Application of Social Media as a Supporting Tool in the Teaching and Learning Process of Dentistry Students

NCT ID: NCT07184359

Last Updated: 2025-12-03

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

90 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-14

Study Completion Date

2026-01-20

Brief Summary

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This study aims to explore dental students' perceptions of the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in supporting the teaching and learning process, particularly within the university setting. It seeks to identify gaps at the interface between information gathering, education, and ICT, providing valuable insights into students' awareness and acceptance of the content they access. The findings are expected to contribute to optimizing the use of ICT as an educational support tool, strengthening the curriculum, and preparing future dentists to better understand the interaction between ICT and teaching. Ultimately, this will help foster a generation of more qualified professionals.

Detailed Description

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The sample will consist of 90 undergraduate students from the School of Dentistry at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), aged 18 years or older, who are regularly enrolled in the Dental Radiology course.

Recruitment will take place during the course sessions, through announcements made by the course instructors. The research team will only have access to participants' data after the student voluntarily makes contact and provides their information. All students who express interest and meet the inclusion criteria will be enrolled as volunteers.

Participants will be fully informed about the objectives and procedures of the study and will sign the Informed Consent Form (ICF). Each volunteer will receive a confidential identification number, which will be linked to their responses and will allow the exclusion of their data should they choose to withdraw from the study. Withdrawal may occur at any time, without any harm or disadvantage. In case of withdrawal, the participant need only notify the principal investigator, and their data will be excluded, ensuring the anonymity of all volunteers.

The results will not be presented individually, but only in aggregate form, without any identification of participants. All data collected will be accessible only to the principal investigator and the research team.

After signing the ICF, participants will be randomly allocated, by drawing lots, into three experimental groups:

Traditional Learning Group (n = 30): students undergoing the teaching-learning process without complementary content on social media; Passive Social Media Supplement Group (n = 30): students undergoing the teaching-learning process with complementary content on social media, consumed passively; Active Social Media Engagement Group (n = 30): students undergoing the teaching-learning process with complementary content through the production of audiovisual material, later shared on social media, representing active consumption.

The social media platform used will be the one identified as most frequently accessed by the students in a prior survey. The complementary digital material will cover topics from the Dental Radiology curriculum, including: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

The content for G2 will be developed by students from G3, under the supervision of the course instructor and research team member (KLD). For G3, the materials will be produced and posted by the students themselves, after faculty review.

At the end of the activities, students' performance will be assessed through the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), composed of five stations simulating clinical situations, with predetermined criteria and timing for each task. The competencies to be assessed will include: a) radiographic techniques; b) dental numbering notation; c) radiographic anatomy; d) radiographic interpretation of caries/restorations; and e) radiographic periodontal diagnosis.

At no stage will individual results be disclosed to other students or to anyone outside the research team. All data will remain restricted to the principal investigator and the research team and will be presented only in aggregate and anonymized form.

Conditions

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Social Media Dental Education and Teaching Learning Processes

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Traditional Learning Group

Teaching-learning process carried out without the inclusion of supplementary content on social media platforms.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Traditional Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will have access to the conventional teaching-learning process (lecture-based classes). These theoretical classes will be delivered as part of the Dental Radiology course. During the semester, the topics covered will include intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Passive Social Media Supplement Group

Teaching-learning process supplemented with content passively accessed through social media.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Traditional Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will have access to the conventional teaching-learning process (lecture-based classes). These theoretical classes will be delivered as part of the Dental Radiology course. During the semester, the topics covered will include intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Passive Social Media

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The second group (Passive Social Media Supplement Group) will participate in the conventional teaching-learning process, supplemented by the passive consumption of educational content on social media, produced by the third group. The materials consumed will include the following content: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Active Social Media Engagement Group

Teaching-learning process supplemented with content actively produced and shared through social media.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Traditional Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will have access to the conventional teaching-learning process (lecture-based classes). These theoretical classes will be delivered as part of the Dental Radiology course. During the semester, the topics covered will include intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Passive Social Media

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The second group (Passive Social Media Supplement Group) will participate in the conventional teaching-learning process, supplemented by the passive consumption of educational content on social media, produced by the third group. The materials consumed will include the following content: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Active Social Media

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The third group (Active Social Media Engagement Group) will participate in the conventional teaching-learning process, supplemented by the creation of educational audiovisual materials, which will subsequently be shared on social media and accessed both by their own group and by the second group. The materials will cover the following topics: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Interventions

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Traditional Learning

All participants will have access to the conventional teaching-learning process (lecture-based classes). These theoretical classes will be delivered as part of the Dental Radiology course. During the semester, the topics covered will include intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Passive Social Media

The second group (Passive Social Media Supplement Group) will participate in the conventional teaching-learning process, supplemented by the passive consumption of educational content on social media, produced by the third group. The materials consumed will include the following content: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Active Social Media

The third group (Active Social Media Engagement Group) will participate in the conventional teaching-learning process, supplemented by the creation of educational audiovisual materials, which will subsequently be shared on social media and accessed both by their own group and by the second group. The materials will cover the following topics: intraoral radiographic techniques, radiographic processing, intraoral radiographic anatomy, and dental and periodontal alterations and lesions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Students aged 18 years or older, of any gender.
* Regular enrollment in the Dental Radiology course at the School of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora campus.
* Voluntary agreement to participate in the study, confirmed by signing the Informed Consent Form.

