Scaffolding competence-based learning design in the dental simulation curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: Learning in a clinical domain in dentistry is complex and learners may face uncertain clinical scenarios. A simulation curriculum can be designed to have simple clinical scenarios and learning activities which progress in complexity and employ competence assessments of simulated clinical practice before students can undertake authentic practice on patients. This paper presents how scaffolding of competence can be used for designing learning with simulators (haptics and phantom head) demonstrated in a specific domain in restorative dentistry. METHODS: A collaborative workshop as a research approach was undertaken to inform the iterative analysis, development, and discussion on scaffolding the learning design with respect to competence assessments of learning cavity preparation with simulation-based learning technologies. A workshop was conducted, which was collaborative and involved design negotiations between researchers, technologists, and teachers/practitioners in developing the simulation curriculum. RESULTS: A competence assessment with feedback in a specific domain in preparing interproximal caries was used as a context to describe how the learning activities and outcomes were designed to meet assessment of competence with varied levels of simple to complex learning activities and structured sessions. CONCLUSION: Simulation curriculum can be designed and implemented by scaffolding the level of competence that can be learned using simulation between haptics and phantom-head. This brings impetus to the need in meeting the relevant competence criteria in context to a specific affordance of the simulation-based learning technologies to provide optimal patient-centred holistic care.

Learning Clinical Skills Using Haptic vs. Phantom Head Dental Chair Simulators in Removal of Artificial Caries: Cluster-Randomized Trials with Two Cohorts' Cavity Preparation.

Dental task trainer simulators using haptics (virtual touch) offers a cost-effective method of teaching certain clinical skills. The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' performance in removing artificial caries after training with either a haptic dental chair simulator with virtual reality or a traditional dental chair simulator with a mannequin head. Cluster Randomized Controlled Trials in two cohorts, both Year 1 dental students. Students taught using traditional dental chair simulators were compared with students taught using haptic-based simulators on their ability to cut a cavity in a plastic tooth following training. Across both cohorts, there was no difference in the quality of cavity cut, though students' technique differed across the two simulator groups in some respects. No difference was seen across both cohorts in the quality of cavity cut for a simple preparation, though students in the haptic condition performed less well in the more demanding task. Moreover, students in the haptic group were also less likely to be perceived to be 'holding the instrument appropriately'. These findings suggest further investigation is needed into the differences in handling of instruments and level of clinical task difficulty between the simulators.

Identifying Risk Factors Affecting the Usage of Digital and Social Media: A Preliminary Qualitative Study in the Dental Profession and Dental Education.

AIMS: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of using DSM to provide an insight into the inherent implications this has on dental professionals in practice and trainee professionals' education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one participants (10 dental professionals and 11 undergraduate and postgraduate dental students) participated in this qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in a dental school in the UK. The interviews were analysed and categorised into themes, some of which were identified from previous literature (e.g., privacy and psychological risks) and others emerged from the data (e.g., deceptive and misleading information). RESULTS: The thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified nine perceived risk themes. Three themes were associated with the use of DSM in the general context, and six themes were related to the use of DSM in professional and education context. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided evidence to understand the risk factors of using DSM in dental education and the profession, but the magnitude of these risks on the uptake and usefulness of DSM needs to be assessed.

A Scoring System for Assessing Learning Progression of Dental Students' Clinical Skills Using Haptic Virtual Workstations.

The aim of this study was to develop and test a scoring system to assess the learning progression of novice dental students using haptic virtual workstations. For the study, 101 first-year dental students at a UK dental school conducted one practice task (task 1) and four simulated cavity removal tasks (tasks 2-5) of increasing difficulty over two laboratory sessions in 2015. Performance data on the students' attempts were recorded as haptic technology-enhanced learning (hapTEL) log-files showing the percentage of caries, healthy tissue, and pulp removed. On-screen results were photographed and submitted by the students to the tutors. A scoring system named the Accuracy of Caries Excavation (ACE) score was devised to score these results and achieve an even distribution of scores and a calculated combined score. A total of 127 individual logged attempts by 80% of the students over sessions 1 and 2 were recorded and submitted to the tutors. The mean ACE scores for both sessions for tasks 2 through 5 were 9.2, 11.6, 6.4, and 4.9, respectively; for Session 2 (tasks 3-5), scores were 12.4, 6.7, and 5.0, respectively (p<0.001). The average performance on task 3, which was attempted in similar numbers during both sessions, improved from the first to the second session (8.14 vs. 12.38; p=0.009). Using the HapTEL system in a first-year BDS curriculum improved the students' performance of simulated cavity preparation after practicing over two sessions. Use of the ACE scoring system enabled tutors to make consistent assessments across a large student cohort and provided an objective method of formative assessment.