The scope of dental education during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

COVID-19 forced e-learning processes to develop abruptly and posed challenges to the educational infrastructure. Emergency Remote Teaching was designated to distinguish the new educational scheme. This concept involves production of online activities that may return to face-to-face format as soon as the isolation period ends.

From March through September of 2020, this systematic review attempted to elucidate experiences, benefits, and challenges enforced in dental education due to the pandemic, the learning technologies, and methods used to maintain education.

A literature search was conducted on Cochrane, Embase, Lilacs, Livivo, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Gray literature was also contemplated. Studies in which online teaching methods were described and dental learners were the subjects during pandemic were included.

Learning technology, pedagogical model, knowledge gain, and dental learners' satisfaction and attitudes toward remote learning were assessed. The Joanna Briggs Institute JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports was applied as the methodological quality assessment to the 16 included studies. Assessments were related to demographic and historical characteristics of the participants, the intervention procedure, pre- and post-intervention descriptions, and identification of unanticipated events. All studies described the use of learning technology to ensure education continuity, and 15 studies highlighted the pedagogical model applied. Eight studies investigated knowledge gain while 12 searched the learners' satisfaction with online technologies.

The evidence suggests that learning technologies can support continuity in dental education. Reported problems include poor knowledge of faculty members on how to deal with technology, Internet connection, and content transition to online education.