Teaching students leadership knowledge and skills: A 10-year comparison of predoctoral dental school curricula.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standard 2-19 states that dental programs must assess graduates' ability to function successfully as leaders of the dental team. This study aimed to explore how predoctoral programs teach and assess leadership and compare findings to the only known national survey on predoctoral leadership training from 2012. METHODS: In August and September, 2022, a 22-item survey was emailed to academic deans at 75 CODA-accredited dental schools. If necessary, deans were encouraged to designate a curriculum expert at their school to complete the survey. The survey was open for a period of 4 weeks. Two reminders were sent following outreach-one 2 weeks after survey release, and one 24 hours before closing. Data were analyzed and descriptive statistics were calculated. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Eighteen schools (24%) responded. Respondents indicated diverse leadership training opportunities across the curricula. Compared to 2012, respondents report a significant decrease in the use of practical exams and a significant increase in faculty evaluation of student leadership skills in clinical settings. Significant change was not noted across other assessment modalities: multiple choice assessments/exams, rotation ratings, development and evaluation of a project, portfolio submissions, and peer-assessment. Respondents indicate leadership training opportunities and assessment strategies not evaluated in 2012: 33% (6/18) objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), 56% (10/18) student self-assessments, and 33% (6/18) record reviews. CONCLUSION: There is a shift in leadership training in dental education. Future mixed methods research is needed to identify best practices to inform the development of a leadership training framework.

Concordancia entre docentes de Endodoncia de facultades de odontología de la Argentina en la evaluación radiográfica de tratamientos endodónticos / Agreement in the radiographic evaluation of endodontic treatments among teachers from dental schools in Argentina

Objetivo: Analizar la concordancia entre docentes de diferentes cátedras de Endodoncia de facultades de odontolo- gía de universidades de la República Argentina en la evalua- ción radiográfica de tratamientos endodónticos realizados ex vivo por alumnos de grado. Materiales y métodos: Se envió a 13 docentes de diferentes cátedras de Endodoncia de facultades de odontolo- gía de universidades públicas y privadas de la República Ar- gentina un email que contenía 54 tratamientos endodónticos realizados por alumnos de grado en dientes ex vivo para su evaluación radiográfica. Para uniformar la muestra, se selec- cionaron la mitad como correctos y la otra mitad incorrectos. Se solicitó a cada docente que determine cada tratamiento como correcto o incorrecto, sin ninguna rúbrica o pauta pre- via. Se obtuvieron 13 respuestas que fueron incluidas en una planilla Excel. La evaluación estadística fue realizada tenien- do en consideración el índice de concordancia expresado por el coeficiente de kappa. Resultados: El valor registrado para el índice kappa fue 0,28, con un intervalo de confianza de (95%) 0,20 - 0,37 (p<0,001). Conclusiones: Puede considerarse que existe un nivel de concordancia aceptable con tendencia a leve entre los par- ticipantes del estudio (AU))

Aim: To analize the agreement between teachers from different departments of Endodontics from dentistry faculties of universities in the Argentine Republic in the radiographic evaluation of endodontic treatments performed ex vivo by un- dergraduate students. Materials and methods: An email containing 54 endo- dontic treatments performed by undergraduate students on ex vivo teeth for radiographic evaluation was sent to 13 profes- sors from different Endodontic departments of dental faculties of public and private universities in the Argentine Republic. To standardize the sample, half were selected as correct and the other half as incorrect. Each teacher was asked to deter- mine each treatment as correct or incorrect, without any prior rubric or guideline. 13 responses were obtained that were in- cluded in an Excel spreadsheet. The statistical evaluation was carried out taking into consideration the concordance index expressed by kappa's coefficient. Results: The value recorded for the kappa index was 0.28, with a confidence interval of (95%) 0.20 - 0.37 (p<0.001). Conclusions: It can be considered that there is an ac- ceptable level of agreement with a tendency towards slight agreement among the study participants (AU)

