage of their new, fast‐changing environment to foster engagement among faculty members regarding curricular modifications and their impact on assessment outcomes. A virtual curricular retreat was planned, where adaptations could be discussed through the lens of Miller's Pyramid. The retreat provided an opportunity for faculty to participate in a guided dialogue via a “think‐pair‐share” activity that resulted in documenting the outcomes of recent curriculum changes while allowing for reflection for future improvement.

Dental education practices during COVID‐19: A scoping review

“…Thirteen of the 41 articles were primarily related to instruction. 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 Four articles were dedicated to the flipped classroom approach 22 , 23 , 24 , 31 ; five articles were generally grouped for multi‐faceted online instruction formatting and delivery; 21 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 33 and four articles focused on the return to in‐person clinical and general dental education. 26 , 29 , 30 , 32 …”

“… 30 Advantages included identifying that fundamental topic knowledge can be successfully delivered online, and videos can be used to help enable online discussions. 30 Lastly, a nontraditional addition to the dental clinic coursework was diaphragmatic breathing to help calm pandemic‐related anxiety. 29 The breathwork was led in huddles by instructors before patient treatment.…”

“…For our study, instruction was defined as changes made to the course design to facilitate new learning environments. Thirteen of the 41 articles were primarily related to instruction 21–33 . Four articles were dedicated to the flipped classroom approach 22–24,31 ; five articles were generally grouped for multi‐faceted online instruction formatting and delivery; 21,25,27,28,33 and four articles focused on the return to in‐person clinical and general dental education 26,29,30,32 …”

“…[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Four articles were dedicated to the flipped classroom approach [22][23][24]31 ; five articles were generally grouped for multi-faceted online instruction formatting and delivery; 21,25,27,28,33 and four articles focused on the return to in-person clinical and general dental education. 26,29,30,32 Flipped classrooms replaced traditional in-class lecture with individual or group discussion-based activities to support online prerecorded lectures. 34 The flipped classroom approach in dental education was facilitated through Zoom breakout rooms, virtual polls, Kahoot, Canvas, Webex, and the Moodle skills laboratory.…”

“…28 The third area in this domain focused on returning to in-person clinical and general dental education. 26,29,30,32 In one study, radiology course material was front-loaded online to lighten the in-person clinic requirements and assist with completing the course requirements within the semester. 26 In another, curriculum committees met using a think-pair-share activity to evaluate long-term changes to the curriculum based on what had transpired during the pandemic.…”