What Is the Educational Value of a Student-Led Conference in Dental Education?

Abstract

Student-led conferences are a type of inquiry learning and student-led pedagogy. They have the potential to foster learning across many of the domains required for professional dental practice including communication and interpersonal skills, adaptive capability, professional attitude and ethical judgment, entrepreneurship, and a social and community orientation. A student-led conference, which provided a framework for students studying oral biosciences to create and host a conference focused on contemporary issues in oral biosciences, was introduced into the Bachelor of Oral Health program at the University of Sydney in Australia in 2017 and 2018. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the educational purposes that the student-led conference satisfied. Data were collected from the 2017 cohort of students in the form of reflective essays. In 2018, students' experience of the conference was recorded from a focus group discussion. In both years, reflective accounts written by attendees were collected. The thematic analysis generated four themes: integration of learning, personal learning, student resourcefulness through peer relationships, and deep commitment to delivering an excellent conference. The learning project served as a platform for students to display their professionalism and skills gained in entrepreneurship, communication, and adaptive capability. This study provided an example of a participatory curriculum approach with the potential to help students generate a working understanding of knowledge structures and how knowledge is created and circulates in the discipline.