Training future leaders: A qualitative study exploring leadership development in predoctoral dental curricula.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accreditation standard 2-19 states predoctoral dental schools must assess students' ability to function successfully as the leader of the oral health care team. This study aimed to explore how dental schools incorporate leadership training into their curriculum to better understand the leadership skills students learn, the ways students engage in leadership training, and the opportunities students have to practice leadership skills with their peers. METHODS: The aim of this 2022 qualitative phenomenology study was to use semi-structured interviews with academic Deans at CODA-accredited dental schools and one subject matter expert to uncover types of cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors influencing leadership training through the lens of social cognitive theory. All interviews were recorded on Zoom, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed for recurring themes using NVivo. Eight academic Deans and one subject matter expert participated in the study. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged from the data: leadership is essential for dental professionals, leadership is incorporated into the curricula in diverse ways, students most often engage in leadership training opportunities with dental peers and interprofessional opportunities could be expanded, and dental schools often face barriers to incorporating leadership training. Vertically integrated case presentations and team-based practice management simulations are meaningful leadership development activities. Prominent barriers include time constraints, lack of faculty champions with teaching leadership expertise, and prioritizing the development of hand skills. CONCLUSION: Standard practices for student leadership development and assessment do not appear to exist across dental school curricula. Findings support the need for a leadership development framework.

Correlation between theoretical knowledge and the difference between self- and teaching doctor-assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The right intuition for self-assessment without overestimating or underestimating oneself compared to theoretical knowledge is a skill that requires conscious practice and is very often paradoxically opposed to the level of knowledge. Self-assessment is an essential skill for dental professionals for lifelong learning and improvement. The objective of our study was to assess the correlation between theoretical knowledge and the difference between self- and teaching doctor-assessment. METHODS: The app "digital course organizer" for organization and assessment was used for the self- and teaching doctor-assessment of students for each day of patient treatment during the clinical courses at a university hospital. The difference between the self- and teaching doctor-assessment was compared to the score of an initial theoretical written test at the beginning of the eighth semester to assess the correlation between overestimation or underestimation and theoretical knowledge. RESULTS: A total of 309 dental students over four semesters in the clinical study phase (fourth and fifth years; eighth and 10th semesters) participated in the investigation. The overall view of all values showed very low correlations (<0.2) of the assessment difference values of both practical courses for the initial written test. CONCLUSION: There were very low correlations between the initial written test (theoretical knowledge) and the difference between self- and teaching doctor-assessment as well as no evidence of overestimation and underestimation.

Practice and evaluation of high-altitude field-based teaching in acute mountain sickness / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate the application effect of high-altitude field-based teaching in acute mountain sickness.Methods:The medical students of the classes 2018 and 2019 majoring in clinical medicine were selected as subjects, and they were divided into conventional teaching group and field-based teaching group, with 20 students in each group. The students in the conventional teaching group received classroom teaching alone, and those in the field-based teaching group received high-altitude field-based teaching after theoretical lectures. The two groups were compared in terms of the theoretical knowledge of acute mountain sickness, the quality score of internship, and rescue operation score of acute mountain sickness, and questionnaire feedback and post-class discussion were performed among trainees and teachers to evaluate the high-altitude field-based teaching model. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis.Results:Compared with the conventional teaching group, the field-based teaching group had significantly higher scores of the theoretical knowledge of acute mountain sickness (91.72±4.34 vs. 86.10±5.15, P<0.001), the quality score of internship (89.64±5.21 vs. 83.51±2.38, P<0.001), and the rescue operation of acute mountain sickness [94.05 (89.54, 94.87) vs. 87.01 (84.33, 90.82), P<0.001]. Conclusions:High-altitude field-based teaching can improve the teaching effect of acute mountain sickness and cultivate the interest and learning enthusiasm of students, and therefore, it holds promise for wide application.

Endo-Perio Relationship Knowledge, Understanding, and Confidence Among Dentists.

