Abstract
Purpose: A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.
Footnotes
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Sharlee Burch, RDH, MPH, EdD is an instructor at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College Program of Dental Hygiene in Lexington, Kentucky.
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This study supports the NDHRA priority area, Professional Education and Development: Investigate curriculum models for training and certification of competencies in specialty areas.
- Copyright © 2013 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association