Journal of dental education
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Comparative Study
Faculty impressions of dental students' performance with and without virtual reality simulation.
This study compared faculty perceptions and expectations of dental students' abilities using virtual reality simulation (VRS) to those who did not use virtual reality simulation (non-VRS) in an operative dentistry preclinical course. A sixteen-item survey with a ten-point rating scale and three open-ended questions asked about students' abilities in ergonomics, confidence level, performance, preparation, and self-assessment. The surveys were administered three times to a small group of preclinical faculty members. ⋯ Faculty perceptions of VRS students' abilities were higher than for non-VRS students for most abilities examined. However, the faculty members' expectations of VRS training were higher than their perceptions of the students' abilities after VRS training for most abilities examined. Since ergonomic development and technical performance were positively impacted by VRS training, these results support the use of VRS in a preclinical dental curriculum.
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Problem-based learning (PBL) is a widely accepted educational method centered on the discussion and learning that emerge from a clinically based problem; however, little has been reported on the details of PBL case-writing in the dental education literature. This article outlines some principles of writing a PBL case as it is practiced at a Chinese dental school and presents, as an example, an actual case based on a clinical problem (ameloblastoma of the jaw) intended to provide a learning focus for predoctoral dental students. A good PBL case should allow for progressive, interdependent actions to be taken in the evaluation and overall management of the patient in context and should trigger inquiry and discussion among students in both the basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathophysiology, etc.) and related clinical sciences. The epidemiological, sociological, and ethical considerations related to each problem should also be emphasized as an essential component of effective health care provision.
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The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information about the status of ethics teaching and learning in U. S. dental schools and to recommend a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education. A survey to collect this information was developed by the authors and administered by the American Society for Dental Ethics. ⋯ This study also identified the respondents' perceptions of unmet needs in ethics education. Four general themes emerged: the need for ethics to be more fully integrated across the curriculum, including carryover into the clinical years; the need to assess and ensure competence; the need for faculty development; and the need for more attention to method of instruction. Recommendations based on the study findings are offered for a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education.
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Discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues has fallen short in dental curricula. This article aims to describe the didactic approach used to present issues of sexuality in the D. M. ⋯ This descriptive article discusses the main pedagogies employed to present and discuss LGBT issues: lecture-based seminars, guest panel discussion with members of the LGBT community, poster discussion, and student reflections on the topic of sexuality. The approach to sexual diversity presented here does not profess to make an otherwise homophobic student LGBT-friendly, but it exposes all students to alternative views of sexuality, challenges their values and beliefs, and celebrates diversity. The methodology presented has had a positive impact upon students as illustrated by their reflections, but further discussion is needed to better understand the implications of LGBT issues in both academic and professional settings.
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The consistency between student clinical performance in dental school and performance on initial licensure examinations is known to be weak. A review of the literature failed to identify any reports of the consistency between performance on initial licensure examinations and quality of technical work in practice. This research examines the consistency of performance among candidates who took two initial licensure examinations given by different testing agencies but for the same jurisdiction within a few weeks of each other. ⋯ Consistent with previous findings, school-to-board performance was barely above chance levels. Board-to-board association was also insignificant and accounted for 12 percent of the common variance in the best case. Patient-based initial licensure examinations have yet to demonstrate validity in terms of consistency of performance for candidates from one performance to the next.