Purpose: Proper knowledge and confidence regarding Endo-Perio relationship plays an important role in correct clinical decisions and management of these conditions. The aim of this study is to assess dentists' knowledge and understanding, in addition, their confidence regarding Endo-Perio relationship, consequently, to investigate the prevalence of misconceptions. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from December 2021 to March 2022, utilized voluntary anonymous questionnaire, distributed among general dentists, graduates of King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Dentistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, year of 2021 (n = 151). The questionnaire had two parts, demographic and 13 closed ended scientific questions to assess knowledge and understanding with 4 points Likert scale after each question to assess confidence and misconceptions. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at a statistical significance of P-value <0.05 were conducted to analyze the data using SPSS. Results: Total of 98 participants completed the questionnaire setting a response rate of (64.9%). Only (21.4%) had sufficient overall knowledge and understanding regarding Endo-Perio relationship with no significant association found between knowledge and gender (p = 0.8). A little more than one-third of our participants (37.83%) were overly confident; false confident, thus, had misconceptions. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the majority of our participants had deficient knowledge regarding Endo-Perio relationship. Thus, to compensate for this reported deficiency, changing teaching strategies and implementing continuing education courses are suggested. More studies assessing the interaction between knowledge and confidence in different dental topics are needed.

Critique of Approaches for Evaluating Teaching and Proposal for a New Institutional Policy.

A review of current literature provides ample evidence that Student Evaluation of Teaching, as currently practiced, can be a biased and flawed evaluation of educator performance and student learning. Due to this, many institutions have developed their own internal multimodal approach for faculty evaluation and professional advancement review that removes the underlying bias associated with survey results. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine created a taskforce to evaluate the current teaching assessment practices and provide an alternative method. Based on an extensive literature review, an institutional policy was created using a multimodal approach, combining student evaluations of teaching scores with peer review of teaching, review of teaching materials, mentorship, self-ratings, and self-reflection. The implementation plan for this policy is described to allow for a teaching evaluation process built on a philosophy of mentorship, guidance, and self-reflection; as well as the use of external professional exam metrics to review the institutional academic quality at large.

Research, Teaching, and Knowledge Transfer Assessment in Spain: Strategies and Results.

In Spain, faculty members' and researchers' activities are assessed for three main reasons: applying for university teacher and researcher positions, developing their academic careers, and calculating their individual remunerations. This assessment covers three dimensions of university activity: teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. Over the last 20 years, the level of career-related requirements has been raised considerably with the introduction of a habilitation system in 2001, which was followed by a new accreditation system in 2007, both national in scope and beyond the control of individual universities. On the other hand, during the last three decades, three distinct financial incentives have been introduced for tenure-track positions: one for teaching achievements, which was introduced in 1989, is awarded every five years, and is managed by the universities; a research incentive that was created in 1989, is available every 6 years, and is managed outside the universities; and another one that has been recently created to reward knowledge-transfer achievements. In this article, we analyze the results achieved through these instruments and conclude that the incentive schemes taken out of the academic control of university governance were the most successful ones.

Introducing the Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching and Learning Companion (The TLC).

BACKGROUND: Reflective practice is a key skill which can enable the development of teaching competence among Mindfulness-Based Program (MBP) teachers. PURPOSE: In this article, the Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching and Learning Companion (TLC) is introduced. This new tool is based upon the established teaching competence assessment tool, the Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI:TAC). The MBI:TAC has enabled benchmarking of international standards of MBP teaching which helps ensure high fidelity to MBP curricula and contributes to the overall integrity of the field. This in turn, underpins the potential of MBPs to be effective interventions for the enhancement of participants' mental health and wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: The TLC aims to facilitate MBP teachers' development by enabling active reflection focused on the key features of MBP teaching skills.

