The Efficiency of a Learning Software Compared to e-Books in Dental Education.

Objectives:  Due to time-consuming curricular and extracurricular activities, students in dentistry and medicine can profit from efficient learning strategies. One strategy could be the preparation with individually designed educational software that embed different multimedia sources. The aim of this study was to determine the efficiency of such a program compared with an e-book similar to a traditional textbook.

Materials And Methods:  Dentistry students of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz passed an entrance multiple-choice test on the topic of odontogenic tumors and were then randomized into two groups. Afterward, both groups had 14 days to study on the topic of odontogenic tumors either with a learning software or an e-book. A final exam was then taken and the two groups were compared.

Statistical Analysis:  A least significant difference post hoc analysis comparing the group average values was performed. The level of significance was <0.05.

Results:  Seventy-one students took part in the study. While students from the first and second clinical semester showed significantly better results and improvements with the e-book, an opposite effect was observed in students from the third and fifth clinical semester with significantly better results and improvements with the software.

Conclusion:  Depending on the clinical experience and knowledge, a multimedia educational software can help students in dentistry to enhance efficiency in the preparation for exams.