INTEGRATING VIGNETTES in TEAM BASED LEARNING – CLOSING the GAP between the REAL WORLD and DENTAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Ferhan Girgin Sagin*, Ege University Medical Faculty, Department of Biochemistry, Izmir, Republic of Turkiye

PURPOSE: Students find it difficult to see the relevance of biochemical structures & metabolic concepts and to integrate these issues to clinical problems in dental biochemistry education. “Vitamins-Structure and Metabolism” is such an issue and its integration proved to be a challenge in previous years. Team based learning (TBL) is used in oral biochemistry courses in Ege University since 2001 and feedback has been generally positive with some concerns in grouping and final acquired knowledge variations in between groups. To meet these challenges and strength student competences in group working and learning, a TBL strategy covering vignettes was implemented.

METHODS: To ensure that all groups have the correct skills needed for TBL, students were randomly replaced based on their self-ranked specific skill strengths. Vitamin deficiency vignettes were distributed and teams discussed, searched literature, analyzed and gained knowledge the next two classes. Presentations and open group discussions took place the third week. A non-traditional questionnaire in which students marked the statements that suited their impressions of the novel education strategy.was applied.

RESULTS: Feedback on self-assessment based grouping (89%) and the new questionnaire format (90%) were favourable. Students indicated that TBL technique with vignettes; helped to associate basic science to real world (93%); promoted knowledge acquisition (83%); helped to learn the targeted content (88%); motivated for self-directed learning (69%); is enjoyable (82%) and should be introduced more into dental teaching (94%)

CONCLUSION / FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Integration of vignettes in TBL is an effective teaching strategy favorably evaluated by students and it may well replace some teacher-oriented education in the dental biochemistry curriculum.