Undergraduate curriculum and e-course on Evidence-Based Dentistry Erasmus Project

Project Title

Undergraduate curriculum and e-course on Evidence-Based Dentistry

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

Harmonizing dental education and mutual recognition of dental degrees has always been on the agenda of dental associations since the EEC Directives in 1978. Besides the increase in the numbers of dental schools and students, new tools introduced to health care necessitate integrating the crucial subjects and tools to undergraduate dental education to promote convergence. Besides the convergence issue, bringing in the culture of updating knowledge by the use of ICT, at the same time by improving searching, finding and appraising skills is another necessity for improving quality of dental education. However, exponential rise in scientific information coming from research findings, advances in dental materials, technology and treatments presents a big challenge for dentists in making clinical decision for the treatment of an individual patient. The apparent need to take an action in those issues constituted background of this project.
Evidence based dentistry (EBD) is the practice of dentistry that integrates the best available scientific evidence with clinical experience and patient preference in making clinical decisions. This approach provides efficient and cost-effective patient care by improving quality and reducing variations. Teaching EBD in undergraduate dental education is crucial for students to acquire its skills earlier in professional life that can be continued for lifelong self-directed learning. The objective of this project was to analyze the current situation of EBD teaching in partner countries, to develop a joint curriculum and a need‐targeted e-course for teaching, learning and training EBD.
To reach this objective, 5 dental schools of universities from Turkey, Belgium, Norway, France and Netherlands with key persons all experienced in dental education and especially in the subject of EBD took part in project. The main activities to reach the project objectives included completion of shared tasks determined for each intellectual output in a timely manner, transnational project meetings, monitoring, evaluation, dissemination and reporting.
As presented in the proposal, we produced a joint evidence based dentistry curriculum together with learning outcomes and assessment tools ready to integrate to dental curriculum. We also produced an e-course readily available in an open source allowing free access to the target group. It is a high quality, relevant learning material for dental students, teachers, practitioners and institutions with no cost.
Project activities provided a medium of transnational cooperation by combining skills, experiences, knowledge and exchange for good practices with an impact on modernization and convergence of undergraduate dental education. The dissemination activities produced awareness on evidence based dentistry concept with an impact on enhancing patient safety on patients’ side and reducing malpractice on the dentists’ side.
Long-term availability of intellectual outputs to wide audience without any cost and the large impact on dental schools, dentists, teachers, students and policy makers are the longer-term benefits of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 133284 Eur

Project Coordinator

GAZI UNIVERSITESI & Country: TR

Project Partners

• STICHTING KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
• UNIVERSITE PARIS DIDEROT – PARIS 7
• UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE