Curriculum Renewal Report

Transforming the Future School of Dentistry Curriculum Renewal

Transforming the future of how dental education is delivered at the School of Dentistry

A LEGACY PROJECT

“The redesign of our curriculum will ensure our students gain the essential skills to work successfully in a complex, interconnected, and rapidly changing world.� ~Curriculum Renewal Committee

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A LEGACY PROJECT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The future success of dental schools depends on moving beyond training competent dentists and dental hygienists to making a unique and highly valued contribution to the communities we serve.

Student education is at the core of the School of Dentistry operations ­– always has been and always will be. Since 1917 the School of Dentistry has been in the business of educating students to become healthcare practitioners and just like so many things in this world it was time to look at changing the curriculum; not just tweaking it, but really changing how we deliver education at the University of Alberta School of Dentistry.

The timing was right.

After a careful evaluation of the curriculum which included: • Analyzing data from many years of feedback from alumni and student exit surveys.

• Dialogue with staff & faculty through surveys, town hall meetings, faculty engagement sessions, and various communications.

• Literature reviews and program evaluations.

• Feedback from students and alumni.

• Accreditation self-study.

• Collective discussion & efforts, not just isolated opinion.

A decision was made to invest in a full redesign of the DDS curriculum. After the decision to move ahead with this project was made, we assembled a team of resources to undertake the work. We also shifted priorities of those on the core team so that they would have time to commit. We then mapped out the high level work plan, the vision, and the timelines to do the work.

The drivers for renewal include: 1) Enhancing the student learning experience, and 2) Engaging our faculty in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The two go hand-in-hand because it draws on the reciprocal relationship between teaching and learning with the overall intention to improve student learning and enhance educational quality.

The intent is to design a curriculum that supports the development of deep learning and meaningful application of knowledge and skills in a range of relevant contexts. Curriculum must reflect good practice in relation to both pedagogy and compliance.

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“It was decided that the school would invest in a full redesign of its curriculum.”

~Dr. Paul Major, Chair

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Other drivers for changing the curriculum include: •

To contribute to the research & scholarship mission of the University or risk de-evolution to a vocational school or becoming irrelevant.

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To be responsive to evolving societal needs, practice patterns, scientific developments and economic conditions.

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To create new approaches to curriculum to enhance research experience and applications of science to clinical problems.

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To close the gap for taking care of oral health needs of society.

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To increase the alignment between what we teach in dental school and the core values that define the profession.

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To create a better student experience by preparing them to enter practice as professionals, informed citizens, enlightened leaders.

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To increase our ability to impact the health outcomes of the general public.

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To drive change and lead, not just react to it.

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PRINCIPLES & PURPOSE The Guiding Principles of Curriculum Renewal are based

The Curriculum Renewal Committee’s (CRC) purpose is

on and clearly articulate a solid philosophical foundation.

to lead the process of the design and implementation of a

This includes the concepts that guide the educational

leading-edge curriculum in an engaged and collaborative

approach and those that belong with the University, the

manner that is responsive to the needs of students, the

discipline, profession or occupation. Curriculum renewal is

profession, and society.

informed by the context and environment in which it is happening (e.g. culture, philosophies, goals, evidence– based practice, regulation and compliance, quality assurance).

“Our purpose is to build the beginning not the end - it’s an evolution. This project will be a legacy project for all of our faculty to get behind and be part of building and delivering.” ~Dr. Steve Patterson, CRC Project Lead

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WE SERVE OUR C STUDENTS TO BECOM The CRC’s vision is to transform the future of dental education while aligning

Three critical components to ac

with the school’s vision to be Vital to the Health of our Communities. This

strategic focus of the School ha

means we are well-positioned to carry out the mission of the school which

the resource focus of the curricu

is to improve the health of the people of Alberta and beyond through leadership in oral/maxillofacial health care, education, research/scholarship

Scholarship: Education, researc

and providing service that is responsive to social need.

initiatives of the School will all b

broad definition of scholarship w In doing this we also instill values in our students that help them understand

to; generation of new knowledg

and treat underserved populations.

practical application of discover

OUR VISION & MISSION

with students and the external c

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COMMUNITIES WHILE EDUCATING ME HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS

chieving “distinctive impact” that overarch the

Social Responsiveness: The School will engage in a course of action that

ave been identified and will be used to guide

explicitly responds to and serves the oral health care needs of Alberta. We

ulum design.

will engage stakeholders (patients, policy makers, practitioners and public) to ensure our initiatives reflect the concerns of the communities we serve.

ch, community outreach and administrative

be viewed through the “scholarship lens”. A

Leadership: The School is committed to create leaders with skills and values

will be applied which includes but is not limited

that will enable them to guide positive change in their profession and their

ge, putting discoveries into context, showing

communities.

ry to practical problems and sharing discovery

community.

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WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDI MEANINGFUL AND THOUGHT-PROVO LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ENCO DISCOVERY AND CITIZENSHIP

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ING OKING OURAGE

EDUCATION AT THE CORE The School of Dentistry has the fundamental role in preparing dentists, dental hygienists, dental specialists and oral health researchers who are integral to the overall health care delivery system.

