The effect of a multimedia interactive tutorial on learning endodontic problem-solving.

New technology may create additional opportunities for learning in dental education. One of these new features is a multimedia approach, courseware combining sound, text, stills and video with interactive learning. A multimedia program was developed to train dental students and dental practitioners in decision making and problem solving in endodontics. This study compared the effects of the multimedia program with a more traditional approach consisting of written information, without interaction. 28, 4th-year dental students at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, USA were randomly assigned to the multimedia or the text-based groups. They were given a written pre-test using 2 cases of dental pain and were instructed to study independently using either the multimedia program (group A) or the written information (group B). No restrictions were imposed on the amount of time to be invested, and the total study time was recorded for each student. 3 weeks after the pre-test, the students completed the post-test. A total of 18 students completed both the pre-test and the post-test and their scores were included in the final data. Statistical analysis of the average scores using paired t-tests revealed no significant difference between the performance of the students in either group, indicating that the multimedia approach to learning endodontic problem solving may successfully replace traditional learning strategies.