Influence of dental education on eye gaze distribution when observing facial profiles with varying degrees of lip protrusion.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of dental education on eye gaze distribution when perceiving facial profile images with varying degrees of lip protrusion. METHODS: Fifty-one subjects with dental education (dental-education group) and 47 without dental education (no-dental-education group) were included in this study. The eye gaze distribution of the subjects was recorded for 10 seconds using a non-contact eye tracker when determining whether or not the subjects judged each various facial profile image inappropriate. The facial profile images had varying degrees of upper-lip and lower-lip protrusion. The frequency of eye fixation (lasting >0.06 seconds) was counted. The duration was measured as the total time of eye fixation. The facial images were divided into 4 regions of interest (ROIs): the forehead (ROI-I); the orbit and nose root (ROI-II); the nose tip and upper lip (ROI-III); and the lower lip and chin (ROI-IV). The frequency and duration of eye fixation on each ROI was compared. RESULTS: The frequency of eye fixation on ROI-II was greater in comparison to ROI-I and ROI-IV. The frequency of eye fixation on ROI-III was also greater in comparison to ROI-I and ROI-IV. The duration of eye fixation on ROI-III in the dental-education group was longer in comparison to the no-dental-education group. CONCLUSIONS: Dental education influenced the eye fixation on the nose tip and upper lip when perceiving facial profile images.

Predoctoral dental implant education techniques-students' perception and attitude.

PURPOSE: Dental implant (DI) therapy is in high demand and can only be rendered efficiently to graduating dentists by effective teaching methodologies. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and attitudes of dental graduates towards predoctoral DI education techniques and rehabilitation by DI. METHODS: A total of 26 well-structured questionnaires were distributed to 120 final-year students. Modified advanced teaching methodologies such as e-learning, small-group teaching-problem-based learning (SGT-PBL), and team-based learning were implemented for teaching DI. Its effects were assessed using a questionnaire set: the first section (DI Rehabilitation) with 12 questions and the second (DI teaching methods) with 14 questions. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test, and a P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The response rate was 95.83%. Seventy-five percent of the students recommended DI for patients, and 78% of them agreed to it themselves. On comparing teaching methods for DI, on and before level 12, small-group teaching (PBL) was significantly at a higher proportion (P = 0.002), followed by seminars (P < 0.001). Students preferred small-group teaching PBL (60%), followed by e-learning (15%) and demonstration (10%). Ninety-two percent of the students agreed that DI is an important subject in the "bachelor of dental surgery" (BDS) program, but 78% of them felt that time was insufficient to complete the DI syllabus. CONCLUSIONS: The modified teaching methodologies used at level 12 for teaching DI enhanced students' interest and knowledge. The SGT-PBL teaching method was the most preferred. It is recommended that dental implantology topics should be started early in the undergraduate curriculum, and the topics should be widely divided throughout BDS.

Application of Sojump in clinical teaching examination for nursing interns in operating room / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application of Sojump in clinical teaching assessment of nursing students in operating room and to evaluate its effect.Methods:The graduation examination results of nursing students in clinical practice in the operating room of Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University from 2017 to 2019 were collected, the results of 2017-2018 as the control group, and those of 2018-2019 as the observation group. The control group took the paper handwriting test, and the observation group took the electronic Sojump test, and the two-year graduation examination results were compared. A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the nursing students' satisfaction with the teaching work of the teachers in 2018-2019, and the teachers' feelings of the teachers' training was investigated with the questionnaire. SPSS 22.0 was used for t test. Results:The graduation examination scores of all educational levels in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, with statistical differences between the two groups ( P<0.05). The satisfaction rate of nursing students who did not understand the contents of the questionnaire and studied again was 98.19%, and the teachers' satisfaction rate of automatic marking of Sojump test was 100%. Conclusion:Sojump is easily and efficiently operational, paperless, targeted teaching, which can promote teaching by evaluation, and reach high satisfaction of nursing students and teachers, worthy of promotion in clinical teaching.

Assessing Mindfulness-Based Teaching Competence: Good Practice Guidance.

