Reflective writing in dental education to improve critical thinking and learning: A systematic review.

The Commission on Dental Accreditations states that "graduates must be competent in the use of critical thinking and problem-solving." With this in mind, dental education programs continually strive to enhance and deepen these skills by incorporating effective instructional strategies into the curriculum. To do this, predoctoral dental education has used a variety of techniques including problem-based learning, OSCEs, and standardized patient activities.

Self-Assessment: A Review of the Literature and Pedagogical Strategies for Its Promotion in Dental Education.

In response to several publications drawing attention to self-assessment and revised Commission on Dental Accreditation standards that state graduates should possess and demonstrate the ability to self-assess, dental hygiene and pre-doctoral dental programs find themselves searching for ways in which to incorporate self-assessment practices into the curriculum. Research indicates that students are often not familiar with self-assessment strategies nor are they effective at self-assessment upon entering professional programs. Therefore, students must be taught strategies to self-assess and be given opportunities to practice and refine these skills.

Validity and reliability of portfolio assessment of student competence in two dental school populations: a four-year study.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the validity and reliability of portfolio assessment in two U.S. dental schools using a unified framework for validity.

Critical incidents, successes, and challenges of community-based dental education.

In 2006, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University (ATSU ASDOH) implemented an intensive community-based education program for its inaugural fourth-year students called the Integrated Community Service Partnerships (ICSP) program.

Perceived influence of community oral health curriculum on graduates' dental practice choice and volunteerism.

The purpose of this study was to determine if A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ASDOH) curricular content regarding community oral health has influenced graduates' dental practice choice and volunteering activities in their communities.

Implementation of portfolio assessment of student competence in two dental school populations.

The purpose of this article is to describe the process and procedures involved in the implementation of portfolio assessment at two dental schools. Portfolios can be defined as a purposeful collection of student work that involves reflection in which students identify gaps in their knowledge and abilities and develop strategies for correcting those gaps. Framed within the current context of dental education and the calls for change in the ways dental students are taught and assessed, these two dental schools embarked upon an assessment strategy aimed at engaging students in self-directed learning and self-assessment.

The Arizona model: a new paradigm for dental schools.

The traditional method for the delivery of didactic instruction and patient care in dental schools has come under fire from a number of sources over the past several years. The American Dental Education Association and others have outlined numerous issues impeding the swift progression of student learning through the dental curriculum. Declining state revenues allotted to dental education, the increasing shortage of dental faculty, and the management of student learning in an already overcrowded dental school curriculum have led to the investigation of strategies that address solutions to these and other shortcomings in the current milieu of dental education.