The Rationale for and Implementation of Learner–Centered Education: Experiences at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California

Abstract

This report describes the design, implementation, and function of integrated, learner-centered education at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California. The 190 required courses of the previous curriculum have been condensed to forty-four courses. Four courses, presented for each of eleven trimesters of the four-year D.D.S. program, are entitled Human Structure, Human Function, Human Behavior, and Human Clinical Dentistry. An integrated biomedical sciences curriculum is supported by small-group, facilitator-based, problem-based learning (PBL) and an electronic PBL case library. Modules, rotations, and preclinical and clinical sessions make up remaining instructional units of the curriculum. Selected assessment outcomes measuring student knowledge, behavior, and skill development are discussed. As an external measure, first-attempt pass rates on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I show a range of 87-96 percent over a ten-year period (for Classes 2005-14). First-attempt pass rates on the NBDE Part II for Classes 2005-12 ranged from 74 percent to 93 percent. Perceived barriers and opportunities for better performance on the NBDE Part II are addressed. Additionally, an exit survey, administered over the past four years, indicates a high level of student satisfaction with "depth and breadth" of their education (82-93 percent) and that graduates feel well prepared to enter the practice of dentistry (94-97 percent).