Inclusion of assessment of teaching competence in Mindfulness-Based Program (MBP) teacher training enables international benchmarking of standards, which in turn underpins the integrity of this emerging field and the potential to deliver effective, transformative interventions. However, there is a risk that the inclusion of competence assessment could lead to reductionism and undermining of the pedagogical features that make mindfulness-based teaching distinct. It can also make the costs of training prohibitive. The science underpinning the integrity of competence assessment is not yet robust enough to justify wide scale implementation, but when feasible, including the option for assessment enables trainees to engage in rigorous and effective training processes. When assessment is included, it is critically important that the process is held with awareness and sensitivity, and is implemented by experienced assessors with thoughtful governance. Navigating these issues involves balancing rigour with accessibility and pragmatism. This paper lays out some guidelines for good practice for MBP teaching assessment, and raises unresolved dilemmas and questions.

Can We Agree What Skilled Mindfulness-Based Teaching Looks Like? Lessons From Studying the MBI:TAC.

BACKGROUND: The Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI:TAC) is a widely used tool for assessing fidelity in mindfulness-based program (MBP) research and training. It also supports MBP teacher reflective and skill development. MBI:TAC assessors review MBP teaching and rate the teaching on 6 domains. The MBI:TAC yields individual domain and overall scores, using 6 levels of competence. Although the MBI:TAC is widely used in MBP research and training, research is at an early stage. OBJECTIVE: We developed and tested a method of training MBI:TAC assessors to use the tool reliably and examined interrater reliability of the tool. METHODS: A total of 31 international senior MBP teachers were recruited to join an online training to build their skills in using the MBI:TAC. The training systematically and iteratively built familiarity and skills in assessing the 6 MBI:TAC domains. Qualitative and quantitative data on trainee's experience of the training were gathered. Interrater reliability in using the tool was tested each week of the training. At the end of the training, interrater reliability was tested by asking trainees to individually assess videos that they had not previously seen. Their ratings were compared to benchmark assessments, which had been established via consensus agreement between 4 expert users of the MBI:TAC. RESULTS: The training was well received and appreciated, with some challenges experienced in applying the assessment methodology. Participants' ratings became progressively more in line with one another and the benchmark ratings during the training. At the end, interrater reliability was high (ranging from 0.67 to 1.0). CONCLUSION: It is possible for senior MBP trainers, coming from different regions in the world, to align toward common understandings of the elements of MBP teaching competence and program integrity. An assessor training methodology was tested, and the learning from this project has led to refinements for future delivery.

Development and Implementation of a Clinical Dental Faculty Evaluation Instrument.

The aim of this study was to develop and test the reliability of an instrument to evaluate the quality of clinical teaching among dental school faculty. Fourth-year dental students' perspectives on effective clinical teaching were first collected in focus group meetings. An 11-item questionnaire to assess seven domains of clinical teaching was developed based on the collected student perspectives and a medical model. All 374 third- and fourth-year dental students at one U.S. dental school in 2015 were invited to evaluate four clinical instructors whom they felt were strong role models and four clinical instructors whom they felt would benefit from constructive criticism. The survey was completed by 139 students (37.2% response rate); they evaluated 96 dental instructors. The results showed that the survey demonstrated strong internal reliability, with Cronbach's alpha values of >0.95 for each of the seven domains. In addition, there was significant agreement between groups: the interclass correlation (ICC) ranged from 0.97 to 0.99. These results suggest that the clinical faculty evaluation instrument developed in this study is a reliable method that can be used to evaluate dental faculty members. This system can be a valuable guide for clinical faculty members and administrators in assessing and improving clinical teaching effectiveness.

Teaching dental undergraduate students restorative CAD/CAM technology: evaluation of a new concept.

