Orthodontic Department, Orthodontic Unit, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD.
Br Dent J. 2010 Dec 11;209(11):571-6. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.1085.
There has been growing interest in the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) by universities over the past decade to supplement traditional teaching methods. In this study a tutorial providing information about the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), temporomandibular disorders and teaching of a thorough TMJ examination was developed on a VLE platform to enable students to enhance their examination and diagnostic skills. The success of this VLE tutorial was compared with conventional teaching by a cross-over trial. Thirty students were initially randomly allocated to one of two groups; Group 1 completed the VLE tutorial and Group 2 attended the face-to-face seminar in the first instance. The groups then crossed over and had the other method of teaching provided. The findings from the cross-over trial and the students' feedback indicated that no differences were found between either teaching modes, and both are equally effective at delivering information to students. In addition, the order in which the students received the teaching did not make a difference, but giving the teaching twice reinforced their knowledge. There is a strong case to be made for introducing clinical lectures on a VLE platform, and this form of e-learning is, in general, well perceived by new generations of students.
在过去的十年中，越来越多的大学对使用虚拟学习环境 (VLE) 来补充传统教学方法产生了兴趣。在这项研究中，我们在 VLE 平台上开发了一个提供有关颞下颌关节 (TMJ)、颞下颌关节紊乱和彻底 TMJ 检查教学信息的教程，以使学生能够提高他们的检查和诊断技能。通过交叉试验比较了这个 VLE 教程的成功与传统教学。最初，30 名学生被随机分配到两个组之一；第 1 组完成 VLE 教程，第 2 组首先参加面对面研讨会。然后，两组进行了交叉，接受了另一种教学方法。交叉试验的结果和学生的反馈表明，两种教学模式之间没有发现差异，两种模式在向学生传授信息方面同样有效。此外，学生接受教学的顺序没有差异，但两次教学加强了他们的知识。有充分的理由在 VLE 平台上引入临床讲座，这种电子学习形式通常受到新一代学生的欢迎。
