The anatomy of a new dental curriculum.

Full Abstract

The goal of all dental schools is to develop competent, knowledgeable dentists who have excellent communication skills and a sense of social responsibility. This paper describes the theoretical reasoning behind the design of an innovative dental curriculum constructed from first principles in the UK. The recognised theories of psychologists, educationalists and sociologists of the twentieth century have informed our educational decisions. In practice, this translates to a blended learning environment with problem-based learning (PBL) case scenarios at its heart. The learning of clinical and communication skills, which begins in year 1, week 1, is absolutely integral to the case scenarios, as are ethics and professionalism. PBL is supported by a comprehensive e-learning platform, plenary lectures, workshops, clinical and life science teaching delivered by core academic staff and guest speakers who are the experts in our 'community of practice' in which the students are the novices. We believe that the whole is best described as 'enquiry-based learning'.

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Author information

Author/s: McHarg, J (J); Kay, E J (EJ);

Affiliation: Peninsula Dental School, Portland Square, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA. jane.mcharg(-atsign-)pms.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: British dental journal (Br Dent J), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jun; vol 204 (issue 11) : pp 635-8

Dates: Created 2008/06/16; Completed 2008/08/28;

PMID: 18552805, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Humans
Models, Educational
Problem-Based Learning - methods
Program Development
Program Evaluation
Schools, Dental - organization & administration

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