REFLECTION ON KNOWLEDGE
about
orthodontics
​What is Orthodontics?
The word ortho originates from Greek and means straight. The meaning of the word orthodontics is straight teeth.
The subject of Orthodontics deals with the correction of ‘skew’, ‘crooked’ or crowded teeth as well as occlusal abnormalities (malocclusions). Not only are malocclusions an esthetic problem but they often cause functional problems, particularly in cases where the upper and lower arches are malaligned or the jaws have a less-than-desirable relationship with one another. All these problems and the treatment thereof fall within the scope of orthodontics. These developing abnormalities may be intercepted, corrected, or camouflaged.
It is like learning a new language. At first, you learn the language (key concepts about the subject matter), then progress to training to formulate conversations about that new language(preclinical practice) and then in your final year you are able to visit the country ( go into the clinical arena and perform what you have learned).
The course has three main components extending over a period of two and a half years. These components are didactic, preclinical, and clinical:
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The didactic component runs throughout the course.
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The preclinical course runs in the 3rd and the 4th years.
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The 5th year is a clinical year.
These components are dependent on one another, ie what is learned in the third year forms the basis of future orthodontic lectures, discussions, and preclinical and clinical work in the 4th and 5th years of study. These basics are very important and form the core of many of the examination questions, treatment plans, and options that you may be confronted with later in the course. Refer to the Concept map
Intervention & student support
AcademicSupport
Powerpoint Presentation to the faculty about student support and intervention applied within the orthodontic department
Feedback on Intervention
The same academic requirements and standards are applied to all students. All students should be enabled to give a true account of their knowledge and skills. Students have the opportunity to inform the lecturer of their learning barriers at the first contact session point. Intervention is a process of identifying the obstacles that certain students experience in demonstrating the outcomes. Pedagogical, systemic, societal, physical, or psychological factors are taken into consideration.
The lecturer needs to intervene and support the student to ensure that the student attains the outcomes at the appropriate level and progresses through the system. Students are made aware of the services of the SDSS as well as the Teaching and Learning Specialist. Academic support is offered by the lecturer.
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Academic support
Students are exposed to a variety of learning and teaching strategies that cater to individual learning needs and styles. As mentioned in 'Reflection on Students", I have provided an in-depth reflection on problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, peer learning, and so forth. However, this does not guarantee that all students will automatically excel academically, and achieve the expected learning outcomes and competencies. The range of teaching strategies is designed to enhance their comprehension of and application of key concepts and challenging principles. Students who struggle in these areas are invited to participate in the student support intervention programme. These sessions are tailored and may be on a one-to-one basis or small group sessions. Active participation is encouraged, and students are more confident to ask engaging questions.
teaching & LEARNING
Experiential Learning
One essential element of my teaching approach is experiential learning. It entails placing students in actual clinical situations where they can use their acquired knowledge and abilities to treat patients and solve problems. The four stages of learning include concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation, in accordance with David Kolb's experiential learning theory. With the help of this method, students can create meaning and information from their experiences, better preparing them for their future employment.
Experiential LearnersFifth-year orthodontics students engage in practical clinical experiences where they handle patient concerns, take radiographs, make study casts, analyze space, and make diagnostic lists. Under the guidance of clinical supervisors, students create and carry out treatment programs, combining academic knowledge with real-world application. In addition to improving their technical proficiency, experiential learning encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.​I use a range of teaching strategies because I understand that every student learns differently and I want them to be able to interact with the material in the way that works best for them. Four types of learners are identified by Kolb's model: accommodators, assimilators, divergers, and convergers. I consider the unique abilities and preferences of each style while creating activities for the classroom.
Experiential learning where students design and manufacture orthodontic appliances in the laboratory.
problem-based learning
A teaching strategy known as problem-based learning (PBL) invites students to contribute their unique areas of expertise to class discussions in order to promote cooperation and consensus. Through their interactions with peers, students actively develop new forms of learning and knowledge, which is in line with the social constructivism process. Students diagnose clinical phantom instances in small groups during the BDS IV tutorial sessions. Strengthening their problem-solving abilities and clinical reasoning gets students ready for actual clinical sessions. Every group is given a particular facet of the case to work through and develop a list of diagnostic criteria, therapeutic objectives, and a suitable course of action. After that, they rotate every week to ensure that every student has experience in every topic presented, and they present their results to the entire class.​Critical thinking, self-directed learning, and active peer interaction are all encouraged by PBL. Through contemplation of intricate and multifaceted queries, learners assume accountability for their education and cultivate advanced inquiry abilities. This method fosters their ability to collaborate and communicate effectively in addition to improving their clinical skills.
