Strides in Development of Medical Education (Feb 2016)
Comparison of Virtual Blended Learning with Workshops on Dental Students Knowledge of and Attitude toward Caries Risk Assessment
Abstract
Background & Objective: Advancement in technology and the combination of traditional and new methods can promote education The purpose of the present study was to compare knowledge and attitude of dental students regarding caries risk assessment (CRA) after a course using blended learning and traditional workshops Methods: A controlled trial was designed and 82 finalyear dental students were recruited in two groups of workshop (n = 39) and blended learning (n = 39) In the blended group access to a designed website and online material was possible in addition to facetoface education A validated researchermade questionnaire (Cronbachs alpha = 07) was used to assess demographic information and knowledge of and attitude toward CRA before and after the educational course The mean score of knowledge before and after the course was calculated and compared between the two groups using paired ttest and repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS software Results: Of the 82 students 78 (95%) participated in the study The mean score of knowledge in posttest in the group attending workshops was (1335 ± 161) significantly higher than pretest (700 ± 306) (P < 0050) In the blended learning group the mean score of knowledge in the posttest (1471 ± 143) was higher than pretest (812 ± 220) (P < 0050) Considering the baseline score no significant difference was observed between the two groups in posttest In the attitude domain participants in both groups believed that the course had improved their knowledge regarding CRA and CRA was useful in educational dental clinic Conclusion: Both methods significantly improved knowledge and attitude of students regarding CRA The students believed the blended learning method to be useful in CRA Thus the use of this method is recommended as a complementary teaching method for general dentistry students
