In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education has become a promising tool for enhancing learning experiences. In the realm of dental education, AI offers unprecedented opportunities to revolutionise content creation, making it more interactive, personalised, and efficient. This article explores the innovative work being undertaken by Ben Audsley in the Institute of Dentistry (FMD), to adapt traditional teaching methods in dental occlusion to the digital age, using AI-powered eLearning platforms.
The need to update outdated lecture materials sparked the initiative to transform traditional occlusion lectures into modern eLearning packages. A key focus was on creating an engaging, interactive platform for students, especially in areas where traditional resources were becoming less accessible. Initially, efforts centred on utilising old lecture capture recordings. The idea was to modernise these lectures by converting them into digital eLearning modules with added voiceovers and interactive elements.
In one example, Ben used some lecture slides and the corresponding lecture capture recording to transform the content into an interactive package that students could access at their convenience. He did this using Articulate Storyline. The package demonstrated the potential of eLearning in making dental education more dynamic and accessible.
This process led Ben to a pivotal question: could AI be used to create content for dental education? If so, would the generated material be accurate and useful? To explore this, an entirely AI-created occlusion eLearning package was developed for second-year BDS students, again using Articulate Storyline. This package included over 110 slides, multiple-choice questions, video links, and audio voiceovers, all generated by various AI tools.
The course, accessible online, serves as a comprehensive resource that covers essential topics in dental occlusion, with features designed to engage students (through the added quizzes and interactive content). The AI tools used in the project included Google Gemini, ChatGPT 3.5, Microsoft CoPilot, and Poe. Each tool contributed to different aspects of the content creation process, from generating reading lists to developing voiceovers.
While the AI-generated course is a groundbreaking step in dental education, it raises important concerns about the accuracy and validity of AI-created content. As Ben pointed out, "AI lies", meaning that while AI can produce content rapidly, it is not always reliable. The next step in the process is for subject matter experts to review the AI-generated course to verify the accuracy and relevance of the material.
This highlights a key point: AI can be a valuable tool in creating learning materials, but human intervention is crucial. Educators must ensure that the content produced is scientifically sound and pedagogically appropriate. This review process is essential to maintaining the quality of education while leveraging the efficiencies AI can provide.
Despite the challenges, the potential benefits of using AI in dental education are significant. One promising application is the use of AI to create MCQs and quizzes. AI can generate not only the questions but also the answers, distractors, and possible feedback, significantly reducing the time required for educators to create assessments from scratch. This would allow tutors to focus on reviewing and fine-tuning content rather than starting from the ground up.
In conclusion, the integration of AI into dental education presents exciting opportunities for creating engaging and interactive learning materials. However, it is important to balance the efficiency of AI with the need for expert validation to ensure the quality and accuracy of the content. The ongoing exploration of AI's capabilities in content creation could pave the way for more innovative and effective approaches to teaching in the future.
Once the evaluation of this AI-driven eLearning package is completed by subject matter experts, a case study will be produced. This case study will cover the background, methodologies, outcomes, and conclusions of AI in dental education, offering valuable guidance for educators exploring AI-driven learning solutions.
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