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Remember the way we were taught when we were young. It was with a sage on the stage – a teacher standing at the front of the room lecturing us while we took notes. That worked well at a time when we had to look things up in an encyclopedia. But now we can get our questions answered on Google, we can learn a skill by watching YouTube, and we can get advice from experts by sending them DMs on Instagram. We have shorter attention spans and the ability to get information instantly from the computer in our pockets.
If we are accessing information differently now, then why are we being taught the same way as in the past? We have to change the way we teach because there is a change in the way people learn.
The New Dentist Study Club and the team at Genesis Continuing Education recently had a focus group with new dentists to find out how to improve the way we deliver education. We asked the following questions and the next generation of dentists had great advice on how to shape continuing dental education for all of us.
(Photo taken at Genesis Education Centre: Dr. Caroline Alpert, Dr. Matthew Reyad, Dr. Saira Paredes, Dr. Ryan Wong, Dr. Joanna Man, Dr. Harrie Suthendran, Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta, Dr. Aly Bhatia, Dr. Caroline Conway, Dr. Alex Bongard.)
How Do You Learn Best?
The members of the focus group responded that they like hands-on courses, group discussion, case discussion, getting mentorship after the course, and smaller rooms with small class sizes. They preferred a mix of online and in-person learning and having access to the content afterwards.
What Are Your Favourite Courses?
The group preferred practical versus theoretical content. They loved enthusiastic instructors who shared new knowledge and methods that can be applied right away in a well-organized, fun and dynamic format.
What Don’t You Like About Continuing Education?
Low energy instructors with poor public speaking skills make them lose interest quickly. They don’t like courses that are teasers to more comprehensive courses as they are not given sufficient knowledge to apply. Long lectures leave them so stuffed with knowledge that they suffer an information coma where they can’t remember anything. They prefer to have breaks to digest and discuss the information instead of listening to someone talk for hours.
What Methods Help You Gain Knowledge?
Besides taking continuing education courses, they learn from WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, YouTube, Google and Instagram. Textbooks and journals are not common ways for them to learn. They noted that there is a lot of information out there, but what information is correct?
What is the Best Way to Design Continuing Education Courses for New Dentists?
Here are their suggestions:
- Trusted sources for YouTube videos
- Online mentorship where you can email questions
- Hands on courses
- Transition courses for new dentists after graduation
- Small group discussion after each module
- Discuss cases by asking us what we would do and why
- Talk about the different ways to manage cases
- Note the long-term outcomes of treatment
- Discuss when things go wrong and how to manage them
- Content should be on common things which can be applied right away
- Talk about managing stress, work-life balance and finances
- Having a manual, notes and videos, which can be referred to afterwards
- Dynamic presenter who presents practical content in a well-organized way with breaks to have discussion and to test our knowledge
We want a guide on the side, not a sage on a stage. The focus group showed that we no longer want to learn by sitting passively while listening to an expert. We want to be engaged and part of the discussion instead of losing interest and looking at our phones. Let’s use the recommendations from the focus group and improve continuing dental education. Let’s teach the way we want to learn.
About the Author
Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta is a general dentist practicing in Brampton, Ontario. She graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry in 1999. She founded the New Dentist Study Club and hosts their podcast. She can be contacted on Instagram @drsanjmohanta @newdentiststudyclub