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Digital storytelling as a reflection tool to enhance service learning for dental students
An effective service-learning experience promises to better prepare future health care providers to understand the needs of the community, engage effectively with a diverse population and offer innovative solutions to the health care and policy needs. Digital storytelling is an innovative and effective reflection tool that can be used to enhance service learning pedagogy.
Methods:
As part of their curriculum, dental students at UCSF engage in a Community Clinics Externship Program-PCC148 course, through which they rotate through the community clinics and work with underserved populations. Digital storytelling was used as a method of reflection in addition to a traditional reflective essay. A survey study was done to evaluate the students’ perspective comparing these two methods of reflection and evaluate the effectiveness of digital storytelling in improving service learning and public heath competencies.
Results:
Digital storytelling was a preferred approach of reflection for dental students. It provided a platform for deeper learning around dental needs of the community, understanding of the function of Federally Qualified Health Centers and integration of students’ clinical and professional educational goals.
Conclusion:
The use of digital storytelling offers a creative platform that can motivate students to develop deeper learning, especially around public health observations and further develop their professional competencies as future dentists.
Learning Areas:
Communication and informaticsDiversity and culture
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Define the elements of planning and implementing a digital storytelling process to enhance service learning
Discuss how digital storytelling have enhanced service learning experience of dental students in their community dental education
Compare Digital Storytelling with a traditional reflective essay method in its role in community dental education and public health
Keyword(s): Oral Health, Workforce Development
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the course director for Community Dental Externship course at UCSF School of Dentistry for the last 2 1/2 years and have been incorporating Digital Storytelling into students' educational experience. Among my research interests has been dental public health and community based education.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.