Evaluating a New Technology-Enhanced Curriculum for Teaching Nutrition in a Dental Hygiene Degree Program

This study assessed the impact of a newly created set of video-based nutrition education cases on dental hygiene students' knowledge, skills, and perceptions.

A pre/post study design examined changes in students' knowledge, skills, and perceptions from baseline traditional lecture-style classes (2020) to post-implementation of the new curriculum (2021). The technology-enhanced curriculum required online previewing, in-class discussions, and assessment of three nutrition cases. UBC's Behavioural Research Ethics Board (H20-00358) approved this project.

A 5-point Likert scale used in the baseline (n = 23) and post surveys (n = 25) showed a range of responses to 15 variables, including dental hygiene students' working knowledge of nutrition, attitudes toward peer-to-peer education, and abilities to work on interdisciplinary healthcare teams. The statements with highest agreement were: I had to prepare for class in order to be successful (p = 0.006); Teaching and learning methods promoted understanding and application of key concepts (p = 0.042); and Course work facilitated critical thinking and problem solving (p = 0.001). Open-ended comments from both cohorts favoured more opportunities for case discussions and social exchanges with each other to better understand the fundamentals of nutrition education.

The new curriculum improved measured outcomes while retaining student interest in both online and classroom settings. The development of the video-based case studies fostered interprofessional collaboration between dietetic and dental hygiene students, and the implementation improved students' educational experiences and development of professional skills.