Association for Dental Education in Europe

Learning together to improve oral health and quality of life

Outcomes-based assessment for critical thinking - an interactive session

Tuesday, 10th September 2024 - 09:00 to 10:30
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Timezone: 

CEST (Brussels time)

Duration: 

90 minutes

Venue: 

HP1

Session synopsis: 
Critical thinking is considered an essential skill for the successful practice of dentistry. The literature is sparse for learning outcomes in critical thinking and the literature even sparser for outcomes-based assessment of critical thinking.

The purpose of this session is to build on an ADEE 2023 Liverpool session about learning outcomes for critical thinking, where the purpose was to establish critical thinking learning outcomes as a basis for learning guidance and outcomes-based performance assessment. The logic is that without a learning outcome, how can performance be guided and assessed?

The interactive session has four main parts:

  1. Review of leaning outcomes for ten patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment;
  2. Assess on a scale of 1 to 5 the effectiveness of sample patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment;
  3. Assess mastery for actual patient-based, student-led performances of thinking and judgment;
  4. Project the potential for AI assessment.

For the section on outcomes-based assessments, audience participation will be expected to determine student performance for mastery of the learning guide as applied to their patient. Actual student performances with be offered for audience assessment. Examples of patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment include caries, periodontitis, and Geriatrics risk assessment, technology decision-making, IPP, Social Work, EBD, empathy, ethics, conceptualizing the next patient encounter.

Programme: 
09:00 Welcome and introduction to concept;
09:15 Audience assessments on a scale of 1-5 on potential effectiveness of examples for patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment to guide leaning and assess performance;
09:35 Audience interaction to conduct mastery level assessments for actual student performances;
10:25 Wrap up and ideas for more patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment and the potential for AI to conduct student assessments.
Chair: 

David C. Johnsen

Dean Emeritus and Professor of Pediatric Dentistry
University of Iowa, United States

Prof David C. Johnsen, D.D.S., M.S. received his DDS degree from the University of Michigan in 1970 and his MS in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Iowa in 1973. He became board certified in Pediatric Dentistry in 1978. Professor Johnsen has been on the faculties of West Virginia University from 1974-80, with the Outstanding Teacher Award, 1976; Case Western Reserve University from 1980-95, where he served as Department Chair, intermittently as Director of the Residency Program, and as Interim Dean in 1993; and served as Dean of Dentistry at the University of Iowa from 1995 to 2021. He is now Dean Emeritus and Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Iowa.

Professor Johnsen’s research and scholarship have focused in three main areas, two with federal funding: Innervation of teeth as an indicator of capacity to transmit pain sensory impulses (NIH) and early childhood caries/caries patterns in preschoolers (MCH). The latter area included demonstration projects or consulting nationally in the Women, Infant, and Children’s (WIC) Program and the Head Start Program.  Current activity is in the methodology for critical thinking learning and assessment; he is in the top 1% of scholars writing about Dental Education over the past 10 years. He has also published on a variety of clinical and educational topics.

Professional service has included the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Board of Directors, 1988-91 and Child Health (legislative) Advocate, 1992-95, with the Distinguished Service Award in 1996.  Dr. Johnsen received the Achievement Award from the Ohio Dental Association in 1992. He served on the American Dental Education Association Council of Deans Board, 1998-2001 and as ADEA President, 2002-2003. He received the ADEA Distinguished Service Award in 2021. He received the Jack Hein Public Service Award from the American Association for Dental Research in 2010. He served (2010-13) on the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council (NIH). He was Director of the Dental Deans Institute from 2014 - 2021. He is currently on the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Dental Association.

University Service has included: Election to Chair the Faculty Senate at Case Western Reserve University, 1994. At the University of Iowa, he served as Chair of the Search for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics CEO, 2002; as Co-Convener of the Health Sciences Policy Council, 2003-04; as Co-Chair of the University Task Force on Clinical/Translational Research in 2005-2006; as Chair of the Nursing Dean Search in 2006; as Chair of the Presidential Search in 2007; as Chair of the UI Museum of Art Director Search in 2010; and as Chair of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Search in 2012.  

Learning Outcomes: 
  1. For nine examples, articulate essentials from learning outcome to outcomes-based assessment. Essentials include a learning outcome for critical thinking based on the thought process from the expert derived succinctly enough for the novice to apply to the next patient or situation; use of the thought process as the learning guide; and use of the learning guide as the assessment instrument.  Examples include caries, periodontitis, and Geriatrics risk assessment, technology decision-making, IPP, Social Work, EBD, empathy, ethics, conceptualizing the next patient encounter.
  2. Be prepared to assess (on a scale of 1 to 5) the effectiveness of sample exercises in fulfilling the criteria for an outcomes-based assessment for critical thinking. Examples for audience assessment will include caries, periodontitis, and Geriatrics risk assessment, technology decision-making and conceptualizing the next patient encounter.
  3. Be prepared to assess mastery or lack of mastery for specific/individual student performances for caries, periodontitis, and Geriatrics risk assessment, technology decision-making and conceptualizing the next patient encounter. Actual de-identified student Power Point presentations will be used or audience participation on assessments.
  4. Be prepared to assess (on a scale of 1 to 5) the potential for AI to conduct assessments for patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment.