Digital learning application for clinical dentistry – a pilot study

Abstract

<p>Background: Microlearning is a growing trend in education which can have a positive effect on learning motivation and outcome. In health education, it has been shown to increase student knowledge and confidence in clinical procedures. Little research has been done on implementing digital learning solutions specifically aimed for clinical dental studies. Unifractal is an existing digital learning platform on which students and supervisors can easily create and share learning content. <p>Objective: In the present pilot study, we cooperated with Unifractal to develop and test the value of implementing such a tool in dental education. <p>Methods: Content, based mainly on clinical instruments, for the application was made by two fourth year dental students. It was tested by third year dental students at the simulation clinic at The Arctic University of Norway – UiT. Also, a questionnaire survey was developed to evaluate user experience. Here, students and supervisors participated. <p>Results: The survey analysis showed that students appreciated the content provided and experienced the application as a potentially useful learning tool. However, the use of the application seemed to be limited by the relatively sparse amount of content available. <p>Conclusion: This study shows that a digital learning platform, such as Unifractal, holds the potential to be an important and useful digital learning tool for dental students. However, more content needs to be developed in cooperation with students and supervisors to reach a satisfactory level of usefulness.