Abstract

During any course of study, students are assessed usually through a range of methods which may include written examinations, coursework assignments, professional practice, oral tests and practical examinations. This article considers the various forms of assessment in dental education and how information and communication technology is being applied to them. As innovative teaching and learning methods such as computer simulations are introduced, the assessment of results, successes and failures is taking on new forms in many traditional courses. The web is also spreading its tentacles into assessment, with the benefits of offering almost instant feedback and support. However, technology brings its own problems, not least by making ever more ingenious methods of plagiarism easier. Educational establishments, therefore, must be aware of such problems and have policies in place to counteract them.

1. Emerita Professor of ICT in Education, Department of Education and Professional Studies, School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London/Senior Research Fellow, King's College London Dental Institute, Floor 3, Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London, WC2 1HH
2. Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Dental Informatics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA
3. Professor and Director of Dental Informatics, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
4. Visiting Professor, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC2 1HH/Honorary Professor, University of Kent
5. Professor of Dental Education, Centre for Flexible Learning in Dentistry, King's College Dental Institute, Floor 3, Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London, WC2 1HH

Correspondence to: P. A. Reynolds⁵ e-mail: P.A.Reynolds@kcl.ac.uk