Key Points
-
Theories of learning can help us understand how dental education could be improved.
-
Understanding learning as a social activity can help us arrange and group learners in a dental practice, clinic or hospital.
-
Scholarship of dental learning and teaching brings research and clinical practice together into a dynamic which allows us to preserve professional values and challenge preconceptions.
Abstract
Over the past four decades, teaching and learning in higher education has been informed by a variety of educational theories. The various initiatives that have been introduced as a consequence have all sought to improve students' educational experiences. However, such moves have not always been successful, as a series of three articles that the authors produced on dental chairside teaching have demonstrated. The first of these investigated the stakeholders' perceptions of this teaching at one dental school.1 The second evaluated chairside teaching on a UK wide scale,2 while the third provided educational tools to encourage collaboration among clinical educators to share good chairside teaching practices.3 What this paper seeks to do is to locate each of these themes within the wider context of a theoretical frame highlighting the need for dental education to be underpinned by such constructs. The aim of this paper is to help ensure that an informed learning experience is achieved for all students engaged in clinical dental education.
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
Sweet J, Pugsley L, Wilson J . Stakeholder perceptions of dental chairside teaching and learning in one UK dental school. Br Dent J 2008; 205: 499–503.
Sweet J, Wilson J, Pugsley L . Chairside teaching and the perceptions of dental teachers in the UK. Br Dent J 2008; 205: 565–569.
Sweet J, Wilson J, Pugsley L, Schofield M . Tools to share good chairside teaching practice: a clinical scenario and appreciative questionnaire. Br Dent J 2008; 205: 603–606.
Lave J, Wenger E . Situated learning: legitimate peripheral perception. Cambridge: CUP, 1991.
Ausubel D . Educational psychology - a cognitive view. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978.
Ments M V . Active talk: the effective use of discussion in learning. London: Kogan Page, 1990.
Gagné R M . The conditions of learning. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965.
Perry W G . Forms of ethical and intellectual development in the College Years: a scheme. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Wiley imprint, 1999.
King P M, Kitchener K S . Developing reflective judgement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1994.
Kitchener K S, King P M . (1990): The reflective judgement model; transforming assumptions about knowing. In Mezirow J (ed). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. pp 159–176. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990.
Baxter Magolda M B, King P M . Learning partnerships: theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus, 2004.
Knowles M S, HoltonIII E F et al. The adult learner: the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Burlington MA: Elsevier, 2005.
Mezirow J et al. (eds). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990.
General Dental Council. The first five years. London: GDC, 1997.
Schön D A . Educating the reflective practitioner: toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. pp 168–169. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987.
Kolb D A . Experiential learning experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1984.
Moon J A . Reflection in learning and professional development: theory and practice. London: Kogan Page, 1999.
Hull C, Mangan P et al. Professional development. Writing your portfolio. Nurs Times 1994; 90 (suppl): 9–12.
Sweet J . Curriculum. In Sweet J, Huttly S et al. (eds). Effective learning and teaching in medical, dental and veterinary education. London: Kogan Page, 2003.
Dreyfus H, Dreyfus S . Mind over machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the era of the computer. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986.
Kolb D A, Fry R E . Toward an applied theory of experiential learning. In Cooper C (ed). Theories of group processes. London: Wiley, 1975.
Smagorinsky P . Constructing meaning in the disciplines: reconceptualizing writing across the curriculum as composing across the curriculum. Am J Educ 1995; 103: 160–184.
Prosser M, Trigwell K . Understanding learning and teaching: the experience in higher education. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998.
Pratt D D . Five perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing, 1998.
Sweet J . Chairside teacher perspectives inventory. In preparation.
Schön D A . The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith, 1983.
Boud D, Keogh R et al. Reflection: turning experience into learning. London: Kogan Page, 1985.
Mullins G, Wetherell J et al. Problem-based learning in dentistry: the Adelaide experience. Adelaide: University of Adelaide, 2001.
Progoff I . At a journal workshop. New York: Putnam, 1992.
Cowan J . On becoming an innovative university teacher. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998.
Sweet J . Beyond reflection dogma. In Frost N (ed). Beyond reflective practice. London: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd, 2009.
Rose C, Nicholl M J . Accelerated learning for the 21st Century. New York: Delacorte Press, 1997.
Schmidt H G . Foundations of problem-based learning: some explanatory notes. Med Educ 1993; 27: 422–432.
Bruffee K A . Collaborative learning: higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1995.
