Computer-Assisted Instruction In Dental Diagnosis; A Systematic Product Development.

A developmental project created and field tested a computer-assisted instructional (CAI) unit in dental diagnosis. The main objectives were to determine 1) if, after having received CAI, the dental student could determine whether a patient had a clinical need for space management and 2) if the dental student's attitude toward CAI and space management remained favorable. Senior dental students and dentists already in practice took cognitive and affective pretests and then received the CAI product in which pediatric space management cases were presented via various media. A typewriter terminal connected to an IBM 360/50 computer provided control of the instructional sequence and immediate corrective feedback to the subjects' typewritten diagnoses. The computer program was written in the PILOT author language. Posttest results indicated that both objectives were successfully achieved, for the subjects met the minimal standards for diagnosis and their attitudes remained as positive as they were at the beginning of the project. (Author/PB)