Development and evaluation of e-learning materials for dental hygiene students in six schools: Using smartphones to learn dental treatment procedures

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of using e-learning on smartphones to provide dental hygiene education on dental treatment procedures.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. Two-hundred ninety-three dental hygiene students in four universities, one junior college and one technical school took a preliminary examination, and based on the results, participants in each school were randomly divided into two groups, a test or control group. Both groups took pre- and post-examinations at a 4-week interval. The test groups learned dental treatment procedures and four-handed techniques with interactive learning materials using smartphones. The learning materials allowed them to watch videos of dental treatments. The control groups were not provided any learning material.

Results: Results of all schools combined showed that the changes from pre- to post-examination scores in the test groups were significantly higher than those of the control groups (p < .05). Post-examination scores were significantly higher than pre-examination scores in the test groups in all schools (p < .05). Also, post-examination scores of the test groups were significantly higher than those of the control groups (p < .05). The changes from pre- to post-examination scores in the test groups of two schools were significantly higher than those of control groups (p < .05). Post-examination scores of the control groups in two schools were significantly higher than pre-examination scores (p < .05).

Conclusions: Learning dental treatment procedures through e-learning on a smartphone was effective in developing participants' understanding of dental treatment procedures and four-handed techniques.

Keywords: dental hygiene education; dental treatments; e-learning; four-handed dentistry; randomized controlled trial; smartphones.