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Dental students attitudes regarding online education in pediatric dentistry.

PURPOSE
The Atlas of Pediatric Dentistry is a Web-based (Atlas of Pediatric Dentistry Atlas of Pediatric Dentistry (http://depts.washington.edu/peddent/) and disk-deployed comprehensive textbook of pediatric dentistry that features approximately 3,500 frames and 2,500 images, including color clinical photographs, illustrations, and radiographs; There are also end-of-chapter quizzes, laboratory manuals, photo banks, and a scrollable index incorporated as features in the book. The purpose of this study--which is among a series of studies being conducted at the University of Washington--was to evaluate dental student perceptions regarding online/computer-deployed education.


METHODS
55 third year dental students were surveyed regarding their use of the Atlas of Pediatric Dentistry as the textbook resource during a comprehensive, introductory course in pediatric dentistry. The response rate was 84% of 55 dental students.


RESULTS
Most students (80%) preferred the online textbook to traditional textbooks. Ninety-six percent rated the educational content of the Atlas as good, very good, or excellent, and all respondents indicated they would recommend the textbook highly to a colleague. Positive perceptions were associated with the: (1) scope of content; (2) large number of images (especially color images); and (3) ease of use. The most negative perceptions were due to technical problems associated with online use of computers running obsolete (Internet) browser software. The majority of respondents (87%) had access to a computer at home. Fifteen percent of the total 46 respondents used printouts of the text material.


CONCLUSIONS
Students strongly preferred the online textbook to a traditional text. There continues to be a small number of students who do not have access to a computer at home and whose computers are equipped with obsolete software. To optimize student access to the online program, it is important to plan for students to be able to use computers at the university and to program any online resource so that it is compatible with older browser software.