Chinese anatomy educators' perceptions of blended learning in anatomy education: A national survey in the post-COVID-19 era.

Blended learning, which combines face-to-face lectures with online learning, has emerged as a suitable teaching approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a national survey of anatomy educators in Mainland China to evaluate the changes in the implementation of blended learning in anatomical pedagogy. A total of 297 responses were collected from medical schools across all provinces. Respondents included 167 males and 130 females, with an average age of 44.94 (±8.28) and average of 17.72 (±9.62) years of professional experience. The survey showed adoption of online teaching and assessment by Chinese anatomy educators increased by 32.7% and 46.8%, respectively, compared to pre-pandemic levels. Perceptions of blended learning outcomes varied, with 32.3% and 37% educators considering it superior and inferior to traditional teaching, respectively. Faculty training programs related to blended learning increased significantly, fostering a collaborative learning environment; however, challenges remained in achieving satisfactory online assessment outcomes. Anatomy educators' attitudes reflected a strong preference for classroom learning (4.941 ± 0.856) and recognition of the importance of relevant technology (4.483 ± 0.954), whereas online learning received lower acceptance (4.078 ± 0.734). Female anatomy teachers demonstrated effective time management in online teaching. Meanwhile, educators with over 15 years of experience encountered difficulties with relevant technology, consistent with negative attitudes toward blended learning. Overall, this survey highlights the persistent challenges in implementing blended learning in anatomy education and provides insights for enhancing the pedagogical model in the post-COVID-19 era.

Student perceptions toward virtual reality training in dental implant education.

Objectives: Both the shortage of professional teaching resources and the expensive dental implant supplies impede the effective training of dental undergraduate in implantology. Virtual reality (VR) technology may provide solutions to solve these problems. This pilot study was implemented to explore the usability and acceptance of a VR application in the training of dental implant among dental students at the Jinan University School of Stomatology. Methods: We designed and developed a VR system with head-mounted displays (HMDs) to assist dental implant training. Undergraduate dental students were invited to experience a 30-minute "Introduction to dental implants" VR-HMDs training module. A total of 119 dental students participated the training. Firstly, the VR interactive training on dental implant was described, illustrated and practiced. Next, a system usability scale (SUS) survey was used to verify the usability and feasibility of the VR application on training dental students. Finally, the participants were given a questionnaire to provide their perceptions and feedback of the usefulness of the VR application for training dental implant skills. Results: The SUS score was 82.00 ± 10.79, indicating a top 10 percentage ranking of the system's usabilitys. The participants' answers to the questionnaire reflected most of them exhibited strong interests in the VR system, with a tendency that the female students were more confident than the male in manipulating the VR system. The participants generally acknowledged the usefulness of VR dental implants, ranking VR value above the traditional laboratory operations, and a preference for using the VR system on learning other skills. They also gave valuable suggestions on VR dental implants for substantial improvement. However, some students were not strongly positive about the VR training in this study, the reason might lie in a more theoretical module was selected for testing, which impacted the students' ratings. Conclusions: In this study we revealed the feasibility and usability of VR applications on training dental implant among undergraduate dental students. This pilot study showed that the participants benefited from the dental implant VR training by practicing the skills repeatedly. The feedback from student participants affirmed the advantages and their acceptance of the VR application in dental education. Especially, the VR-based technology is highly conducive to clinical operating skills and surgical procedures-focused training in medical education, indicating that the VR system should be combined with the traditional practice approach in improving dental students' practical abilities.

Biomaterials and biotechnology for periodontal tissue regeneration: Recent advances and perspectives.

Periodontal tissues are organized in a complex three-dimensional (3D) architecture, including the alveolar bone, cementum, and a highly aligned periodontal ligament (PDL). Regeneration is difficult due to the complex structure of these tissues. Currently, materials are developing rapidly, among which synthetic polymers and hydrogels have extensive applications. Moreover, techniques have made a spurt of progress. By applying guided tissue regeneration (GTR) to hydrogels and cell sheets and using 3D printing, a scaffold with an elaborate biomimetic structure can be constructed to guide the orientation of fibers. The incorporation of cells and biotic factors improves regeneration. Nevertheless, the current studies lack long-term effect tracking, clinical research, and in-depth mechanistic research. In summary, periodontal tissue engineering still has considerable room for development. The development of materials and techniques and an in-depth study of the mechanism will provide an impetus for periodontal regeneration.

Virtual reality approach for orthodontic education at School of Stomatology, Jinan University.

OBJECTIVES: The development of virtual reality (VR) has exerted an enormous impact on higher education. However, the VR application in dental education is still at an early stage in China. This study explored the usability of a VR application in training the practical skills of dental students. METHODS: We first utilized the "system usability scale" (SUS) to verify the validity of the VR application in this study. Next, the VR training on orthodontic bracket bonding was experienced by the participants. The subsequent survey was delivered to collect the participants' perception and evaluation of the VR system application in training the practical skills of prospective dentists. RESULTS: The SUS score was 76.17 ± 9.89, suggesting an above-average evaluation of the system's usability and maturity. The response from the questionnaire supplied relatively positive responses to the VR system application on "user experiences," "perceived usefulness of VR application on orthodontics," and "perceived ease of manipulation." The male students exhibited strong interest in manipulating the VR system and were more capable of manipulating the VR system than the female students. VR experience did not affect the participants' responses to the questions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the use of VR in dental education achieved the expected outcomes. Most students identified the VR training as an enjoyable learning process, and it could be repetitively experienced without further costs, which might have potential positive effects on long-term learning outcomes, although there is room to further improve the effectiveness evaluation of VR.