Enhancing Skills Learning – Creation of a Student-centered, Peer-to-peer Approach to the Learning, Evaluation and Performance of Skills

Abstract

The aim of this project was to test the novel hypothesis that knowledge of the end result and the ability to discriminate quality of the final product before performing the exercise will enhance the actual performance. In short, if you know what is good in a performance or product before you do it will you produce a better outcome. In dentistry for a tooth preparation the null hypothesis was proved and there was no difference between the intervention group and control.

However a number of useful learning resources have been developed from this project and maintained in the curriculum to have impact.

Creation of learning materials for the BDS III Crown course including:

• a close-up video demonstration of how-to perform a crown preparation in the simulation laboratory for students which is currently available for all students on the LMS – Moodle.
• student self-evaluation forms for psychomotor skills outcomes of the tooth preparations
• Exemplar objects defining quality levels (photographs and models, ie. A-E grades) to assist students learning and evaluation.
• A proforma of these different quality outcomes was created for students to use to judge quality of performances.

These materials are currently still being used in the dental curriculum to support students learning, judgment and skills performances.

Deliverables