During this time, dental assisting educators have been embracing the opportunity to find creative ways to connect with their students and foster learning outside of the classroom. For example, instead of students interacting in-person with peers and faculty per usual, video conferencing and online courses, among other alternative methods, are becoming more common.
Shannon S., a college dental assisting instructor, and her students are using a popular learning management platform to enable at-home learning. Although some students are already familiar with the platform, overall, they’re learning the technology together as they go. “Online learning pushes people out of their comfort zones, myself included,” Shannon elaborates.
Tracy B., CDA, a high school dental health careers instructor, says her students have been using textbooks with internet components and online videos. “We are doing all online learning since we’re not able to do any hands-on work until we get back to school, whenever that might be.”
Yinka B., CDA, a high school dental assisting program director, says her class has been consistently video conferencing. Overall, she says their transition to virtual learning has been mostly smooth. “Students are resilient when it comes to technology,” she says. “They know how to use it.”
Turning to the DALE Foundation
Tracy, Shannon, and Yinka are all among educators who are now incorporating online products from the DALE Foundation, the official affiliate of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), to help students master material virtually. In particular, they’ve purchased DALE Foundation products to help students prepare to eventually take DANB exams, including DANB’s Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam and Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP) exam.
Shannon’s students are using the DALE Foundation’s DANB RHS Review course. “I find the DALE Foundation’s review courses and practice tests to be very valuable,” she says. “They do help students as another mode of gaining knowledge. If someone doesn’t understand a concept I’ve introduced through chapters in a book, videos, or lecture, maybe they’ll understand it through taking an online course.”
Yinka’s students have also found success using the DALE Foundation’s DANB RHS Practice Test, which she believes prepares them to take DANB’s RHS exam in the future.
“Students’ confidence goes through the roof when they answer practice test questions correctly and understand the information they’ve been taught,” says Yinka. “I love the DALE Foundation’s materials, especially now.”
Similarly, Tracy has recently purchased the DALE Foundation’s DANB RHS Review course and DANB RHS Practice Test, as well as the DALE Foundation’s DANB AMP Review course and DANB AMP Practice Test, for her students. “I thought this would be a great time to incorporate these into my curriculum,” she says. “These subjects can be very overwhelming, with lots of little details that students have to remember.”
By comparing students’ pre-course and post-course assessment scores, Tracy has found the DALE Foundation products are making a difference: “Students are spending extra time at home with these materials, and I have seen a huge improvement in the majority of students.”
Explore the DALE Foundation’s online options
Are you a dental assisting educator seeking to support your students’ at-home learning during this time? Visit the DALE Foundation’s website for convenient, online options designed to meet your needs.
