Dentistry: 1st Year Clinical Module - Scaffolded structure, Reflection sheets & Online Assessments

Dentistry: 1st Year Clinical Module - Scaffolded structure, Reflection sheets & Online Assessments

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Dentistry Faculty lecturers, Shaheda Simons and Jos Hille jointly teach 1st year students in the CLD 100 (Clinical Dentistry) Module. This year-long module has been supported by a structured online environment, making use of various assessment and content creation tools within the iKamva platform.

Scaffolded structure: Learning units

The online environment was developed according to a scaffolded structure which enables students to work through each ‘learning unit’ as the module progresses. Each learning unit provides students with an:

•   Overview,
•   Contextualisation,
•   Rationale for Learning,
•   Lecture Presentations
•   Required Readings; and
•   Embedded YouTube videos.

Reflection Sheet: Identify student learning needs

Furthermore, students were required to complete a ‘reflection sheet’ at the end of each learning unit via an embedded Google Form, where they could discuss any issues;  illustrate achievement of learning outcomes. The ‘reflection sheet’ allowed lecturers to easily access and analyse students' responses; and therefore could identify student learning needs in real-time.

Online Assessments & Mid-Year Evaluation

Due to the lockdown, students were expected to submit a number of online assessments via the Assignments, and Tests & Quizzes eTools. Submitted assignments were verified for originality using Turnitin integration. Online quizzes made use of MCQ type questions, whereby students were required to select multiple correct choices for each question. A mid -year module evaluation was also conducted using the Tests & Quizzes, allowing lecturers to collate student feedback and adjust their teaching and learning strategy if necessary.