Perspectives on the Dental School Learning Environment: Putting Theory X and Theory Y into Action in Dental Education

Given the psychological and inancial costs involved with failing a clinical course, especially in developing countries, an alternative educational method was tested with students who had to repeat the year-long endodontic course at the University of Chile Faculty of Dentistry. The objectives of the intervention were to deepen theoretical knowledge and practical experiences, as well as to reinforce personal conidence in an endodontic clinical setting for students who failed the regular endodontic course. The aim of this study was to evaluate the success of this new model of educational intervention. In the study, 28 students who had failed the endodontic course repeated it with an alternative teaching method. The students attended patients immediately following practical competence exams, and they had access to simulated models that used rotary instruments and access cavities and had emergency care practice. Feedback sessions were held after each clinical session. Final grades were compared with those of other students who repeated the course without the intervention from 2007 to 2009. A survey was administered to understand the causes of initial failure and their opinions of the intervention. Students who participated in the alternative course did signiicantly better than their counterparts from previous years who did not receive the intervention (5.7±0.3 vs. 5.4±0.2; p<0.05). Their overall perception of the intervention was positive, and the main cause for previous course failure was personal insecurity and slow clinical care performance (54.2% of the students). The intervention course not only improved grades but also generated interest in endodontics, a contrasting perspective to the frustration students usually express after repeating the course.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

An “XL” Endodontics Intervention for Dental Students Required to Repeat the Course: Changing Frustration to Improved Grades and Attitudes

Alcota

Fuenzalida

Barrientos

et al. 2015

“…Once trust has been violated, however, students will most likely avoid the teacher whenever possible. The professor who is not trusted forgoes opportunities to teach 9 . In this study, it was noted that the students required more attention from teachers to feel supported and safe, especially those students who had their first contact with the course, as was the case with the students in group G1.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Students place great value on the technical expertise of their instructors. Thus, an effective student‐teacher relationship has been suggested to be the foundation for student development 8 , 9 …”

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confidence: 99%

Learning Experience in Endodontics: Brazilian Students’ Perceptions

Seijo

Ferreira

Sobrinho

et al. 2013

Including students' perceptions in the educational process is considered a key component in monitoring the quality of academic programs. This study aimed to evaluate the concept of one's learning experience in endodontic teaching from the perspective of a group of Brazilian students. A total of 126 self-administered, structured questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate dental students enrolled in endodontics courses during the second semester of the 2009 academic year. The questionnaires were administered during inal examinations and focused on students' opinions concerning learning during endodontic treatments, time spent during endodontic treatments, dificulties found during endodontic treatments, quality of endodontic treatments performed, characteristics of the technique employed, and suggestions to improve endodontic teaching. Ninety-one percent of the questionnaires were returned for evaluation. The obtained answers were discussed and analyzed, thereby generating quantitative and qualitative data showing students' perceptions of their experiences in endodontics courses. The main points that can affect the teaching of endodontics, according to the undergraduate students, included patients' absences and delays, selection of patients, preclinical and clinical training, dificulties found, type of technique employed, and teachers' orientation during endodontic treatment. The students' perceptions provided valuable information about the development of the course and the teacherstudent relationship, together with the added intention of enhancing the teaching of endodontics as well as other courses.Ms. Seijo is a postgraduate student,

“…Current dental students prefer real‐time information compared to passive learning and tend to place a low value on what they perceive as “old ways” of receiving information 1 . Furthermore, Millennials demand immediate feedback and prefer subjects in which they can receive objective feedback 2 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Dental Students’ Opinions of Preparation Assessment with E4D Compare Software Versus Traditional Methods

Hamil

Mennito

Renne

et al. 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate dental students' opinions regarding the utilization of a new grading software program for student self-assessment and a faculty-grading tool in a preclinical course. Using surface mapping technology, this program, called E4D Compare, yields a digital model of a student's preparation that is color-coded to show deicient areas. The program has now been used for two years at the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, and the students previously assessed with E4D Compare have now entered into the dental clinics. For this study, students were asked to complete an anonymous survey for the investigators to evaluate students' attitudes and opinions on the effectiveness of this software in their preclinical courses to determine if this type of feedback helped them develop clinical skills. The survey also sought to collect students' opinions on the traditional objective criteria-based grading system. The survey was distributed to all members of the Classes of 2014 and 2015; it yielded a 59 percent response rate for the two classes, with a total of eighty-one students responding. Overall, the majority of students preferred the E4D Compare grading system over traditional hand-grading methods. The grading system provided instant, objective, and visual feedback that allowed students to easily see where their deiciencies were and encouraged them to work towards an ideal inal product.