(PO-142) Inquiry Case-based Learning: An Integrated Hybrid Approach for Critical Thinking

Author: Joshua W. Little, D.C., Ph.D. – Associate Professor & Director, Curricular Integration of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Alonso Carrasco-Labra, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D. – Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Keith Phillips, D.D.S – Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Fernando Astorga, D.D.S., M.S. – Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Rocio B. Quinonez, D.M.D., MPH – Associate Dean for Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Submitter: Joshua W. Little, D.C., Ph.D. – Associate Professor & Director, Curricular Integration of Biomedical Sciences, Un

Objective: Critical thinking, problem solving, and clinical reasoning are highly desired skills for the clinical practice of dentistry. Several CODA standards require that dental students have opportunities to use critical thinking and prepare to be lifelong learners. We created an inquiry-based seminar to promote critical thinking in case-based scenarios, have integration to key biomedical concepts, and align with CODA standards for the new Advocate, Clinician, Thinker (ACT) curriculum at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Adams School of Dentistry (ASoD). The purpose of this project is to describe the development and early implementation of this seminar for third- and fourth-year learners.

Methods: Several learning techniques were previously developed to promote inquiry-based learning in health professional education such as open inquiry-problem-based learning and guided inquiry-team-based learning. The framework of our seminar used elements of two established approaches including case-based collaborative learning for team-based learning and case-based clinical reasoning as a longitudinal approach to critical thinking/case-based learning. We named this new UNC-ASoD hybrid approach Inquiry Case-Base Learning (ICBL).

Results: The initial ICBL framework included five 1.5-hour sessions for third- and fourth-year learners each semester. Learners complete preparatory material and knowledge checks before the session. In class, learners complete activities related to cases as individuals, teams, and large groups to promote critical thinking and clinical reasoning. They also reflect upon additional learning objectives that result from the ICBL session.

Conclusions: This project reports the framework and early implementation of the ICBL seminar. Anticipated barriers to implementation included the transition to a new integrated curricular framework that promotes active learning, limited availability of trained in-class facilitators, case-development, rooms optimized for team-based learning, and virtual learning considerations. A key focus of the future direction for this project includes evaluating the need to optimize the ICBL learning approach in the context of the entire ACT curriculum.