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Due to public health measures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and students alike have been suddenly thrust into the realm of online learning. To better understand how active and collaborative learning methods can apply to students studying in isolation, we compared the effects of two teach-and-question assignments: one that utilizes the active learning method of reciprocal peer tutoring and a solo version that requires individual verbalized studying and elaborative interrogation. We used a quasi-experimental design, with student participants enrolled in an online introductory human anatomy course. The first treatment group completed regular teach-and-question study assignments virtually with a peer, and the second treatment group completed the same assignment independently. We found no differences in exam scores between treatments, even for students with high social anxiety; however, student attitudes about the social versus individual assignment did differ for specific types of students. Students who reported experiencing high social anxiety preferred completing the active learning exercise by themselves, and students with low scientific reasoning ability preferred the partnered assignment. This research has potential implications for online classrooms. For instance, our results indicate that students who study independently, or in isolation, may have learning outcomes similar to those of students who study with a peer as long as they study actively. Because we found no negative impact on examination results, it also could be that virtually partnered or independent teach-and-question assignments could be helpful for instructors teaching large online classes to ensure all students are getting individualized feedback and attention.

Introduction: Our study investigates early experiential learning as a method of curricular integration by allowing students to begin their clinical experience in the first year of the programme, as well as distributing biomedical classes throughout the predoctoral dental school curriculum. Materials and Methods: This study utilises a quasi‐experimental design with two different groups, Standard Curriculum Group and Integrated Curriculum Group, n = 87. Data were collected from 2017 to 2021. Results: We found that, on average, it took 608 h less for the participants in an integrated curriculum group to reach clinical competence in comparison to peers who did not experience the same methods of integration in their programme. These data were collected through daily faculty evaluations of students' progression as well as participants' own self‐assessment. Our results indicate that participants in the Integrated Curriculum Group also experienced a positive effect on their confidence in their ability to apply the biomedical sciences to patient care. Discussion/Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that predoctoral dental programmes may be able to bring about positive outcomes for students' clinical confidence and competence by providing patient care opportunities early in the programme and sequencing the biomedical sciences throughout the curriculum. As such, it appears that early experiential learning may be a viable option for curricular integration that can have a positive effect on both students' confidence in their clinical abilities and their progression to clinical competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current literature indicates a lack of training of clinical dental educators. This research study aims to examine this instructional need. The purpose of this study is to (a) investigate the impact of pedagogical instructional strategies professional development training on participants' perceptions and motivation to improve clinical instructional delivery and (b) examine the impact of pedagogical instructional strategies professional development training on participants' knowledge of clinical instructional delivery skills. To examine this instructional need, twenty-seven participants at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine in South Jordan, Utah participated in nine hours of instruction on pedagogical strategies to improve clinical teaching. Quantitative data were collected from a twenty-question, forty-point pre- and post-assessment, and quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a post-instruction thirteen-question questionnaire. Based on the analysis of the data, the mean assessment score rose from 20.66 points on the pre-assessment to 33.22 points on the post-assessment. On the questionnaire, 96 percent of respondents indicated that formal teaching courses are important for dental educators that work primarily in the clinic, and qualitative data demonstrated positive perceptions following the professional development pedagogy training. Therefore, it can be concluded that an instructional unit on pedagogical instructional strategies does positively impact participant perceptions and improves knowledge of clinical instructional delivery skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to public health measures enacted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators and students alike have been suddenly thrust into the realm of online learning. To better understand how active and collaborative learning methods can apply to students studying in isolation, we compared the effects of two teach-and-question assignments: one that utilizes the active learning method of reciprocal peer tutoring and a solo version that requires individual verbalized studying and elaborative interrogation. We used a quasi-experimental design, with student participants enrolled in an online introductory human anatomy course. The first treatment group completed regular teach-and-question study assignments virtually with a peer, and the second treatment group completed the same assignment independently. We found no differences in exam scores between treatments, even for students with high social anxiety; however, student attitudes about the social versus individual assignment did differ for specific types of students. Students who reported experiencing high social anxiety preferred completing the active learning exercise by themselves, and students with low scientific reasoning ability preferred the partnered assignment. This research has potential implications for online classrooms. For instance, our results indicate that students who study independently, or in isolation, may have learning outcomes similar to those of students who study with a peer as long as they study actively. Because we found no negative impact on examination results, it also could be that virtually partnered or independent teach-and-question assignments could be helpful for instructors teaching large online classes to ensure all students are getting individualized feedback and attention., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Novak et al.)