Perceived Effectiveness and Applicability of Think-Pair-Share Including Storytelling (TPS-S) to Enhance Clinical Learning.

Problem: Think-pair-share (TPS) is a teaching strategy that promotes active and collaborative learning; however, the effectiveness and applicability of this strategy in its original or altered form remain to be established, especially in health professions education. As a first step in this direction, the objective of our study was to examine the perceived effectiveness and applicability of TPS including storytelling (TPS-S) in an oral pathology seminar from the perspectives of students, seminar instructors, and peer instructors (experienced instructors who observed the seminar). Intervention: Prompts for individual thinking (T), pair discussion (P), and class sharing (S) included clinical case-based questions related to diagnosis and management and wildcards with additional information about the cases. In addition to the traditional TPS phases, the experiences of the leading instructor in dealing with the cases discussed in the seminar were shared through storytelling to model good practices in clinical diagnosis and management. Context: Our study was conducted in the School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta. Participants in this mixed-method study included third (Y3) and fourth (Y4) year dental students (n = 55) in their clinical training, seminar instructors (n = 2), and peer instructors (n = 3). Data from students, seminar instructors, and peer instructors were obtained through the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) questionnaire, journaling, and interview, respectively. Descriptive statistics were performed to analyze SEEQ dimensions and statements (factors). MANOVA was used to determine significant differences between Y3 and Y4 students for SEEQ dimensions and ANOVA to identify the factors that accounted for significant differences. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Impact: Participants positively valued the TPS-S seminar. Students rated all SEEQ dimensions between good and very good and regarded the seminar as superior to traditional lectures. Perceived conditions that facilitated the implementation of TPS-S included the use of real-life clinical cases, instructor facilitation skills, and the scaffolded structure of the seminar. Perceived conditions that hindered the implementation of TPS-S included unequal participation of Y3 and Y4 students, time constraints, and issues related to student pairing. Lessons learned: TPS-S was perceived as effective to improve clinical learning and applicable to dental clinical education as long as its implementation matches the characteristics of the learning context. Further evidence is needed to empirically demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of TPS-S.

Assessing students' confidence in interpreting dental radiographs following a blended learning module.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed senior dental hygiene (DH) students' self-reported confidence in interpreting dental radiographs following the introduction of a blended learning (BL) module for radiology interpretation. The assessment of students was conducted five months prior to graduation. METHODS: A BL oral radiology module was designed. In order to capture the context, descriptions and differences of students' experience and confidence, a qualitative research approach was selected. Data were captured using a semi-structured interview process and analysed using phenomenographic methods. RESULTS: Sixteen students were interviewed. Blinded transcripts were analysed, and the main themes relating to confidence were extracted and arranged into categories. The categories were coded as to how confident (low, medium or high) each of the students felt specific to varying contexts and complexities of radiographic interpretation. CONCLUSION: Predominately, the BL model had a positive impact on DH students' confidence in the interpretation of radiographic findings. However, when asked about their level of overall confidence in interpreting dental radiographs, students still did not describe themselves as confident for all potential findings on radiographs at this point in their education. The students highlighted the importance of having patient history details and clinical assessment findings included in the interpretation exercises and expressed a desire to collaborate with other professionals when interpreting radiographs.

Dental hygiene students and faculty attitudes and utilization of a single source electronic textbook platform.

OBJECTIVE: Transitioning to interactive e-textbooks has been considered revolutionary for enhancing student learning. However, adopting this technology has been met with hesitation. This study investigates student and faculty attitudes and utilization of mandatory e-textbooks in a dental hygiene program. METHODS: In 2017, an online questionnaire was distributed to students and a focus group was conducted with faculty to examine their perspectives about using VitalSource™. Using a 5-point Likert scale with five indicating strongly agree, the questionnaire examined convenience; compatibility with learning style; perceived enjoyment; and usefulness. Open-ended questions captured benefits and challenges. The focus group gathered faculty perspectives. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Data from the open-ended questionnaire questions and focus group transcript followed a narrative analysis process. RESULTS: Survey response was 48% (n = 105). Students scored all factors below neutral. Results from four categories showed convenience (M = 2.75, SD = 0.92); compatibility (M = 1.93, SD = 0.83); perceived effectiveness (M = 2.15, SD = 0.90); and perceived usefulness (M = 2.36, SD = 1.04). A high correlation between all factors suggests they were uniformly rated by students. Majority of students (71%) did not use a textbook greater than once a month. Narrative analysis revealed few benefits; challenges included technical glitches, eyestrain, cost and inability to choose books as desired. Faculty's perspectives aligned with the students, but they appreciated portability of texts and quality of clinical images. CONCLUSIONS: Students strongly disliked the platform and the online medium and do not frequently access e-textbooks but rely on PowerPoint handouts for studying. Faculty felt e-textbooks do not align with positive learning experiences.

Becoming a dentist: faculty perceptions of student experiences with threshold concepts in a Canadian dental program.

BACKGROUND: In each discipline, there are moments where students "get stuck" in their education and/or training and are often unable to move forward. These moments may be caused by threshold concepts as they represent a portal that students must cross in order to become successful in their chosen profession. This study investigated the threshold concepts from the instructors' perspective that students must navigate as they transform from learners to dentists within a dental program. METHODS: Two focus groups with faculty members within the School of Dentistry, University of Alberta were completed in the fall of 2017. Focus groups explored the faculty's perception of the students' transition from learner to dentist, difficult moments in the program, and the students' ability to navigate the program successfully. RESULTS: A qualitative phenomenographic analysis of the faculty focus group transcripts identified four potential threshold concepts within the dental program: 1) dealing with the whole patient, 2) accountability, 3) that you may not know everything, and 4) problem solving and adapting during practice. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that there are concepts within a dental program that faculty believe students must navigate in order to transition from learner to dentist. These concepts may inform curriculum design as well as other disciplines in the health sciences.

Dental Hygiene Students' Clinical Skill Acquisition: Activity theory and the use of videos.

Purpose: Entry-level students in dental hygiene programs have already demonstrated a level of academic success; however they often struggle with the acquisition of psychomotor skills. Recognizing that traditional course materials were not addressing the needs of entry level dental hygiene students, instructional videos were produced to demonstrate clinical skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perception of instructional videos and their impact on the learning environment in regards to students' experiences of skills acquisition.Methods: Online surveys were distributed to all students (n=84) in the fall semesters of 2015 (n=42) and 2016 (n=42). Responses from the surveys were analyzed qualitatively, utilizing an activity theory framework, to identify the impact of instructional videos on the learning environment. The activity theory framework involves the encapsulation of the learning environment that is mediated by tools and situated in a community where a learning activity is carried out to achieve an outcome.Results: Response rates were 76% (n=32) and 69% (n=29), respectively. Student responses concluded that the videos were very or extremely helpful, with 84% (n=27) in 2015 and 79% (n=23) in 2016. Students made comments on the usefulness of the videos and gave suggestions for future improvements. In addition, the comments demonstrated that students found the videos helpful for review purposes and for overall stress reduction associated with the process of psychomotor skill acquisition.Conclusion: Results from this study demonstrate the positive impact instructional videos have on the acquisition of psychomotor skills even within the dynamics of a small class size. Videos can also be utilized as an on-demand review tool that can be accessed before clinical evaluation processes, reducing student stress and providing a level of clarification to support student success.