Comparing face-to-face, synchronous, and asynchronous learning: postgraduate dental resident preferences

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Dental Education
• Online Learning Technologies

Background:

• The Department of Dental Medicine at Lutheran Medical Center developed a new asynchronous online curriculum.
• This curriculum utilizes prerecorded PowerPoint presentations with audio explanations.
• Traditional face-to-face and synchronous distance learning formats were also employed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the educational needs satisfaction of dental residents with the new asynchronous online format.
• To compare the asynchronous format against traditional face-to-face and synchronous distance learning methods.
• To assess resident perceptions of effectiveness, clarity, and interaction in different learning formats.

Main Methods:

• Lectures delivered to 219 dental residents using face-to-face, synchronous, and asynchronous formats.
• 169 residents (77%) participated in the study.
• Outcomes assessed via pretests, posttests, and individual lecture surveys.

Main Results:

• Residents preferred face-to-face and asynchronous formats over synchronous for effectiveness and clarity.
• Preference for asynchronous and face-to-face formats correlated with perceived technology functionality.
• Student-instructor and student-student interactions were rated higher in synchronous and asynchronous formats post-lecture series, but face-to-face was rated most conducive.

Conclusions:

• Technology significantly impacts the efficacy of online curricular models.
• The asynchronous online format can be an effective method for teaching postgraduate dental courses.
• While face-to-face interaction remains optimal, asynchronous learning offers a viable alternative.