Influence of the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic on learning preferences and perspectives of generation Y and Z students in dental education
Vuvi H. Nguyen, Tulsi Patel
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: For the first time in history, the COVID-19 pandemic required students at The University of Texas School of Dentistry (UTSD) to move to remote education. Based on a literature review, it was assumed that younger generations of students would prefer virtual teaching models over in-classroom formats. The purpose of this study is to assess students' perspectives of remote learning during COVID-19 in dental education relative to their generation and programme. METHODS: An electronic survey was administered to all UTSD dental and dental hygiene students via Qualtrics. The survey collected information on demographics, pre-pandemic learning preferences, remote learning experiences during the pandemic, and a free response section. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used to analyse data. RESULTS: The survey received a 60% response rate (n = 290). Over 95% of respondents belonged to Generations Y and Z. There were no significant differences in responses between generations. However, significant differences in responses between programmes arose with more dental hygiene students agreed that they liked learning in a classroom setting compared to dental students (p < 0.01). Significantly more dental students agreed that they stayed organized, were less stressed, and felt that the transition to online learning was easy compared to dental hygiene students (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Although the majority of students surveyed belong to Generations Y and Z, there are still preferences for traditional, in-person learning. Both cohorts recognized the benefits and challenges of distance learning, and the findings from this study shed light on how students are handling remote learning in dental education.