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Exploring the consistency, transparency and portability of dental technology education: benchmarking across Norway, Ireland and Australia
Author(s) -
Myhrer T.,
Evans J. L.,
Haugen H. K.,
Gorman C.,
Kavanagh Y.,
Cameron A. B.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1600-0579
pISSN - 1396-5883
DOI - 10.1111/eje.12160
Subject(s) - software portability , benchmarking , transparency (behavior) , consistency (knowledge bases) , curriculum , medical education , medicine , public relations , political science , psychology , pedagogy , business , computer science , marketing , artificial intelligence , programming language , law
Dental technology programmes of study must prepare students to practice in a broad range of contemporary workplaces. Currently, there is limited evidence to benchmark dental technology education – locally, nationally or internationally. This research aims to improve consistency, transparency and portability of dental technology qualifications across three countries. Data were accessed from open‐source curriculum documents and five calibrated assessment items. Three institutions collaborated with Oslo and Akershus University College, Norway; Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; and Griffith University, Australia. From these, 29–44 students completed 174 assessments. The curricula reflect the community needs of each country and display common themes that underpin professional dental technology practice. Assessment results differed between institutions but no more than a normal distribution. Face‐to‐face assessment moderation was critical to achieve consistency. This collaborative research has led to the development of a set of guidelines for other dental technology education providers interested in developing or aligning courses internationally to enhance the portability of qualifications.