The improvement of technical skills in preclinical courses

One hundred fifty-four freshmen dental students were administered a fine motor ability test prior to and at the completion of a series of preclinical technique courses. The pre- and posttest performances were compared for each student to determine whether an improvement of technical skill had occurred. The pre- and posttests were also graded using the rank ordered method. The number of students who demonstrated improvement in technical skill was compared to the number of students who improved in grades to establish whether the change in grades was indicative of the observed change in technical skill. Most students improved in technical skill; however, grades did not reflect this improvement.