Clinical assessment in dental education: a new method

Among the many challenges that face modern dental schools is the development of appropriate assessment systems. The more litigious nature of modern education makes it important that the systems developed are transparent and can withstand the processes of legal challenge. Coupled with this demand for robust assessment is a growing demand from universities and health providers for dental schools to keep rigorous records of student clinical productivity. This brief review outlines a system developed at the School of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Western Australia. The system integrates both qualitative and quantitative assessment and uses criterion-based assessment as its foundation. Detailed analysis and real-time reporting mechanisms using a suite of personally written software tools is now possible. The system provides both students and staff with effective data to enhance the learning process.