Nancy Young and Lorinda L. Coan, School of Dentistry
Principal Investigator: Nancy Young, Associate Professor, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Health Programs, School of Dentistry
Co-principal Investigator: Lorinda L. Coan, Clinical Assistant Professor and Interim Director, Indiana University School of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Program
Project Title: Development of an Online Bachelor Degree Completion Program in Dental Hygiene
Funding Level: $10,000
Abstract:
The BS degree completion program in Public Health Dental Hygiene is a professional program available to licensed dental hygienists who have completed an Associate degree in Dental Hygiene and wish to complete the bachelor’s degree. It is currently offered as a part-time program requiring completion of 20 credit hours of core coursework, plus focused electives to attain a minimum 120 credit hours. In the current format students must attend face-to-face courses at the School of Dentistry, causing interference with students’ work schedules and limiting enrollment to those students who can commute. By converting the didactic pedagogy of all the core courses to an online format, this program could be made more widely available to students anywhere in Indiana or outside the state, thus having the potential to allow access to a significantly larger population of professional Dental Hygienists. Course Directors for the required core courses will be engaged in faculty development to assist them in re-designing the core courses so that didactic material can be offered on-line and practical experiences (e.g. community-based projects, research projects, and student teaching experiences) can be conducted in local communities near where students live and work, thus making attainment of this professional degree more compatible with home and work schedules. Course design and assessment will be developed that promote active learning methodologies including problem-based learning, case-based learning, evidence-based learning, team development and peer collaboration. Assessment of student learning outcomes and course and program assessment will also include use of the IUPUI e-portfolio platform.