Student Preferences Comparing Three Different Teaching Methods for an Orthodontic Teaching Module

Objectives: Evaluate student preferences for three different teaching methods in orthodontics. Method: 38 final year dental from an UK Dental Institute were instructed to undertake two orthodontic procedures using three different teaching methods: 1. Slideshow with verbal presentation (PP), 2. Video-based presentation (VBT) and 3. Hands on practical session (HCL). Preferences were investigated by questionnaire and focus group, allowing one or any combination of the above methods. The data were then analysed inductively to enable key themes to emerge. The students knowledge was tested using a multiple short answer test. Results: The combination of PP in combination with HCL was the most popular method preferred by 28.6% of the participants, followed by HCL alone (25.5%). VBT either as the sole method or in combination with other methods scored consistently lowest. Although there was a positive response towards the usefulness of VBT, it was the least preferred method when used in singularity. The main criticisms pointed to the length of the video, its slow pace and that no handouts could be produced from it. Conclusions: VBT in its current form was found only to be useful for delivering teaching of an orthodontic module when used as an adjunct to a lecture or a practical teaching session. Undergraduate preferred traditional HCL teaching, although the basic skills taught were transferable from other teaching modules of general dentistry. Recommendations for improvement included embedding parts of the video into the PP presentation; this suggests that prefer teaching material to be presented in a condensed multimedia format.