Instructional multimedia program versus standard lecture: a comparison of two methods for teaching the undergraduate orthodontic curriculum.

AIM

To compare the effectiveness of an interactive multimedia courseware package versus standard lectures regarding knowledge, understanding, and transfer of content, as well as problem-solving skills in orthodontics.

METHODS

Pre- and post-test assessments of final-year dental students (n = 26), who either used an interactive multimedia courseware package (n = 15) or attended standard lectures (n = 11) on equivalent material of the undergraduate orthodontic curriculum were carried out. Both groups were tested by written and multiple-choice questions covering knowledge, understanding, and application areas in the curriculum. A one-way anova was carried out in order to check statistical difference between the two groups. The P-value was set at 0.05.

RESULTS

There was no difference in prior knowledge between the groups at baseline. Generally, no significant difference was seen between the two groups in relation to answers to questions about knowledge, understanding, and application in the orthodontic curriculum. However, both groups improved their scores after the course. In one question investigating the extent of understanding the instructional content of the multidisciplinary orthodontic treatment, the multimedia courseware package group scored significantly better.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the instructional interactive multimedia program was found to be at least as effective as the standard lecture of the orthodontic curriculum for undergraduate training in orthodontics.