Dieter J. Schönwetter

Online learning in dentistry: an overview of the future direction for dental education

This paper provides an overview of the diversity of tools available for online learning and identifies the drivers of online learning and directives for future research relating to online learning in dentistry. After an introduction and definitions of online learning, this paper considers the democracy of knowledge and tools and systems that have democratized knowledge. It identifies assessment systems and the challenges of online learning. This paper also identifies the drivers for online learning, including those for instructors, administrators and leaders, technology innovators, information and communications technology personnel, global dental associations and government. A consideration of the attitudes of the stakeholders and how they might work together follows, using the example of the unique achievement of the successful collaboration between the Universities of Adelaide, Australia and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The importance of the interaction of educational principles and research on online learning is discussed. The paper ends with final reflections and conclusions, advocating readers to move forward in adopting online learning as a solution to the increasing worldwide shortage of clinical academics to teach dental clinicians of the future.

The interactive effects of type a behavior and hostility on bleeding time thromboxane and prostacyclin formation

Sixty-six male university students were classified as Type A or B on the basis of the Structured Interview of Rosenman and as hostile or non-hostile on the basis of the Cook-Medley scale. Vascular production of prostacyclin and platelet thromboxane in response to a standard vessel injury was evaluated. Basal thromboxane production, measured as the primary metabolite, thromboxane B2, in blood oozing from the bleeding-time site, was highest among hostile Type A subjects with significantly lower thromboxane production in hostile Type Bs and all non-hostile groups combined. Following an exercise treadmill test hostile subjects produced more thromboxane than non-hostile ones, and hostile Type As had significantly shorter bleeding times than hostile Type Bs. No significant differences on any measure were observed following a stressful color naming task. The observed interaction of hostility and Type A behavior on bleeding time thromboxane formation links behavior to an adverse aspect of a thrombosis-related parameter thought to be involved in the genesis of cardiovascular disease.

Alcohol consumption, anger and hostility: A link to coronary heart disease

Abstract A number of recent studies have demonstrated that moderate alcohol drinkers have lower mortality risk, and particularly a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), than either abstainers or heavy drinkers. The present study explored the behavioral differences among alcohol-consuming groups and related these differences to major behavioral components predisposing individuals to heart disease: hostility and anger. As hypothesized, moderate drinkers tended to be less hostile than heavy drinkers. Furthermore, heavy drinkers were characterized by higher anger scores than abstainers. Abstainers, in turns, defined themselves as having more anger-control and more repressed anger toward frustrating objects. Collapsing the results of all alcohol drinkers revealed that abstainers tended to be characterized by less anger, were less hostile and less likely to express their anger towards others, relative to all alcohol drinkers. Finally, the present study discusses the relationship between alcohol consumption and the predisposing factors leading to CHD.

Discovering online learning barriers: survey of health educational stakeholders in dentistry

OBJECTIVES Given the exponential explosion of online learning tools and the challenge to harness their influence in dental education, there is a need to determine the current status of online learning tools being adopted at dental schools, the barriers that thwart the potential of adopting these and to capture this information from each of the various stakeholders involved in dental online learning (administrators, instructors, students and software/hardware technicians). The aims of this exploratory study are threefold: first, to understand which online learning tools are currently being adopted at dental schools; second, to determine the barriers in adopting online learning in dental education; and third, to identify a way of better preparing stakeholders in their quest to encourage others at their institutions to adopt online learning tools. METHODS Seventy-two participants representing eight countries and 13 stakeholder groups in dentistry were invited to complete the online Survey of Barriers in Online Learning Education in Health Professional Schools. The survey was created for this study but generic to all healthcare education domains. Twenty participants completed the survey. RESULTS demonstrated that many online learning tools are being successfully adopted at dental schools, but computer-based assessment tools are the least successful. Added to this are challenges of support and resources for online learning tools. Participants offered suggestions of creating a blended (online and face-to-face) tutorial aimed at assisting stakeholders to help their dental schools in adopting online learning tools CONCLUSION The information from this study is essential in helping us to better prepare the next generation of dental providers in terms of adopting online learning tools. This paper will not only provide strategies of how best to proceed, but also inspire participants with the necessary tools to move forward as they assist their clients with adopting and sustaining online learning tools and models.

