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Impact of moodle-based clinically oriented blended teaching on educational environment and clinical competence in
Kexiao Chen1, Zhanyu Huang1, Yinan Wang1
1Hospital of Stomatology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, 515000, China.
Background:
Dental materials science, a foundational discipline in stomatology, faces persistent challenges in traditional pedagogy: voluminous content, outdated textbooks, and a disconnect between theoretical knowledge and clinical application. Students often memorize material parameters passively without developing the capacity to translate this knowledge into real-world clinical decision-making. Blended learning platforms such as Moodle offer a promising avenue to bridge this gap through clinically oriented supplementary instruction. This study aimed to construct and evaluate a Moodle-based, clinically oriented online supplementary course in dental materials, and to examine its differential effects on students at different educational stages.
Methods:
A prospective quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test comparisons was employed. A total of 60 undergraduate dental students were enrolled, comprising 30 fourth-year students (pre-clinical, G4) and 30 fifth-year students (clinical internship, G5). All participants completed a 4-week Moodle-based online supplementary course featuring H5P interactive videos, virtual case decision-making modules, and structured peer-review exercises. Learning outcomes were assessed via a self-developed Clinical Case Test (CCT) scored independently by two clinical teachers (ICC > 0.8), a modified Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory (Cronbach's α = 0.947), and a course satisfaction questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.927). Statistical analysis was performed using paired and independent samples t-tests with α = 0.05.
Results:
Both groups perceived the educational environment positively (overall DREEM score rate 82.35%). After the intervention, G4 students demonstrated a significant improvement in case analysis scores (24.30 ± 4.34 to 28.33 ± 6.76, P = 0.0083), while total CCT scores showed marginal significance (70.83 ± 7.79 to 75.73 ± 11.46, P = 0.0583). G5 students showed no significant change in total scores (75.77 ± 8.17 to 77.53 ± 9.86, P = 0.4532) but significant improvement in case analysis (29.57 ± 4.80 to 33.87 ± 4.97, P = 0.0012). Post-intervention, G4 CCT scores were statistically indistinguishable from G5 baseline scores (P = 0.5170), indicating that the intervention elevated pre-clinical students to near-internship levels. DREEM subscale comparisons revealed G4 scored significantly higher than G5 in Students' Perception of Learning (SPL: 47.40 ± 6.66 vs. 43.30 ± 9.00, P = 0.050) and Social Self-Perception (SSP: 13.03 ± 1.99 vs. 11.80 ± 2.55, P = 0.042). Course satisfaction was high overall (G4: 87.77 ± 11.74; G5: 83.20 ± 13.33), with 71.67% of students affirming that blended teaching most helped with "knowledge integration and clinical transformation."
Conclusion:
Moodle-based clinically oriented blended teaching enhances dental students' clinical case analysis competence, particularly for students at the pre-clinical stage. The platform effectively bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical application, positioning it as a valuable supplementary tool for clinical pre-education. Platform design should be dynamically adapted to students' clinical experience levels.
