The Role of Instagram on Dental Education

OpenAlex English

Objective: Technological developments affect educational processes, learning methods, and learning environments. Dentistry education should be adapted parallel with technological developments for students whose learning habits change with the increasing using of social media and mobile phones. This study aims to compare the efficacy of the mobile-based education method (Instagram application) and the traditional classroom education method. Material and Methods: The study was conducted with 42 volunteer students who had not taken general and oral pathology courses yet. Students (n:21) in the control group took radiological features of the odontogenic and non-odontogenic cysts and odontogenic tumors course by the classroom learning method. The study group (n:21) followed the same lessons' images on the newly opened @beuradyoloji Instagram account. Both groups were trained for 1 hour a week for 4 weeks. The knowledge test was held 15 days after the end of the courses to all students. Paired sample t-test was performed to investigate differences between the mean knowledge test scores of the groups. Results: The examination average for the study group was 71.97±9.3 and the control group was 68.33±8.39. Paired sample t-test showed no significant difference between the study and control groups in knowledge scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: The current study is the first that investigates the effect of the mobile-based education method on radiological features of the specific cysts and tumors. The study carried out on a limited number of students, shows that the value of mobile-based education has almost the same effectiveness to classroom education.