Jaques D . Learning in groups: a handbook for improving group work. London: Kogan Page, 2000.
Jarvis P, Hoford J et al. The theory and practice of learning. London: Kogan Page, 1998.
Barr H . Interprofessional education: today, yesterday and tomorrow. London: LTSN - Centre for Health Sciences and Practice, 2000.
Shapiro N S, Levine J H . Creating learning communities: a practical guide to winning support, organizing for change, and implementing programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.
Sweet J, Sweet D et al. 2008: Inter-professional learning and teaching in the dental workplace with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dental undergraduates exchanging posture, ergonomic and oral health advice. AMEE 2008; Prague, August 30 - September 3.
Nash D A . The life-long learning imperative... Ends and Means. J Dent Educ 1994; 58: 785–790.
Dutton W H, Loader B . Digital academe: new media in higher education and learning. London: Routledge, 2002.
Savin-Baden M . Learning spaces: creating opportunities for knowledge creation in academic life. Maidenhead: SRHE and Open University, 2008.
Sieber V, Briggs A, et al. 2008; Student managed eLearning; ePortfolios, identity and personalised learning in healthcare education, 28 February 2008 Newcastle.
Falchikov N . Learning together: peer tutoring in higher education. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2001.
Falchikov N . Improving assessment through student involvement: practical solutions for aiding learning in higher and further education. London: Routledge, 2005.
Jenkins A, Breen R et al. Reshaping teaching in higher education. London: Kogan Page, 2003.
Borg W R, Gall M D . Educational research: an introduction. New York: Longman, 1989.
ATLAS.ti knowledge workbench http://www.atlasti.com 19 Jan 2005
Denzin N K, Lincoln Y S (eds.) Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1998.
Marton F, Booth S . Learning and awareness. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997.
Webb G . Deconstructing deep and surface: towards a critique of phenomenography. Higher Educ 1997; 33: 195–212.
Engeström Y . The concept of content in phenomenography and dialectics. In Ashworth P D, Giorgi A et al. (eds). Qualitative research in psychology. pp 47–78. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1986.
Stenhouse L . Research as a basis for teaching. London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1985.
Biggs J B, Collis K F . Evaluating the quality of learning - the SOLO taxonomy (Structure of Observed Learning Outcome). London: Academic Press, 1982.
George J, Cowan J . A handbook of techniques for formative evaluation. London: Kogan Page, 1999.
Preskill H, Catsambas T T . Reframing evaluation through appreciative inquiry. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 2006.
Patton M Q . Utilization-focussed evaluation. Beverley Hills CA: Sage, 1978.
Reed J . Appreciative inquiry: research for change. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 2007.
Merriam S B, Caffarella R S . Learning in adulthood: a comprehensive guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Wiley imprint, 1999.
McLean M . Pedagogy and the university: critical theory and practice. London and New York: Continuum, 2006.
McLean M . Pedagogy and the university: critical theory and practice. p 45. London and New York: Continuum, 2006.
Andresen L . The work of academic development - occupational identity, standards of practice, and the virtues of association. IJAD 1996; 1: 38–49.
Gunn A V, Prescott R G W . Lifting the veil: research and scholarship in United Kingdom museums and galleries. London: Council for Museums, London, 1999.
Boyer E L . Scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1990.
Hutchings P, Shulman L S . The scholarship of teaching: new elaborations, new developments. Change 1999; Sept-Oct: 11–15.
Hutchings P . Opening lines: approaches to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Menlo Park: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2003.
Olson E E, Eoyang G H . Facilitating organisational change: lessons from complexity science. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001.
Barton D, Tusting K (eds). Beyond communities of practice: language, power and social context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Frost N . Beyond reflective practice. Routledge, to be published in 2009.
Bowden J, Marton F . The university of learning. London: Kogan Page,1998.
Barnett R (ed). Reshaping the university: new relationships between research, scholarship and teaching. Maidenhead: SRHE and OUP, 2005.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Refereed paper
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sweet, J., Wilson, J. & Pugsley, L. Educational innovations for dentistry. Br Dent J 206, 29–34 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1123
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1123
This article is cited by
-
Preparing dental students for independent practice: a scoping review of methods and trends in undergraduate clinical skills teaching in the UK and Ireland
British Dental Journal (2021)
-
Reflection on fitness to practise
British Dental Journal (2016)
-
Designing a dental curriculum for the twenty-first century
British Dental Journal (2009)