Phantom Case
peer learning
Peer learning is a broad term that refers to a variety of activities in which students work together to create connections based on mutual respect and trust that enable learning to occur in novel ways. Because students are more familiar with the problems they encounter on a daily basis than instructors or supervisors are, this approach has shown to be successful.
Promoting peer-to-peer learning facilitates the development of a collaborative and dynamic learning environment. Pupils are inspired to take responsibility for their education, assess one another's learning, and provide and accept feedback. Their productivity rises as a result of this engagement, which also improves their communication abilities.
In my classroom, peer learning is demonstrated through the use of modified jigsaw techniques. I assign a subtopic to each peer for research and team discussion. Once the group has regrouped, each new member clarifies and expands on a few ideas such that the group as a whole gains knowledge of the subject matter. By teaching students that individual efforts can have a positive impact on the greater group, this method promotes a sense of shared responsibility and community.
These are 2, 3rd year students, that joined the revision / TUT.
These small group sessions help with individual focus on material not well understood. The student on the right scored 80% in the Term Test.
Inquiry-Based Learning
My approach to teaching now includes inquiry-based learning as a core component. Using questions, scenarios, or issues that actively include students in the learning process is the methodology behind this approach. Instead of just hearing about or writing down what they learn, students have the opportunity to delve deeper into subjects and gain knowledge from personal experience.
Inquiry-based learning activity used in the context of orthodontics
Class: BDS 3
Lesson: Normal Occlusion
Learning Outcome: Students need to understand normal occlusion before learning about different malocclusions.
This is a short video used before the lesson, to bring students into context about the topic.
BLENDED LEARNING
A holistic educational experience is provided through blended learning, which blends traditional in-person instruction with online resources. Technology-enhanced learning, or e-learning, makes it easier to transfer knowledge through digital channels by enabling students to interact with material at multiple levels and meet diverse learning preferences.
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A key component of my orthodontic curriculum is integrated learning. My ability to better regulate the time and location of my pupils' learning has increased when I combine computer-based exercises with conventional teaching strategies. This module employs two approaches to blended learning: first, it blends in-person instruction with virtual modalities such as peer-learning groups, lecture presentations, and self-study; second, it encourages students to bring their electronic devices to in-person classes to enhance their blended learning experience.
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There is no denying the students' enthusiasm for utilizing a range of technology to support their academic material. Resources are added to the well-known Ikamva platform, improving their educational experience. Online learning activities ensure that higher education institutions stay up to date with technological breakthroughs and use technology as a teaching tool, even while they do not completely replace planned lectures.
Blended Learning: Flipped classroom
DEVELOPMENT OF DENTITION:
Learning Outcome: Learners need to distinguish what clinical features are evident in a patient's mouth during the Primary dentition stage.
This short video describes the dental features of a child between 6 months to 6 years of age.
The video was played a week later after the learners were given the lesson in the PowerPoint presentation. After the video, the students were given a 10m.
Adult Learning
I value my students' expanding experience and their emphasis on work-based learning concerning their future careers, realizing that they are adult learners. Adult learners are motivated by curiosity, the urge to succeed, and the joy of achievement; they are less subject-centered and more problem-centered. Because they organize, carry out, and own their education, experiential and interactive learning approaches are very successful with them.
Knowles' andragogy, which emphasizes treating students like adults, honouring their independence, and drawing on their experiences, is the most well-known adult learning theory. By incorporating active learners and participatory education, lifelong learning balances the conventional power imbalance between educators and students.
My curriculum requires final-year orthodontic students to complete a diagnostic case, present their results in an e-portfolio, and have it reviewed in an oral environment. To demonstrate the actual application of their theoretical knowledge, this activity entails treating a patient holistically and making referrals to other departments as necessary.
Reflecting on my orthodontic education, I can see how incorporating inquiry-based, blended, adult, and peer learning strategies has improved students' orthodontic competency. My approach to education involves creating an atmosphere that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and social interaction. This helps my students not only achieve academic success but also develop into capable, self-assured professionals in the workplace. These approaches, which are based on both theory and practice, provide my students with a dynamic and captivating learning environment that fulfils their varied needs and gives them the tools they need to succeed in the clinical setting.
