Impact of internet supported dental education: Initial outcomes in a study sample

Abstract

The aim of this preliminary mixed method study was to understand dental students' thoughts on internet supported learning environment (ISLE) and to investigate its' impact on their academic success. The research was designed to enroll the students from the 7th semester of School of Dentistry. The lecturer taught dental students for four hours (within four weeks) on the topics of "anamnesis, extraoral and intraoral examination". Voluntary twenty-four students participated actively to the ISLE. During the evaluation phase, data were collected by using open-ended questionnaire, instructor's observation, students' evaluation forms and exam results. According to the Open-ended questionnaire, 90% of the participating students mentioned e-learning experience positively affected their success; 55% of the students stated that dental courses can be taught online. According to students' evaluation form, the highest mean score was granted to the instructor of the course (4.6/5), followed by the learning environment (4.1/5) and the materials (3.7/5). There was a significant difference between the grades granted to the instructor and materials; students thought the instructor was more important than the teaching materials (p<0.05). It was concluded that ISLE supported by PBL increased the students' satisfaction, positive learning environment and academic success.

Students&rsquo; perception, attitudes, and readiness toward online learning in dental education in Saudi Arabia: a cohort study

“…The success of e-learning adoption is also highly dependent on technological accessibility and having a good Internet connection. 4 , 10 , 15 The dental students from KAUFD who participated in the current study and the dental students from King Saud University, Riyadh, reported high levels of technology accessibility, assuring the presence of a good technological foundation for e-learning adoption in the primary institutions in Saudi Arabia. 3 Participants also reported an acceptable level of online skills and motivation level for using online tools, but they preferred using such tools for personal uses rather than for learning purposes.…”

“… 7 – 9 However, the influence of online learning methods on students’ satisfaction, motivation, and self-assessment is greater when it is integrated with conventional methods. 1 , 10 Students in health profession fields are required to gain and integrate theoretical and clinical knowledge in a suitable environment to become safe and competent health professionals. 11 The importance of one-to-one supervision and hands-on training in such fields poses a challenge for e-learning curricula.…”

Do Turkish Student Teachers Feel Ready for Online Learning in Post-Covid Times? A Study of Online Learning Readiness

“…Firat and Bozkurt (2020) also found out statistically significant correlation between the time spent online and online learning readiness. Similarly, many studies concluded that the success of e-learning adoption highly depends on technological accessibility and having a good Internet connection (Al-Asmari and Rabb Khan, 2014;Sarsar, Kaval, Klasser and Guneri, 2016).…”

Attitude of dental students towards academic online learning during lockdown in the year 2019 due to coronavirus disease – An online survey

“…This method also enables use of time efficiently according to individuals and gives the students opportunity to work at their own pace as well as repeat the program whenever needed. [2] Besides it advantages, various primary drawbacks that come with online learning are student isolation and technical issues. [5] In addition, online learning eliminates real-life communication during the training course, failure to overall clarify the topic.…”

“…It is done by various innovative approaches such as problem-based learning (PBL) and case-based learning (CBL). [2] Performance by teacher on patients like as in case of conventional demonstration is a preferred method of practical education. [3] In students, this method has shown to be effective in better perception of clinical procedures, their communication skills, and increases overall self-confidence.…”