Dental Hygiene Clinical Assessment Incorporating Graded and Nongraded Feedback: Design, Implementation and Results

Abstract

Clinic is a vital part of the dental hygiene curriculum. It is imperative to integrate systems that meet current educational paradigms, determine and attempt to meet the needs of the learners while adhering to the established protocols of an accredited dental hygiene program. Students expressed several concerns about their clinical experiences. In order to address these concerns, an innovative clinical assessment protocol was developed and integrated.

In this protocol, designated clinical requisites are divided into graded (assessed) and non-graded (feedback) requirements. Students determine on a case-by-case basis if their patient will be graded or nongraded. Assessed cases are graded according to the established Standards for Clinical Performance Criteria. Each standard has a set number of errors which constitutes a score of clinically acceptable or clinically unacceptable. The sum points attached to each acceptable or unacceptable standard gives a percentage score for the individual case. Cases that are selected to be nongraded are given formative and summative qualitative comments based upon the Standards. An additional requirement of this system is that instructors must give written remarks on each student’s daily activities regardless if the patient is assessed.

A 14- item survey evaluating student experiences with the assessment protocol was conducted. The key findings suggest significant changes in the learning environment: 1) 91% of the total responses showed that stress was always or frequently reduced from having nongraded patients; 2) more than half of the students reported having an excellent increase in instructor feedback when compared to previous semesters; and 3) all respondents reported a greater ability to ask questions of instructors on nongraded cases. Additionally, students reported experiencing a greater sense of control of their clinical education by having the ability to choose when a patient is to be graded. This assessment system has addressed the aforementioned clinical concerns.