Practitioners must be prepared to gather, interpret and assimilate new knowledge and apply it appropriately to meet the oral health care needs of increasingly diverse population.

The School of Dentistry has a responsibility to deliver undergraduate, post-graduate and graduate education, which prepares students to meet the challenges of rapid knowledge and technology advancements, changing demographics, shifting oral health priorities and globalization.

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CURRICULUM RENEWAL PROJECT The School of Dentistry is committed to undergo a comprehensive DDS and DH curriculum renewal. This project will allow these programs to be re-envisioned to not only provide the best academic experiences, but also to look at new and innovative methods of engagement and the science of learning.

The curriculum revisions will focus on ensuring students

The Curriculum Renewal project will be

attain the desired outcomes of the program while

completed in four phases.

embracing a reflective, socially responsive and professional collaborative practice of care.

1. Phase 1: Needs Assessment, Curriculum Review and Environmental Scan 2. Phase 2: Program Design & Course

A School of Dentistry, Curriculum Renewal Committee has been formed to guide the development and implementation of the renewal process. The Faculty of Education’s Technology in Education: Solutions and Support group has been engaged to provide a comprehensive set of skills that will support all the curriculum review and design stages of the project.

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Development 3. Phase 3: Program and Course Development Close 4. Phase 4: Pilot Support and Final Review

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THE GOAL THAT OU POSITIV

Even hardworking students with well-paced approaches suffer from burnout.

Students exhibit anxiety and a lack of confidence. Students under stress exhibit signs of depression, irritability, inability to care for themselves, and defensive attitudes.

Students cope by resorting to medication or self-medication.

PROJECT GOALS

~Source: Needs Assessment Findings Report The goals to improve student wellbeing are: •

To better balance the load through rescheduling and revising their workflow.

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To provide opportunities for self reflection and self directed learning.

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To provide clear and manageable expectations.

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To provide timely and constructive feedback including status of where they are in the program.

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LS FOR THIS PROJECT ENSURE UR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE A VE, ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

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IMPROVE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Dentistry and Dental Hygiene students reported high levels of frustration within the program due to high workloads. Dentistry students stated this is exacerbated by the challenge of determining the relevance of some aspects of their required learning which leads to difficulties prioritizing time. Students also expressed fear of negative judgments and feelings of isolation from the available support. ~Source: Needs Assessment Findings Report The goals to improve student experience are: •

Ensure students attain the desired outcomes of the program while embracing a reflective, socially responsive and professional collaborative practice of care.

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Enable students to have a humanistic experience (one that demonstrates concern for human welfare, values, dignity) aligned with prescribed educational standards and competencies.

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Design the program to focus on student wellbeing, development, and growth, including strategies to address the complexities of stress and demand associated with becoming a dental professional.

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Provide students learning opportunities that are community-based and socially responsive.

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Teach and model professionalism and ethical behaviour expected throughout the program.

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Be transparent, mapped, sequenced, planned, and paced with rigorous student workload and assessment.

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ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING The goals to enhance student learning are: •

To produce a curriculum that is representative of the current learning needs of the student as a competent practitioner in the field.

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To incorporate new and innovative methods of engagement and the science of learning.

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To invest in innovative teaching practices and instructional methods enabled by technology to more precisely engage and address the learning needs of all students.

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To align experiential learning and application as closely timed to the didactic learning of that topic as possible.

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To provide sufficient time for development of competency and to allow for students to participate in electives.

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To engage in and provide integrated learning experiences between DDS and MD, and DDS and DH students.

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To improve sequencing to prepare students to transition successfully into all clinic/patient care experiences.

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ENGAGE IN THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING •

To provide the best academic experiences for faculty members.

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To open up opportunities for faculty to be recognized for their contributions.

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To be scholars in the area of oral/maxillofacial health care.

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To be leaders in dental education.

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BENEFITS •

Relevance of foundational medical and dental sciences will be linked to the practice of dentistry.

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Self-directed learning will provide opportunity to strengthen student learning.

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Purposeful integration will allow students to see relevance and retain information.

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Improved sequencing will allow for enhanced clinical time and experiences in third and fourth years.

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Increase clinical efficiency in how the appointments are booked.

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Emerge as the Canadian and possibly a North American leader in educational scholarship.

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PROGRAM EVALUATION So how will we know we achieved what we set out to achieve? We will evaluate three key areas – student wellbeing, experience and learning, teaching delivery methods and strategies, and faculty engagement in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Student Well-being, Experience and Learning: •

Improve wellness

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Better experience

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Enhance learning

Teaching Methods and Strategies (Faculty-focused) •

Use of technology

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Effective utilization of teaching delivery strategies

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Effective delivery of assessment tools

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Effective delivery of faculty development

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Faculty-focused) •

Increase levels of engagement and understanding

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Increase collaboration with colleagues

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Foster faculty development

The formal methods for evaluation and capturing data will include:

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•

Faculty (peer) evaluations

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Student teaching evaluations

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Accreditation data

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Stakeholder surveys and focus groups

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Annual reviews

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