Continuous knowledge of results and psychomotor skill acquisition.

In preclinical dentistry, precise terminal knowledge of results (KR) typically is provided by an instructor when the student has completed all or a portion of a preparation. A contemporary model of psychomotor learning implies that performance can be improved if continual precise KR also is available. This investigation compared a traditional instructional format that provided instructor-generated terminal KR with one that also trained students to generate continual KR using two sections of an operative laboratory (n = 55 each). The dependent variable was student performance on occlusal and mesio-occlusal amalgam preparations. Students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group on both preparations.