Contributing to the sustainability of Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice (IECPCP): A teaching resource manual

As we look toward sustainability of Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice (IECPCP), interprofessional education (IPE) is a key component(D’Amour & Oandasan, 2004; Royal College of Nursing, 2006). Building capacity toteach IPE is foundational to the sustainability process and thus producing an accessible,user-friendly teaching resource that catalogues the diverse resources available, is animportant tool to promote teaching of IPE at both the pre- and post- licensure levels. Thisreport describes the creation of a teaching resource manual (TRM) in the area of IECPCPthat was conducted as part of the development of a graduate studies course on IECPCP atthe University of Manitoba. The report focuses on the process undertaken to develop theteaching resource manual, presents the content areas covered, and explains how people mayuse the resource manual.A TRM, as defined by Scho¨nwetter and Taylor,(as cited in Scho¨nwetter, 2008), is ‘‘anannotated guide that lists essential resources for teaching from general teaching practices toinnovative teaching tips’’ (p. 4). Annotated bibliographies are commonly used by academicsand researchers, however, publishing of similar resources for teaching purposes is lesscommon (Scho¨nwetter, 2008). A review of 155 graduate courses taught to prepare studentsto teach in higher education found that very few of them required students to prepare anannotated bibliography or compile resources for teaching and those that included this type

De novo learning in creating a graduate studies course on Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice (IECPCP)

De novo, Latin for ‘‘starting from the beginning’’, epitomized the experience of an Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice (IECPCP) learning group at the University of Manitoba (UM), Canada, who undertook the creation of a graduate course on IECPCP – something from nothing. The course developers discovered their common interest in graduate studies in interprofessional education (IPE) through their involvement in the IECPCP UM projects funded by Health Canada in 2006. In pursuit of their doctoral studies and looking for a graduate course on IECPCP, they found such a course did not exist at the UM. This meant ‘‘starting from the beginning’’, but in lieu of just developing the course in IECPCP, the students also wanted to participate as learners in the course. The students were ‘‘taking the course’’ as well as developing it, thus the development stage and implementation stage occurred simultaneously; herein lays the de novo experience. A seminal learning outcome of the course was the development process with the course objective being ‘‘developing a graduate studies course on IECPCP’’. Initially (fall 2006), the working group of established, skilled and respected educators were confident the learning opportunity of course development would greatly support the sustainability of IECPCP at the UM. Recognizing they were ‘‘new’’ to graduate course development, the de novo learners secured a course coordinator, an education specialist to serve as a mentor. Central to the course coordinator’s job description was joining the group as an active learner, rather than solely as the content expert. All course participants saw the

Type A behavior and alcohol consumption: Effects on resting and post-exercise bleeding time thromboxane and prostacyclin metabolites

The vasoactive eicosanoids, prostacyclin and thromboxane, are thought to play an important role in the genesis of cardiovascular disease. Since an altered basal production of these eicosanoids among individuals exhibiting the Type A behavior pattern had previously been observed by the authors, the present study evaluated the extent to which the TABP-eicosanoid relationship would be altered by two lifestyle variables known to affect platelet activity: alcohol consumption and stressful physical activity. 55 male participants aged 18-25 years, participated in the study. They were classified as either Type A or Type B on the basis of the Structured Interview and as either moderate, heavy, or abstinent alcohol drinkers. Bleeding times were performed and bleeding time thromboxane and prostacyclin metabolites were measured in all subjects both before and following treadmill exercise. The results indicated that following exercise, Type A participants, who reported moderate alcohol intake, had decreased levels of thromboxane B2 formation relative to Type As reporting heavy consumption. Further, prostacyclin production, measured as the primary metabolite, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, was significantly suppressed following exercise among drinkers as compared with participants reporting abstinence. These results were discussed in relation to the proposition that moderate alcohol consumption reduces coronary heart disease risk.