Assessment strategies
To evaluate learning I usually refer to our curriculum goals, which encompass student understanding, appreciation, and real-life application. These goals lie at the core of a social constructivist approach to assessment. The main goal of my assessment strategy is to ensure that students understand and grasp the learning content so that they can explain it in their own words. My students also need to appreciate the value and reason for learning the content. Because learning is ongoing and continuous, so should the assessment strategy be a reflection of this. Students should retain their learning and it should apply to life once done with the course. To students, I believe this means authentic assessment approaches need to be done. Assessments currently being used include formative, and summative approaches.
Assessment strategies
Categories of Assessment:
Formative
Formative assessment occurs during learning and provides feedback to the student. It includes evaluations of learning units in bite sizes. Tests are done immediately after a lesson or a week later. Student collaboration also provides a form of feedback. I have marked the posters they created in group work when I employed the Jigsaw method of collaboration. This form of assessment is more valuable to the learner than a summative assessment.
Summative
The final examination is an opportunity for students to reflect on and synthesize their experiences in the program in light of their professional goals as dentists. The student makes decisions based on in-depth reflection, criticism, and assessment. The student can justify a decision or course of action The student conceptualizes at a level extending beyond what has been dealt with in the actual teaching. The student can generalize to a new area. (Theorise, generalize, hypothesise, and reflect).
Summative Assessment
Examples
Quizzes, worksheets, concept maps, posters, peer assessment, case presentations, exit tickets, classroom corners, year-end marathon.
Written test, Final exam, OSCE, Orals, Clinical assessment
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Mark distribution 2020
Formative Assessment
Examples
Jigsaw puzzle used as a form of formative assessment
Spot test on previous lecture, given at the beginning of a new lecture.
Mark distribution 2022
CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS
Clinical examination of a patient done by a final-year student.
​As a rule of thumb, if the clinical learning environment is free from the fear of failure or of making mistakes, it becomes helpful when students are to be assessed clinically. This is created by showing students respect, encouraging students to bring up problems, being available, and encouraging students to ask questions and seek assistance. When a supervisor can relate one's own learning experiences to that of students, including problems, you show empathy and understanding. Being fun and easy to work with creates a tense-free environment for students. Being cooperative, having a positive attitude, enjoying teaching, understanding and remembering sources of stress in students’ lives, refraining from ‘having favourites’, and providing support in a non-threatening way is also helpful (McMillam, 2011)
Click on the tiny dot to see more
Digital Clinical rubric: Designed in 2023. Implemented in Jan 2024
Feedback Process
After each clinical session, I allocate time for feedback. Effective learning involves addressing errors, and bridging the gap between current and desired understanding. Initially, I asked the students to elaborate on their clinical experience, focusing on patient behaviour, likes, and dislikes of the session. In Orthodontics, treatment outcomes are closely linked to how students manage patient behaviour and not just the appliance delivery. This approach helps develop both communication skills and clinical expertise.
I start feedback by highlighting positive aspects of the session before discussing areas for improvement. We engage in a discussion about how to improve and plan for the next session, allowing students to prepare adequately, possibly consulting literature or class notes. Birnbaumer (2004) emphasizes the importance of post-clinical feedback for student reflection, connecting new knowledge to previous experiences and preparing for follow-up treatment.
Tracking of treatment
Each student clinician pair is to be given a record book. The purpose of this book is to:
· Serve as a logbook for HPCSA purposes
· Serve as a record of patient visits, cancellations or appointments not kept
· Serve as a record of treatment plans signed off
·Serve as a record of acceptable wire work during appliance construction
· Serve as a record of appliances fitted
This book must always be present in the clinic and must be signed at the end of each clinic session
References
Birnbaumer DM. Bedside teaching, 2004. Available at: http://www.cordem.org/facdev/2004meeting/birn1.doc
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McMillan, W. (2011). Making the most of teaching at the chairside, European Journal of Dental Education, 15(1): 63-68
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Price, M, O'Donovan, B and Rust, C (2007) Putting a social-constructivist assessment process model into practice: building the feedback loop into the assessment process through peer review. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44 (2). pp. 143-152.
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Shay, S. 2008. Beyond social constructivist perspectives on assessment: the centring of knowledge. Teaching in Higher Education. 13(5): 595-605. DOI: 10.1080/13562510802334970.