OBJECTIVES: The use of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology in restorative dentistry has increased significantly and should consequently be taught more intensively at university dental schools. This study describes the evaluation of a new CAD/CAM teaching concept. METHODS: CAD/CAM technology was implemented into a 4th-year clinical student course according to Miller's pyramid principle. Fifty-eight students with no clinical experience participated in a 2-day theoretical and practical introductory course and rated its didactic outcome (Questionnaire 1). Students selected the fabrication method for indirect single tooth restorations during a 5-month patient treatment course. 54 conventional (e.max Press) and 68 CAD/CAM (Lava Ultimate) indirect Cerec-method restorations were fabricated and seated adhesively (Syntac, Variolink II). The success of the CAD/CAM integration was analyzed by the students, who were grouped according to their selected fabrication method (Questionnaire 2), as follows: Group A (CAD/CAM, n = 18); Group B (conventional and CAD/CAM, n = 17); Group C (conventional, n = 23). RESULTS: The questionnaire ratings were expressed as a percentage of the number of students' answers and are presented as diagrams. 95% of all the students in all the groups wanted CAD/CAM technology to be integrated into the subsequent (5th-year) clinical course. The rating for the CAD/CAM introductory course on a scale of 1 (very good) to 6 (poor) was 1.86 on average for the theoretical part, and 2.20 for the practical part. Statistically significant differences were found among the technology groupings (Pearson's chi-squared test, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CAD/CAM technology was highly welcomed by the 4th-year students and was introduced successfully into the clinical student course. Students tended to favor technology in accordance with the extent of its clinical application.

Role of academic anesthesiology department in introducing patient safety module into medical school curriculum: 5 years-experience at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools' curricula face increasing number of must to add-on components. Although the World Health Organization has emphasized integrating teaching patient safety and quality improvement in medical curricula, only few medical schools have responded and included these topics in their curricula. OBJECTIVE: This article aimed to describe the process of foundation and integration of patient safety module led by academic anaesthesiology department at King Abdulaziz's Faculty of Medicine. It also describes the main achievements and the most important challenges faced during implementation of this module during the last 5 academic years to guide other aspiring academic anaesthesiology departments in other medical schools for them to replicate the success. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: Patient safety module was designed to be interprofessional and multidisciplinary module that depends on evidence-based approach to patient safety. It was offered during the 6th year medical study started in 2011-2012 as part of an integrated, hybrid, system-based curriculum at King Abdulaziz's Faculty of Medicine. The mode was delivered through interactive lecture (15% of the module contact hours), e-learning (15%), and practical sessions (70%). Student's assessment during the module included written exams and presentation of a patient safety advocacy project on group base. RESULTS: The module committee continuously assessed the outcome measures of the module that included results of student's assessment, student's satisfaction, as well as student's self-reported learning of the module outcome. The module committee continuously revised the module in the light of these outcomes. CONCLUSION: Today medical school curricula aspire to graduate market-place ready safe and efficient future physicians. This requires implementation of effective programs that help students to recognize and show appropriate clinical and patient safety skills early and continuously in their professional education.

Influence of Self-Assessment on Dental Students' Performance on Technical Assessments in Periodontics.

Self-assessments were introduced into a third-year clinical periodontics course to enable dental students to self-assess and receive faculty feedback prior to technical assessment. The aims of this study were to determine if there was an improvement in the pass rate and average grade on the technical assessments following implementation of self-assessments and to analyze the accuracy of the student self-assessments by comparing them with faculty assessments. Scores from 106 third-year dental students for four periodontal procedures were included in the analysis. Faculty and student self-assessment scores, along with self-assessment and final technical assessments scores, were compared, as were the average number of self-assessment attempts for the various procedures and the pass rates. The average number of self-assessments per student was 6.5 compared to 4.2 for the technical assessments. There was no significant difference between students' self-assessment scores and faculty scores (average difference=0.005; p=0.7894). However, there was a significant increase in overall scores between students' self-assessments and technical assessments (average difference: 0.30 out of 5; p=0.0001). There was also a significant difference in pass rate between self-assessments and technical assessments (92.3% and 99.7%, respectively). The individual technical assessment with the greatest improvement was for scaling and root planing (average difference=0.47; p=0.0001), which also had significantly more self-assessments (2.3 vs. 1.2-1.7, p=0.0001). These results suggest that self-assessment and the subsequent faculty feedback provided students with information that enabled them to improve their performance on technical assessments.