Developing integrated clinical reasoning competencies in dental students using scaffolded case‐based learning – empirical evidence

Abstract

The scaffolded case-based learning appears to contribute to accurate clinical decisions when compared to lecture-based teaching. It is suggested that the development of integrated reasoning competencies starts as early as possible in a dental curriculum, perhaps even in the preclinical year of study. Treatment-planning should receive particular attention.

Internal diseases encountered by dental students while treating dental patients during undergraduate training

“…To study internal diseases based on real patient cases encountered by dental students during the treatment of their dental patients might be a useful starting point to study specific IMDDSs relevant for future dentists. The IMDDSs could serve as tracer conditions for teaching and assessment [ 20 , 21 ]. A similar learning approach of patient-based discussion ‘rounds’ has been suggested to teach biomedical science in dental education [ 22 ].…”

“…Teaching IMDDSs in conjunction with dental topics has also been reported from the late 1960s to the 1980s from different countries [ 26 – 28 ]. An integrated course of internal medicine based on IMDDSs encountered by dental students during their clinical practice serving as tracer conditions [ 20 ] and based on IMDDSs relevant for dental practice in general, which students might not experience during their dental training [ 4 ], might be a worthwhile curricular change. Using IMDDSs as starting points for learning and discussing IMDDSs could improve dental students’ situational interest and motivation to learn internal medicine [ 12 ].…”

Developing students’ clinical reasoning skills: correlates of perceived relevance of two teaching and learning approaches

“…For the past few decades the School has been exploring the use of a subject called CPC to facilitate integrated clinical reasoning . Before 2009, students received lectures in the various undergraduate dental disciplines from the third to the fifth year of study, complemented by lecture‐based teaching in CPC (DB‐LBT) in the fourth year of study . Integrated clinical teaching and learning (CTL) subsequently took place in years four and five .…”

Evaluation of an educational concept for risk-oriented prevention in undergraduate dental education

“…It is known that clinical experience and the reflection of own patient cases can increase both students' interest and understanding of the particular issue [21,23,24]. This is a kind of case-based learning approach, which has been described to be superior in increasing the ability of students to make accurate clinical decisions compared with lecture-based teaching [25]. Accordingly, dental students were reported to prefer patient-case-based against lecture-based learning [26].…”