Comparison between two asynchronous teaching methods in an undergraduate dental course: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• eLearning Strategies
• Virtual Learning Environments

Background:

• Effective eLearning design can enhance dental teaching quality.
• Research is needed to assess various eLearning strategies in dental education.
• This study addresses the gap in evaluating specific virtual learning methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare dental students' learning performance using virtual flipped learning (VFL) versus virtual traditional learning (VTL).
• To evaluate dental students' perceptions and preferences between VFL and VTL methods.
• To assess the effectiveness of VFL in a dental education context.

Main Methods:

• A crossover pilot study involving 32 dental students.
• Randomized allocation to either VTL (live lectures) or VFL (recorded lectures and discussions).
• Learning gain measured by pre- and post-tests; preference assessed via a validated survey.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in learning performance was observed between the VFL and VTL groups.
• Students expressed a significant preference for the VFL method across most survey aspects.
• The opportunity to ask questions was the only survey item without significant difference in preference.

Conclusions:

• While learning outcomes were similar, the virtual flipped learning model is preferred by dental students.
• Educators should consider innovative online curricula that promote active learning and self-directed skills.
• Careful design of online learning strategies is crucial for improving dental education.