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Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
Dental Students Dig Distance Learning (Mostly), But Miss the Face-to-Face Fun

First-year dental students showed a greater preference for distance learning than their senior counterparts, likely due to the curriculum's focus on conceptual theory vs. practical application. Although more efficient, distance learning posed challenges in communication and learning satisfaction, suggesting a blended approach may be ideal for future dental education.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that young students learning to be dentists liked online classes more because they learned ideas. But older students who needed to practice with their hands preferred in-person classes. They think mixing online and in-person learning is the best way to learn!

Possible Conflicts of Interest

The study was funded by Universitas Indonesia, where the authors are affiliated. This could introduce a potential bias, although there's no explicit evidence of it influencing the results.

Identified Limitations

Limited generalizability
The generalizability of the study is limited by the use of data from a single university, which makes it hard to draw broader conclusions about the effectiveness of distance learning in dental education.
Potential response bias
The response rate of 84.3% was lower than the targeted 90%, which raises concerns about potential response bias and the power of the study to detect meaningful differences.
Limited scope of participants
The study focused on preclinical students, while the adaptation to distance learning might be more challenging for clinical students, thus not fully representing the dental student population.
Reliance on self-reported data
The questionnaire relied on student perception, which may not reflect student understanding of course learning outcomes or actual academic performance.

Rating Explanation

This study provides valuable insights into dental students' perceptions of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. While it has some limitations, particularly regarding generalizability and the reliance on self-reported data, the study's methodology is sound overall, and the findings contribute meaningfully to the literature. The potential conflict of interest due to university funding is noted, but it does not appear to have significantly impacted the results. Thus, the study deserves a rating of 4.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Health Sciences
Field: Dentistry
Subfield: General Dentistry

File Information

Original Title: Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia
Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Privacy: Public