Section 2.2
Potential of information technology in dental education
N. Mattheos(nci)1,2, N. Stefanovic(nci)3, P. Apse(nci)4, R. Attstrom(nci)1, J. Buchanan(nci)5, P. Brown(nci)6,
A. Camilleri(nd)7, R. Care(nd)4, E. Fabrikant(nci)8, S. Gundersen(nci)9, S. Honkala(nci)10, L. Johnson(nci)11,
I. Jonas(nci)12, A. Kavadella(nci)13, J. Moreira(nd)14, I. Peroz(nci)15, D. G. Perryer(nci)16, R. Seemann(com)15,
M. Tansy(nci)17, H. F. Thomas(nci)18, J. Tsuruta(nci)19, S. Uribe(nci)20, I. Urtane(nd)4, T. F. Walsh(nci)21,
J. Zimmerman(nci)22 and A. D. Walmsley(nci)16*
1 Centre for Oral Health Sciences, Malmo¨ University, Sweden,
2 School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland,
3 Faculty of Stomatology, University of Belgrade, Serbia,
4 Riga Stradina University, Latvia,
5 University of Minnesota, MN, USA,
6 Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA,
7 Faculty of Dental Surgery, University of Malta, Malta,
8 Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Russia,
9 The University of Oslo, Faculty of Dentistry, Norway,
10 Finnish Dental Society Apollonia, Helsinki, Finland,
11 Dental Informatics, University of Michigan, MI, USA,
12 University Dental School, Freiburg, Germany,
13 Athens University Dental School, Athens, Greece,
14 Instituto Superior de Ciencias Dentarias do Porto, Portugal,
15 Charite – University Medicine Berlin, Germany,
16 School of Dentistry, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK,
17 Temple University, Kornberg School of Dentistry, USA,
18 School of Dentistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA,
19 Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan,
20 Facultad de Odontologı´a, Universidad de Valparaı´so, Chile,
21 The University of Sheffield, School of Clinical Dentistry, Sheffield, UK,
22 Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York, NY, USA
Keywords
computer-assisted instruction; dental education;
implementation; information technology.
Correspondence
Nikos Mattheos
Department of Periodontology and Fixed
Prosthodontics
School of Dental Medicine
University of Bern
Freiburgsstrasse 7
3010 Bern
Switzerland
e-mail: nikolaos.mattheos@od.mah.se
*Chairperson
Rapporteur
Codes in respect of declaration of conflict
of interest:
nci: declared no conflict of interest with
commercial company in past 2 years
nd: no declaration made
Accepted: 23 September 2007
Abstract
The use of information technology (IT) in dentistry is far ranging. In order to produce
a working document for the dental educator, this paper focuses on those methods
where IT can assist in the education and competence development of dental students
and dentists (e.g. e-learning, distance learning, simulations and computer-based assess-
ment). Web pages and other information-gathering devices have become an essential
part of our daily life, as they provide extensive information on all aspects of our soci-
ety. This is mirrored in dental education where there are many different tools available,
as listed in this report. IT offers added value to traditional teaching methods and
examples are provided. In spite of the continuing debate on the learning effectiveness
of e-learning applications, students request such approaches as an adjunct to the tradi-
tional delivery of learning materials. Faculty require support to enable them to effec-
tively use the technology to the benefit of their students. This support should be
provided by the institution and it is suggested that, where possible, institutions should
appoint an e-learning champion with good interpersonal skills to support and encour-
age faculty change. From a global prospective, all students and faculty should have
access to e-learning tools. This report encourages open access to e-learning material,
platforms and programs. The quality of such learning materials must have well defined
learning objectives and involve peer review to ensure content validity, accuracy, cur-
rency, the use of evidence-based data and the use of best practices. To ensure that the
developers’ intellectual rights are protected, the original content needs to be secure
from unauthorized changes. Strategies and recommendations on how to improve the
quality of e-learning are outlined. In the area of assessment, traditional examination
schemes can be enriched by IT, whilst the Internet can provide many innovative
European Journal of Dental Education ISSN 1396-5883
ª 2008 The Authors
Journal compilation ª 2008 Blackwell Munksgaard and The American Dental Education Association, Eur J Dent Educ 2008 12 (Suppl. 1), 85–91 85

Introductory parameters
What is our definition of information technology
(IT) as related to dentistry?
