IADR Abstract Archives
Integration of Biomedical Science Teaching in Dental and Dental Therapy Programmes
Objectives: In response to growing workforce shortages, Dental Therapists and Hygienists (BScDTH’s) have re-emerged as a professional group. In the UK, BScDTH’s follow a three-year professional education. This parallels BDS and qualifies graduates for dental practice within a defined scope. At Peninsula Dental School (PDS) a BScDTH programme has been established with a first year (Y1) integrated with BDS. Both programmes use a problem based pedagogy termed enquiry based learning. This provides a unique opportunity for inter-professional education (IPE). This study compares outcomes of both groups in integrated Y1 dental science (DS) assessments.
Methods: Both programmes sat common DS assessments twice in Y1 and scores were collated. For the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 cohorts, teaching and learning was shared between the two programmes, but groups were kept separate for enquiry based learning activities. This was integrated for the 2016-17 cohort. Scores from pre-integration and post-integration IDS assessments were compared.
Results: BDS students scored significantly higher than BScDTH students across each cohort. The combined scores were significantly higher (P<0.05) for students in the integrated (Mean 63.5, SD 13.1) than the non-integrated cohorts (Mean 60.8, SD 13.7). Although this effect was not statistically significant when each programme was considered separately, the effect of integration on both programmes was positive, with a more pronounced improvement for BScDTH than BDS students.
Conclusions: Integrating students from different programmes for problem based learning of core dental knowledge improves student performance for BScDTH and BDS students. Whilst differences remain between the two groups, the advantages in terms of performance and student acceptance outweigh the disadvantages.
Methods: Both programmes sat common DS assessments twice in Y1 and scores were collated. For the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 cohorts, teaching and learning was shared between the two programmes, but groups were kept separate for enquiry based learning activities. This was integrated for the 2016-17 cohort. Scores from pre-integration and post-integration IDS assessments were compared.
Results: BDS students scored significantly higher than BScDTH students across each cohort. The combined scores were significantly higher (P<0.05) for students in the integrated (Mean 63.5, SD 13.1) than the non-integrated cohorts (Mean 60.8, SD 13.7). Although this effect was not statistically significant when each programme was considered separately, the effect of integration on both programmes was positive, with a more pronounced improvement for BScDTH than BDS students.
Conclusions: Integrating students from different programmes for problem based learning of core dental knowledge improves student performance for BScDTH and BDS students. Whilst differences remain between the two groups, the advantages in terms of performance and student acceptance outweigh the disadvantages.