Mobile learning app: A novel method to teach clinical decision making in prosthodontics

Area of Science:

• Dental education technology
• Prosthodontic training
• Mobile learning applications

Background:

• Prosthodontics requires critical decision-making for selecting artificial substitutes.
• Graduate dental learners often lack diverse case exposure, hindering clinical reasoning development.
• Mobile learning offers a technological solution to enhance dental education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a mobile learning app in prosthodontics.
• To assess the app's impact on dental interns' clinical decision-making skills.

Main Methods:

• Dental interns received a link to an Android mobile learning app.
• Perceptions were gathered via a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire.
• The script concordance test (SCT) measured changes in clinical reasoning.

Main Results:

• A 76% response rate was achieved (102/120 downloaded, 92 completed).
• Over two-thirds of interns reported increased confidence in clinical decision-making.
• Mean SCT scores significantly improved from pretest (41.5) to posttest (63) (P < 0.005).

Conclusions:

• The mobile learning app effectively enhances clinical reasoning for prosthodontic rehabilitation planning.
• The app is well-received by dental students and can supplement conventional teaching.