Exclusion Criteria

* Students who report audiovisual discomfort when using smartphones or computers.
* Individuals who are not users of social media.
* Lack of internet access.
* Presence of medical or psychological contraindications to the use of electronic devices.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Karina Lopes Devito

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Karina Lopes Devito

PhD

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Federal University of Juiz de Fora

Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Site Status

Countries

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Brazil

References

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Stellefson M, Paige SR, Chaney BH, Chaney JD. Evolving Role of Social Media in Health Promotion: Updated Responsibilities for Health Education Specialists. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 12;17(4):1153. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041153.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32059561 (View on PubMed)

Soltanimehr E, Bahrampour E, Imani MM, Rahimi F, Almasi B, Moattari M. Effect of virtual versus traditional education on theoretical knowledge and reporting skills of dental students in radiographic interpretation of bony lesions of the jaw. BMC Med Educ. 2019 Jun 25;19(1):233. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1649-0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31238927 (View on PubMed)

Rajeh MT, Sembawa SN, Nassar AA, Al Hebshi SA, Aboalshamat KT, Badri MK. Social media as a learning tool: Dental students' perspectives. J Dent Educ. 2021 Apr;85(4):513-520. doi: 10.1002/jdd.12478. Epub 2020 Nov 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33219515 (View on PubMed)

Neiva GF, Hasslen JA, Bompolaki D, Pugach-Gordon M, Wright W, Kumar SS. Social media in dental education: The need for institutional policies and content regulation. J Dent Educ. 2023 Oct;87(10):1476-1480. doi: 10.1002/jdd.13310. Epub 2023 Jul 7. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37419870 (View on PubMed)

McAndrew M, Johnston AE. The role of social media in dental education. J Dent Educ. 2012 Nov;76(11):1474-81.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23144483 (View on PubMed)

Latif MZ, Hussain I, Saeed R, Qureshi MA, Maqsood U. Use of Smart Phones and Social Media in Medical Education: Trends, Advantages, Challenges and Barriers. Acta Inform Med. 2019 Jun;27(2):133-138. doi: 10.5455/aim.2019.27.133-138.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31452573 (View on PubMed)

Kumar V, Gadbury-Amyot CC. Predoctoral Curricular Revision for Dental Radiographic Interpretation Competence Based on OSCE Results. J Dent Educ. 2019 Oct;83(10):1233-1239. doi: 10.21815/JDE.019.112. Epub 2019 Jun 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31182621 (View on PubMed)

Kenny P, Johnson IG. Social media use, attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of online professionalism amongst dental students. Br Dent J. 2016 Nov 18;221(10):651-655. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27857111 (View on PubMed)

Kalantari M, Zadeh NL, Agahi RH, Navabi N, Hashemipour MA, Nassab AHG. Measurement of the levels anxiety, self-perception of preparation and expectations for success using an objective structured clinical examination, a written examination, and a preclinical preparation test in Kerman dental students. J Educ Health Promot. 2017 May 5;6:28. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_97_15. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28584828 (View on PubMed)

Harden RM, Stevenson M, Downie WW, Wilson GM. Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination. Br Med J. 1975 Feb 22;1(5955):447-51. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5955.447.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1115966 (View on PubMed)

Graham R, Zubiaurre Bitzer LA, Mensah FM, Anderson OR. Dental student perceptions of the educational value of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary OSCE. J Dent Educ. 2014 May;78(5):694-702.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24789829 (View on PubMed)

Dias da Silva MA, Pereira AC, Walmsley AD. Who is providing dental education content via YouTube? Br Dent J. 2019 Mar;226(6):437-440. doi: 10.1038/s41415-019-0046-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30903071 (View on PubMed)

Chan TM, Dzara K, Dimeo SP, Bhalerao A, Maggio LA. Social media in knowledge translation and education for physicians and trainees: a scoping review. Perspect Med Educ. 2020 Feb;9(1):20-30. doi: 10.1007/s40037-019-00542-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31834598 (View on PubMed)

Arnett MR, Christensen HL, Nelson BA. A school-wide assessment of social media usage by students in a US dental school. Br Dent J. 2014 Nov;217(9):531-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2014.956.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25377826 (View on PubMed)

Almomani EY, Qablan AM, Atrooz FY, Almomany AM, Hajjo RM, Almomani HY. The Influence of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Quarantine Practices on University Students' Beliefs About the Online Learning Experience in Jordan. Front Public Health. 2021 Jan 13;8:595874. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.595874. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33520916 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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CAAE: 74616923.5.0000.5147

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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