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Dental Education Challenges during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period in Italy: Undergraduate Student Feedback, Future Perspectives, and the Needs of Teaching Strategies for Professional Development.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic literally stopped most human movement and activities as it initially spread, which included dental practices and dental education. This defined the need for significative changes in teaching and learning with the use of "e-learning" methods, also for traineeships. This study was designed to determine the undergraduate student perception of these new methods as part of their education. This involved 353 students attending the Dental School of the G. D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, from the first to the sixth years. A questionnaire in Italian and was set-up using "Google Forms" and sent by email to the students. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: the first part included questions for general information, including age, sex and year of course; the second part had multiple choice questions related to their evaluation of the e-learning teaching, using a scale of opinion in the replies to each question (e.g., "scarce", "fair", "satisfying", "very good" and "excellent"); and the third part included two open questions to indicate the strengths and limitations of these new teaching and learning approaches. The categorical variables in the first and second parts of the questionnaire were evaluated using Chi squared tests, setting significance at p < 0.05, while the comments were evaluated qualitatively. The student feedback showed significant appreciation (p < 0.05) of the new methods and the efforts that the lecturers put in to provide lectures of as high a quality as possible. However, a lack of practical training was significantly perceived as an important problem in the structure of their new curriculum (p < 0.05). COVID-19 has been an epic tragedy that has hit the human population not only in terms of health and healthcare, but also quality of life. This includes the quality of dental education within universities. However, the pandemic can be seen to also represent motivation to invest in the necessary technological innovation to deliver the best possible education to our future dentists.

SUBMITTER: Varvara G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8069889 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:PurposeThe disruption of undergraduate medical education (UME) by the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked rapid, real-time adjustments by medical educators and students. While much is known about online teaching in general, little guidance is available to medical educators on how to adapt courses not originally designed for the online environment. To guide our faculty in this transition we conducted a needs assessment of students enrolled in virtual courses across all 4 years of UME training.MethodsUsing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a single-institution virtual learning needs assessment in May and June of 2020. We developed and disseminated a survey to assess student experiences with virtual learning. We conducted quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses (n = 255 or 39%) to identify emergent themes.ResultsWe identified six interdependent themes that need to be met for medical students to fully reach their learning potential: access to stable internet and quiet study spaces, flexible course design with asynchronous, self-paced components, clear expectations for engagement with content and each other, a sense of connectedness with faculty and peers, synchronous classes that maximize interactivity, and assessments that foster a sense of learning over performance. Interpersonal relationships with faculty and peers affected students' sense of learning more than any other factor.ConclusionsBased on our findings we propose a hierarchy of needs for virtual learning that provides guidance on adapting existing medical school courses to the remote setting and overcoming common challenges. We highlight opportunities for how virtual elements may enrich in-person courses going forward, including in the clinical setting. Although the solutions required to meet the threshold of need at each level may differ based on the context, attending to these same fundamental needs can be extrapolated and applied to learners across a range of environments beyond the virtual.

Project description:BackgroundProfessional identity formation (PIF) in medical students is a multifactorial phenomenon, shaped by ways that clinical and non-clinical experiences, expectations and environmental factors merge with individual values, beliefs and obligations. The relationship between students' evolving professional identity and self-identity or personhood remains ill-defined, making it challenging for medical schools to support PIF systematically and strategically. Primarily, to capture prevailing literature on PIF in medical school education, and secondarily, to ascertain how PIF influences on medical students may be viewed through the lens of the ring theory of personhood (RToP) and to identify ways that medical schools support PIF.MethodsA systematic scoping review was conducted using the systematic evidence-based approach. Articles published between 1 January 2000 and 1 July 2020 related to PIF in medical students were searched using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC and Scopus. Articles of all study designs (quantitative and qualitative), published or translated into English, were included. Concurrent thematic and directed content analyses were used to evaluate the data.ResultsA total of 10443 abstracts were identified, 272 full-text articles evaluated, and 76 articles included. Thematic and directed content analyses revealed similar themes and categories as follows: characteristics of PIF in relation to professionalism, role of socialization in PIF, PIF enablers and barriers, and medical school approaches to supporting PIF.DiscussionPIF involves iterative construction, deconstruction and inculcation of professional beliefs, values and behaviours into a pre-existent identity. Through the lens of RToP, factors were elucidated that promote or hinder students' identity development on individual, relational or societal levels. If inadequately or inappropriately supported, enabling factors become barriers to PIF. Medical schools employ an all-encompassing approach to support PIF, illuminating the need for distinct and deliberate longitudinal monitoring and mentoring to foster students' balanced integration of personal and professional identities over time.

Project description:The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which a student centered video assignment enhanced student learning about developing and teaching a health education plan designed to address a complex public health problem. The objectives of the assignment included (1) to explore a complex public health problem, (2) practice developing a corresponding health education plan, and (3) develop and fully execute a multimedia video to deliver high impact health education and or promotion to a diverse audience. The assignment referred to as the student centered video assignment was developed and piloted at Grand Valley State University and included students participating in a 200 level undergraduate introductory public health course. Students working in groups of 3, worked through the project in multiple phases with corresponding elements: problem identification, problem solving, plan development and the creation of the video, which included four primary elements: Dig Deeper, Think, Discuss, and Watch. Upon completion of the video, students were asked to voluntarily complete a 10-question survey about the benefits of learning through a video creation assignment. A total of 15 students completed the survey with the majority either strongly agreeing or agreeing that the video assignment enhanced learning. Survey results suggest that the assignment is beneficial and favored over other assignment types. Additionally, students reported that the project was beneficial in learning the concepts and competencies associated with public health education. Finally, students indicated that the creation of videos as a means to explore and apply course concepts was favored as an assignment format in future coursework. Instructor assessment of learning outcomes occurred through ongoing grading of and feedback on the project elements. The findings reveal that students enjoyed the opportunity to engage in real world problem solving, gained insight, perspective and scope through group discussion and collaboration, and felt that they learned new skills in created the video.

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Dental Education Challenges during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period in Italy: Undergraduate Student Feedback, Future Perspectives, and the Needs of Teaching Strategies for Professional Development.

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