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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Developing information literacy with first year oral health students
1The University of Queensland, School of Dentistry, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia. p.ford@uq.edu.au
Summary
Information literacy programs enhance dental students' ability to find and evaluate scientific information. This foundational skill is crucial for adapting to evolving medical knowledge and improving patient care.
Area of Science:
- Oral Health Education
- Information Science
Background:
- The rapid expansion of scientific knowledge necessitates adaptive learning strategies in education.
- Dental education must equip students with skills to access, evaluate, and apply new information for patient benefit.
- Information literacy is identified as a critical component for achieving these educational goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of an integrated information literacy program for first-year oral health students.
- To determine if the program enhances students' ability to access and evaluate scientific information within a clinical context.
Main Methods:
- An information literacy program was integrated into a biosciences course for first-year oral health students.
- Instruction was delivered in small groups and supported by an online Assignment Guide.
- Program effectiveness was evaluated through assessment outcomes, process analysis, and student feedback.
Main Results:
- The program successfully enhanced foundational information literacy skills and student confidence in accessing and evaluating sources.
- Twenty-seven students participated in the intervention.
- Higher-level skills in synthesizing information for scientific reviews did not show significant improvement.
Conclusions:
- Integrating information literacy into basic science courses and assessments significantly improves students' information literacy skills.
- The program's success suggests wider promotion of information literacy is beneficial for higher education students.
- Information literacy is essential for lifelong learning and adapting to new scientific advancements.
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