The comparison of the effect of traditional and off-line electronic educational methods on the knowledge and attitude of the undergraduate dental students regarding periodontal diseases

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of implementing two educational methods i.e. traditional learning method and electronic- based learning (forum), on the knowledge and attitudes of dental students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences regarding periodontal diseases during 1393-1394 (2014-2015). Study design; Participants were randomized by block randomization method. Inclusion criteria; Dental students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences who have passed all theoretical periodontology courses and were involved with practical periodontology IV have been recruited in this survey after a participating plea in periodontics department. Exclusion criteria; the volunteer students who could not adjust their time to participate in the traditional class or attend the electronic course have been excluded from the study. To meet the ethical aims of the study, the students have been assured that their score in this study would be remained confidential and would not influence their final score. Moreover, they were permitted to leave the research for any reason or at any time of their convenience. Sample Size; Following a call for participation, forty-four have participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two equal groups; Traditional and Electronic. Time Intervention; For The traditional group, the session would be held for one and half hour and for the electronic group a forty eight-hour session would be considered to let them participate in any time of the day to provide a forum for relevant networking and sharing experiences.

Investigator