Authors

Dr. RanaAl-Haj Hussain 1  Dr. med. dent. Aous Dannan

Published in

International Educational Scientific Research Journal [IESRJ] 2015

Abstract

Aim: Computer-assisted learning (CAL)has the potential to supplement faculty instruction, especially when there is a need for repeated demonstration of technique. The aim of this study was to test the superiority of CAL over traditional laboratory instruction in the area of dental anatomy wax carving for undergraduates.
Methods: Eighty undergraduate students from the first year at the Faculty of Dentistry / Syrian Private University (SPU) were subjected to 2
lectures with two different methods (conventional learning vs. CAL) explaining wax carving of upper and lower right canines. All students were
asked to carve an upper and a lower right canine using the dental wax block. Clinical supervisors evaluated the student's work using a scale from
0 to 5. Independent T-Test as well as paired sample T-Test were used to compare 2 samples evaluated for both conventional and computerassisted methods.
Results: There were significant differences in evaluation records of upper canine carving between conventional and CAL methods, and those differences were more adhered to the CAL. No significant differences in evaluation records of lower canine carving between conventional and CAL
methods were found. Combined together, no significant differences in evaluation records of both upper and lower canines' carving between conventional and CAL methods were found.
Conclusion: CAL showed no significant superiority over conventional learning in terms of wax carving course for undergraduates. However,
CAL could be successfully used as a complement to the traditional educational systems in preclinical course of tooth anatomy wax carving.