Perceived Learning and Diagnostic Skills in Endodontics Through Online Interactive Scenarios: A Student-Centered...

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate dental students' experiences with an innovative online interactive platform that mimics real clinical diagnostic scenarios. The null hypothesis was that the interactive scenarios have no effect on students' perceived learning of endodontic diagnosis.

284 third-year dental students enrolled in preclinical endodontic courses at five US dental schools were exposed to three interactive online endodontic diagnostic scenarios. They then completed a validated questionnaire assessing usability, perceived learning effectiveness, and suggestions for improvements. The data was analyzed statistically with a significance level set at 5%.

Participants recognized the difficult levels of each scenario, significantly perceived their level of knowledge increase after using the interactive learning tool (p < 0.05), and considered it was intuitive and would be beneficial in other courses.

The online interactive endodontic diagnostic scenarios were perceived as successful in several aspects. After completing the modules, participants noted changes in scenario difficulty as their general subject knowledge increased. Participants indicated that the content provided an opportunity to think critically about information that applies to clinical experiences. Students further indicated that extending its use to other courses would be helpful.