Teaching orthodontic emergencies using the "flipped classroom" method of teaching-A mixed methods RCT

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Pedagogy
• Orthodontics

Background:

• UK General Dental Council mandates competence in managing orthodontic emergencies for new dentists.
• Undergraduate dental education offers limited orthodontic exposure, primarily through lectures.
• Flipped teaching shifts knowledge acquisition online, reserving class time for active learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of flipped classroom teaching versus conventional lectures for managing orthodontic emergencies.
• To assess student perceptions and satisfaction with flipped classroom teaching in undergraduate dental education.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 61 undergraduate dental students.
• Conventional group received a lecture; the flipped group accessed online videos and completed practical tasks.
• Both groups completed a single best answer assessment; focus groups explored perceptions of flipped teaching.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in examination results for orthodontic emergencies between flipped (72.8%) and conventional (70.5%) groups.
• No significant difference in regular orthodontic questions between flipped (78.3%) and conventional (64.8%) groups.
• Thematic analysis revealed videos enhanced learning, engagement, and awareness of learning needs.

Conclusions:

• Flipped classroom teaching yielded comparable examination performance to conventional lectures.
• Flipped classroom teaching led to improved student satisfaction and engagement.
• The flipped model supports an experiential learning cycle in dental education.