Health Sciences and Practice & Medicine Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine Higher Education Academy Subject Centres eLearning in Health 2011 conference collaboration, sharing and sustainability in the current environment Electronic Assessment in Dental Radiology - Past, Present & Future

Presenters Donald Thomson –School of Dentistry, University of Dundee ( – John Kleeman –Questionmark ( –Twitter – David Walker –Library and Learning Centre, University of Dundee ( –Twitter –

Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology Dental Specialty Specialise in radiology of teeth, jaws and adjacent structures

Dental Radiology in the UK : 11 million / year

Radiology in Dental Curriculum 3 rd year BDS Radiation physics, radiation protection, radiography, radiological anatomy Examination – must be passed

Previous exam format Written paper of 2 hours duration Mixture of T/F and short answer style questions

Concerns with paper exams Lack of consistency in marking Feedback from candidates Inability to include actual radiographs The task of marking

October 2006 Attended a study day organised by the University of Dundee focused on Education Presentation by Dr David Walker on e-learning and assessment Started a discussion about piloting online version of examination

Disadvantages of electronic format Considerable amount of work to set up No free text Some questions are difficult to transfer to this format

Colleague concerns Is it easier? – answer in front of candidate Exam shorter (1 hour on computer; 2 hours on paper) Is understanding being assessed?

Radiological anatomy and quality assessments – can use real images not line diagrams

Drag and Drop not previously possible This is a periapical radiograph of maxillary molars and premolars. From the selection of words below, drag and drop the correct label to identify the radiographic feature: Enamel Caries Dentine Zygoma Pulp Nasal cavity Maxillary sinus Calculus

Drawing questions more difficult to adapt

Ways around inability to draw In this question, the blue line represents dental radiographic film and the yellow lines the incident X-ray beam. Select the diagram which demonstrates the relationship of the tooth, beam and film for bisecting angle periapical radiograph.

Whats happening now? First exam was in February 2009 Examination + resit every year (100 students / year) Continuous evolution – try and write some new questions for each semester Used elsewhere –University of the Highlands and Islands –University of Aberdeen

Advantages of computer exams Speed of results & reduced time to mark Giving feedback easier Students happier (via interviewing students) Colleagues happy

POSSIBLE FUTURE USE OF OBSERVATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

Traditional assessment Participant presented with questions for direct response Observational assessment Observer presented with questions to rate participant according to pre-determined criteria Observational assessment vs. traditional quiz, test or exam

Monitor/observer logs inSelects assessmentSelects participant to be observedAnswers/submits responses to questions Results/feedback reported to stakeholders Typical workflow for observer

Observational assessments Benefits of doing on-screen vs paper –Saves time and money as no need to scan/transcribe –Results online instantly –Computer manages workflow –Participant gets feedback online –No illegible handwriting!

Can we computerize dental OSCEs? Existing paper- based OSCE form at Dundee Dental School

Inexpensive, very portable Internet-connected mobile devices are often ideal for delivering online observational assessments Mobile devices

The same assessment that is delivered on traditional laptop can be delivered via a handheld mobile device such as iPad, iPhone or Android phone/tablet

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