Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning
<b>Background:</b> The COVID-19 pandemic caused many universities to expand their use of videoconferencing technology to continue academic coursework. This study examines dental students’ experience, comfort levels, and preferences with videoconferencing. <b>Methods:</b> Of 1...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Dentistry Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/10/2/26 |
| _version_ | 1797481383991443456 |
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| author | David G. McMillan Olivia R. Kalloo Roberto A. Lara Mariana Pavlova Donna Kritz-Silverstein |
| author_facet | David G. McMillan Olivia R. Kalloo Roberto A. Lara Mariana Pavlova Donna Kritz-Silverstein |
| author_sort | David G. McMillan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> The COVID-19 pandemic caused many universities to expand their use of videoconferencing technology to continue academic coursework. This study examines dental students’ experience, comfort levels, and preferences with videoconferencing. <b>Methods:</b> Of 100 s-year US dental students enrolled in a local anesthesia course, 54 completed a survey following an online synchronous lecture given in August 2020. Survey questions asked about prior experience with videoconferencing, comfort levels with online and traditional classes, and reasons for not turning on their video (showing their face). <b>Results:</b> Overall, 48.2% had little or no experience with videoconferencing prior to March 2020. Students were more comfortable with in-classroom parameters (listening, asking questions, answering questions, and interacting in small groups (breakouts)) than with online synchronous learning, although differences were not significant (<i>p</i>’s > 0.10). Regression analyses showed there were significant positive associations between videoconferencing experience and comfort with both answering questions and interacting in breakouts (B = 0.55, <i>p</i> = 0.04 and B = 0.54, <i>p</i> = 0.03, respectively). Students reported being more comfortable during in-classroom breakouts than in breakouts using videoconferencing (<i>p</i> = 0.003). Main reasons for students not turning on their cameras were that they did not want to dress up (48.1%), other students were not using their video features (46.3%), and they felt they did not look good (35.5%). <b>Conclusions:</b> Dental students were somewhat more comfortable with traditional in-person vs. online classroom parameters. Prior experience with videoconferencing was associated with increased comfort with synchronous learning, suggesting that after the pandemic, it may be beneficial to structure dental school curricula as a hybrid learning experience with both in-person and online synchronous courses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:13:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ddeacf86d8914b78ab9c0856c1a9edc5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-6767 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:13:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dentistry Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-ddeacf86d8914b78ab9c0856c1a9edc52023-11-23T19:28:04ZengMDPI AGDentistry Journal2304-67672022-02-011022610.3390/dj10020026Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous LearningDavid G. McMillan0Olivia R. Kalloo1Roberto A. Lara2Mariana Pavlova3Donna Kritz-Silverstein4College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USACollege of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USACollege of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USACollege of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USADepartment of Family Medicine and Public Health, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA<b>Background:</b> The COVID-19 pandemic caused many universities to expand their use of videoconferencing technology to continue academic coursework. This study examines dental students’ experience, comfort levels, and preferences with videoconferencing. <b>Methods:</b> Of 100 s-year US dental students enrolled in a local anesthesia course, 54 completed a survey following an online synchronous lecture given in August 2020. Survey questions asked about prior experience with videoconferencing, comfort levels with online and traditional classes, and reasons for not turning on their video (showing their face). <b>Results:</b> Overall, 48.2% had little or no experience with videoconferencing prior to March 2020. Students were more comfortable with in-classroom parameters (listening, asking questions, answering questions, and interacting in small groups (breakouts)) than with online synchronous learning, although differences were not significant (<i>p</i>’s > 0.10). Regression analyses showed there were significant positive associations between videoconferencing experience and comfort with both answering questions and interacting in breakouts (B = 0.55, <i>p</i> = 0.04 and B = 0.54, <i>p</i> = 0.03, respectively). Students reported being more comfortable during in-classroom breakouts than in breakouts using videoconferencing (<i>p</i> = 0.003). Main reasons for students not turning on their cameras were that they did not want to dress up (48.1%), other students were not using their video features (46.3%), and they felt they did not look good (35.5%). <b>Conclusions:</b> Dental students were somewhat more comfortable with traditional in-person vs. online classroom parameters. Prior experience with videoconferencing was associated with increased comfort with synchronous learning, suggesting that after the pandemic, it may be beneficial to structure dental school curricula as a hybrid learning experience with both in-person and online synchronous courses.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/10/2/26COVID-19 pandemicdental educationonline learningvideoconferencingalternative approaches to learning and teachingcomfort |
| spellingShingle | David G. McMillan Olivia R. Kalloo Roberto A. Lara Mariana Pavlova Donna Kritz-Silverstein Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning Dentistry Journal COVID-19 pandemic dental education online learning videoconferencing alternative approaches to learning and teaching comfort |
| title | Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning |
| title_full | Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning |
| title_fullStr | Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning |
| title_short | Factors Affecting Dental Students’ Comfort with Online Synchronous Learning |
| title_sort | factors affecting dental students comfort with online synchronous learning |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic dental education online learning videoconferencing alternative approaches to learning and teaching comfort |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/10/2/26 |
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