(PO-072) Allied Dental Students’ DVI Learning Outcomes Following a Multimedia Module

Author: Samantha C. Vest, RDH, BSDH – Registered Dental Hygienist, Old Dominion University
Author: Brenda T. Bradshaw, M.S. – Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University
Author: Marsha A. Voelker, CDA, RDH, M.S. – Registered Dental Hygienist, Old Dominion University
Author: Ann M. Bruhn, M.S. – Associate Professor and Chair, Old Dominion University
Author: Tara L. Newcomb, BSDH, M.S., RDH – Associate Professor, Old Dominion University
Author: Sinjini Sikdar, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University
Submitter: Brenda T. Bradshaw, M.S. – Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University

Objective: This pilot project assessed cognitive and affective learning outcomes of allied dental students following a disaster victim identification (DVI) multi-media learning module.

Methods: A convenience sample (N=41) of senior dental hygiene and dental assisting students from two institutions completed an IRB-exempt descriptive pretest/posttest study to assess cognitive and affective changes resulting from exposure to a multimedia DVI learning module of a PowerPoint presentation with audio/video recordings. After completing the learning module, participants were presented with 10 sets of mismatched antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) digital bitewing radiographs to test their cognitive ability to indicate identification matches. The pretest/posttest survey was a researcher-designed seven item, 3-point Likert scale survey completed in Qualtrics by all participants to assess perceived cognitive and affective learning outcomes.

Results: Following the learning module, dental hygiene (n=27) and dental assisting (n=14) students accurately matched at least four out of five radiographic DVI sets for an accuracy rate of 80%. However, a Fisher’s exact test revealed a statistically significant (p=0.01269) increase of DVI match performance for dental hygiene compared to dental assisting students. Most participants (92%) indicated they felt moderately or extremely confident to assist with DVIs because of curricula from their respective programs. A linear trend test revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in perceived cognitive knowledge of DVI dental radiology and morphology application skills for mass fatality incidents, and a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in perceived affective attitudes at the valuing level regarding perceived importance of their respective professions as DVI volunteers.

Conclusions: Results show a multimedia learning module may significantly increase allied dental students’ cognitive and affective abilities to aid in DVI efforts. Additional research with larger samples of allied dental students could provide more information about the efficacy of including such learning modules in curricula where there are current gaps.