Lisa,
According to the Accreditation Standards for Dental
Hygiene Programs, our graduates must be competent in the
application of self assessment skills, evaluation of current
literature, and problem solving strategies related to
comprehensive patient care and management of patients.
Therefore, teaching critical thinking skills is a major focus for
course directors and instructors. Granted, I struggle with
first year students who have been previously taught in many
general education courses to memorize information long enough to
take an exam. When it comes to critical thinking, the
synthesis and analysis of information and subsequent application
can be a challenge for many students. The skill is
accomplished gradually, and we really get the student only to
entry level competency. So much more is gained later by
experience. My model online would be similar to
face-to-face: The Dental
Hygiene Process of Care. (Assessment,
Planning, Dental Hygiene Diagnosis, Implementation,
Evaluation) Case scenarios are probably best suited to
following the model. Information would be provided in the
form of a Social/Medical/Dental History, along with a picture of
an oral lesion or condition, for example. I would state
that the patient presents with _________ and then query the
students through the first 4 phases of the Dental Hygiene Process
of Care, using Strategies for Deepening Discussions
according to the Penn State article, “Introduction to Crafting
Questions for Online Discussions.” This includes
probing deeply and pushing students’ thinking. Ultimately,
my question will be, “What is the clinical plan of care for this
patient?”
I have included below a URL for further information.
Cyndy
Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs.
Chicago, Ill. Commission on Dental Accreditation, 2015.
https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7111_Dental_Hygiene_Diagnosis_Position_Paper.pdf