The impact of an online gamified virtual tour on cognitive enhancement in dental practice management

Abstract

Abstract Dental practice management is usually a mandatory course for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. However, learners and educators may encounter challenges in gaining experiences in real-life dental practice. The concept of a gamified virtual tour could have potential to improve dental practice management skills. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the educational impact of a gamified virtual dental clinic (GVDC) on dental practice management skills among dental undergraduates (UG) and postgraduates (PG). All participants were assigned to complete the GVDC. Pre- and post-knowledge assessments were administered to evaluate knowledge acquisition. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to investigate user perceptions toward the use of GVDC. There were 20 dental undergraduates and 20 orthodontic residents participating in UG and PG groups, respectively. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant increases in their assessment scores after completing the GVDC (P 0.05). Overall, the GVDC demonstrated positive educational impacts on acquiring knowledge and understanding of dental practice management, with participants expressing favorable perceptions of this immersive learning intervention.

Keywords

• Dental education
• Gamification
• Serious game
• Simulation
• Technology-enhanced learning
• Virtual tour