The group discussed the instructional applications of IT in
undergraduate and postgraduate dental education. This
includes all possible ways where IT can assist in the education
and competence development of dental students and dentists
(e.g. e-learning, distance learning, simulations, computer-based
assessment). Furthermore, the group identified that there is
another dimension of IT within dentistry which is how IT can
assist the dentist in professional practice (e.g. patient manage-
ment software, digital X-ray, etc.). This dimension was not
within the primary focus of the group.
Terminology
What are the terms that will be employed and
what is their working definition?
From a pedagogic point of view, what is described as com-
puter-assisted instruction (CAI), computer-assisted learning
(CAL) or e-learning is a wide array of instructional methodol-
ogies and tools (1). Learning is the process that takes place
from the student’s perspective as a result of instructional
strategies. Therefore, it is important to define from the start
that the main focus of the group relied on instructional strat-
egies and tools. The group reviews the existing IT-based
instructional tools and methodologies and evaluated the
impact of these tools on student learning. Finally, the group
endeavoured to suggest recommendations on how dental edu-
cation could profit from IT, based on existing evidence and
best practice.
The terms biomedical and dental informatics as well as infor-
mation science are very wide (2). This working group focused
on some specific areas within the educational process and
avoided general terms and used defined terminology. For exam-
ple, CAI (3) and IT (technology and media for the collection,
classification, storage, retrieval and dissemination of informa-
tion) are two terms that define our working area.
Which IT-related activities are to be identified?
The group identified the following main areas of IT application
in relation to dental education:
1. Teleconference applications (audio/videoconference, Web-
based or not).
2. Standalone CAL applications (CD-ROMs, didactic Web
pages, in general applications that limit interaction between
user and interface).
3. Simulations (Web-based or not) Simulation of skills, deci-
sion making, authentic scenarios, virtual patients, etc.
4. e-learning platforms (Web-based collaborative learning envi-
ronments, learning content management software, virtual learn-
ing environments, etc.).
5. Consumer electronics and related new technologies (i-Pod,
mobile telephones, palm pilots, etc.).
6. Administration and learning management systems (manag-
ing the logistics of the learning process, tracking and documen-
tation of progress).
7. Tools for the retrieval and management of information
(Web-based databases such as Medline, reference management
software, etc.).
8. Computer-based assessment (tools and strategies for the use
of IT in the student assessment).
The above-mentioned tools and technologies are represented
in scientific literature to a variable extent. The group felt that a
thorough investigation of each of these technologies would be
beyond the scope of this report. Therefore, the group discussed
strategic issues in relation to the implementation and benefits
of IT in dental education.
Reviewing the existing evidence – best
practices
Why IT?
As society is changing, our education methods cannot remain
static but must be dynamic and responsive to the wider social
environment. Our society is information driven. Web pages
and other information-gathering devices have become an essen-
tial part of our daily lives, as they provide extensive informa-
tion on all aspects of living. Problems arise regarding how to
cope with, categorize, remember, file, etc., the increasing
mass of information. In response, industry is providing faster,
smaller devices with increasing memory capacity and greater
possibilities with regard to information gathering and commu-
nication.
A whole generation has grown up with IT (4, 5) and the
Internet is a very significant facility. It has become an essen-
tial part of daily lives both in society and in education. The
term Net Gen (net generation) has been used to describe
young people with the following characteristics: digitally lit-
erate, connected, immediate, experiential, social, team-workers,
structure, visual and kinaesthetic, interactive and experiencing
approaches. Future trends in IT will evolve around improved uptake and access facili-
tated by the technology (hardware and software). The use of Web 2.0 shows consider-
able promise and this may have implications on a global level. For example, the one-
laptop-per-child project is the best example of what Web 2.0 can do: minimal use of
hardware to maximize use of the Internet structure. In essence, simple technology can
overcome many of the barriers to learning. IT will always remain exciting, as it is
always changing and the users, whether dental students, educators or patients are like
chameleons adapting to the ever-changing landscape.
Potential of IT in dental education Mattheos et al.
ª 2008 The Authors
86 Journal compilation ª 2008 Blackwell Munksgaard and The American Dental Education Association, Eur J Dent Educ 2008 12 (Suppl. 1), 85–91