Creating a web-enhanced interactive preclinic technique manual: case report and student response

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Traditional preclinical dental courses often rely on lecture-only formats.
• There is a need to shift preclinical education towards more student-centered, interactive learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a web-enhanced interactive learning experience for a freshman preclinical restorative technique course.
• To transition the course from a teacher-centered to a student-driven model using an online manual.

Main Methods:

• An online manual was developed using off-the-shelf software and delivered via a web-based course management system (Blackboard).
• The project was evaluated through an anonymous post-course survey of 123 freshman students.
• Survey criteria included enabling, process, and outcome measures of the online manual's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Students responded favorably to interactive features like "slide galleries" and "slide series" for self-paced learning.
• 99% of students rated streaming video quality as adequate to excellent.
• 73% found videos an effective substitute for in-class demonstrations, with a preference for video with sound and embedded clips.

Conclusions:

• It is feasible to develop and implement web-enhanced, interactive dental education in preclinical courses.
• Online manuals and multimedia content can successfully deliver dental technique information beyond traditional text formats.
• Web-enhanced learning can foster a more student-driven educational environment in preclinical dental settings.