Contract grading in community dentistry.

Dental educators are constantly searching for ways to improve the affective environment within dental education. To enhance dental student independence and motivation while reducing anxiety, the authors implemented a contract grading teaching and evaluation technique within their community dentistry courses. This paper reports on faculty and student experiences with the contract grading system. The findings suggest that style of teaching and evaluation may enhance a more personalized understanding of course material and reduce student anxiety during the learning process.