Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Advertisements
    • Subscribing
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Editorial Review Board
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Dental Hygiene
Visit the American Dental Hygienists' Association's main website
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
Journal of Dental Hygiene

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Advertisements
    • Subscribing
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Editorial Review Board
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
  • Visit jdenthyg on Facebook
  • Follow jdenthyg on Twitter
  • Follow jdenthyg on Instagram
  • Follow jdenthyg on Linkedin
  • RSS feeds
Research ArticleInnovations in Dental Hygiene Education

Online Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program: Outcomes of a longitudinal study

Jennifer L. Cullen, Mary Grace Ash and Anne E. Gwozdek
American Dental Hygienists' Association October 2020, 94 (5) 44-52;
Jennifer L. Cullen
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: jecullen@umich.edu
Mary Grace Ash
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Anne E. Gwozdek
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Abstract

Purpose: Examining the long-term outcomes of education programs delivered online can help assess the impact of the program on graduates and the value of the delivery format. The purpose of this study was to measure the overall outcomes of an online dental hygiene degree completion program and identify key alumni outcomes.

Methods: A 35 item electronic survey was delivered via email to all graduates (2009-2017) of an online degree completion program based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, two years following program completion. Survey items included Likert scale, closed and open-ended questions focusing on career characteristics, leadership, scholarly activities, evidence- and community-based practices, professional confidence, and transformative learning. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: Of the nine alumni cohorts (n=75), 50 graduates participated in the survey for a response rate of 67%. Eighty-two percent of respondents felt they had more career options after graduation and reported post-degree career activities that included dental hygiene instruction (36%), public health (32%), and administration (14%). There was a statistically significant increase in the instructor/educator role of the participants post-graduation (p = 0.000). The majority (94%) indicated the program improved their competency in areas of leadership and evidence-based practice and all (100%) indicated a greater responsibility to use their professional skills to address oral health disparities in their communities

Conclusion: Graduates of the online degree completion program reported ongoing activities in key areas of leadership, evidence- and community-based practice. Future research should focus on ensuring that program goals reflect the evolving dental hygiene profession and program delivery practices meet the needs of the working professional student.

  • dental hygiene education
  • e-learning technology
  • distance education
  • online learning
  • degree completion

Footnotes

  • Jennifer L. Cullen, RDH, MPH is a clinical lecturer and the Director of the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program; Mary Grace Ash, RDH, MA is a clinical lecturer and clinical coordinator; Anne E. Gwozdek, RDH, MA is a retired clinical assistant professor and the former Director of the Dental Hygiene Graduate and Degree Completion Programs; all in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

  • This manuscript supports the NDHRA priority area: Professional development: Education (Educational models).

  • Received October 30, 2019.
  • Accepted April 10, 2020.
  • Copyright © 2020 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association
View Full Text

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

American Dental Hygienists' Association: 94 (5)
American Dental Hygienists' Association
Vol. 94, Issue 5
October 2020
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
  • Complete Issue (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Dental Hygiene.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Online Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program: Outcomes of a longitudinal study
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Dental Hygiene
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Dental Hygiene web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Online Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program: Outcomes of a longitudinal study
Jennifer L. Cullen, Mary Grace Ash, Anne E. Gwozdek
American Dental Hygienists' Association Oct 2020, 94 (5) 44-52;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Online Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program: Outcomes of a longitudinal study
Jennifer L. Cullen, Mary Grace Ash, Anne E. Gwozdek
American Dental Hygienists' Association Oct 2020, 94 (5) 44-52;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Conclusion
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Similar Articles

More in this TOC Section

  • Utilization of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) as an Assessment for Clinical Competency and Licensure: A survey of dental hygiene director’s knowledge and attitudes
  • Implementing a Prenatal Oral Health Program in Dental Hygiene Curriculum
Show more Innovations in Dental Hygiene Education

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Keywords

  • dental hygiene education
  • e-learning technology
  • distance education
  • online learning
  • degree completion

About

  • About ADHA
  • About JDH
  • Editorial Review Board
  • Contact Us

Helpful Links

  • Submit a Paper
  • Author Guidelines
  • FAQs

More Information

  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Email Alerts
  • Help

ISSN #: 1553-0205

Copyright © 2021 American Dental Hygienists’ Association

Powered by HighWire