Satisfaction and Effectiveness of Virtual Education Among Clinical Dental Students

Pourlak, Tanaz; Dehdilani, Marjan; Pasha Abgarmi, ُShima

Satisfaction and Effectiveness of Virtual Education Among Clinical Dental Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Tanaz Pourlak ¹

Marjan Dehdilani ²

ُShima Pasha Abgarmi ³

¹ Assistant Professor of Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

² Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

³ Dental Student, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background and Objective: The rapid advancement of information and communication technology has revolutionized higher education, particularly within the medical and dental fields. Virtual education serves as a critical component of the learning process, providing students with enhanced access and flexibility, while also presenting challenges that warrant careful consideration. This study aims to evaluate the satisfaction levels of clinical dental students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences with respect to virtual education and to identify the key factors influencing their learning experience.
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 165 clinical dental students who had completed at least one theoretical course through virtual education. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed by Houri et al. in 2022, which assessed various dimensions of online learning, including content delivery, professor-student interaction, technical support, and evaluation methods. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26, applying descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to explore differences in satisfaction based on gender, academic semester, and year of entry. The Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to examine the relationships between satisfaction scores and demographic factors, with a significance threshold set at a P-value of less than 0.05.
Results: Overall satisfaction scores ranged from 27 to 78, yielding a mean of 47.05 ± 8.6, indicating a moderate to high level of satisfaction with virtual education. Statistically significant differences in satisfaction levels were not observed between female (47.36 ± 8.41) and male students (46.84 ± 8.7) (P = 0.620), across academic semesters (seventh semester 46.18 ± 9.53, ninth semester 47.9 ± 3.8, and eleventh semester 46.18 ± 9.53) (P = 0.600), or between years of entry (2018 47.08 ± 13.8, 2019 47.3 ± 3.8, and 2020 46.18 ± 9.53) (P = 0.600).
Conclusion: The findings of this research suggest that virtual education is an effective means for delivering theoretical knowledge in the field of dental education. Nonetheless, it is essential to enhance interactive elements, adopt blended learning models, and strengthen technical support to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. This study underscores the necessity for ongoing assessment and refinement of virtual education strategies to better align with the educational needs of students.

Keywords

Virtual education

dental students

online learning

student satisfaction

e-learning

dental education

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