McMillan D, Hung M, Vu T, Dang P, Kritz-Silverstein D. Student engagement and comprehension using tactile and virtual learning. J Dent Educ 2023; DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13181. Online ahead of print.

Results suggest that for dental students, learning activities involving handling physical teeth may produce greater comprehension than viewing virtual images of teeth on a screen.

Dental students' levels of engagement and comprehension were assessed using tactile learning (with physical teeth) versus virtual learning (using computer images) in a dental histology course. One hundred first-year dental students were randomly divided into 20 teams of 5. Half were given physical tooth models while the other half access to virtual images of tooth models, which was then switched. Groups completed the same learning exercise and formative assessment. A survey assessed students' learning preferences and attitudes. There were no differences by group assignment in both formative assessment scores and learning preferences. For all students, comprehension of material was significantly higher in the tactile condition, but there was no difference in engagement. Students who preferred learning with physical tooth models had higher engagement compared to those who preferred virtual tooth models, and significantly more positive attitudes toward physical tooth models.