Assessment of periodontal status and treatment needs of a disabled population using the CPITN

KIMThe Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) was used to assess the periodontal status of 213 handicapped persons attending seven institutions in Johannesburg. Fewer than 2% had healthy mouths, 8% had bleeding only, followed by calculus (46%), shallow pockets (40%) and deep pockets (4%). The mean number of sextants with bleeding or higher score was 5.9. Oral hygiene instruction was indicated for 98% and prophylaxis for 90% of the participants. The CPITN was easily used in the disabled population but may overestimate treatment need in view of the current understanding that periodontal disease does not automatically progress from a low CPITN level to the next. A more appropriate measure of treatment need in handicapped persons is require

Optimising cognitive load and usability to improve the impact of e-learning in medical education

CITATION: Davids, M. R., Halperin, M. L. & Chikte, U. M. E. 2015. Optimising cognitive load and usability to improve the impact of e-learning in medical education. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 7(2):147-152, doi:10.7196/AJHPE.569The original publication is available at http://www.ajhpe.org.zaE-learning has the potential to support the development of expertise in clinical reasoning by being able to provide students with interactive learning experiences, exposure to multiple cases, and opportunities for deliberate practice with tailored feedback. This review focuses on two important but underappreciated factors necessary for successful e-learning, i.e. the management of the learner’s cognitive load and the usability of the technology interface. Cognitive load theory views learning as involving active processing of information by working memory via separate visual and auditory channels. This system is of very limited capacity and any cognitive load that does not directly contribute to learning is considered extraneous and likely to impede learning. Researchers in cognitive load theory have provided evidence-based instructional design principles to reduce extraneous cognitive load and better manage the cognitive processing necessary for learning. Usability is a concept from the field of human-computer interaction which describes how easy technology interfaces are to use, and is routinely evaluated and optimised in the software development industry. This is seldom the case when e-learning resources are developed, especially in the area of medical education. Poor usability limits the potential benefit of educational resources, as learners experience difficulties with the technology interface while simultaneously dealing with the challenges of the content presented. Practitioners in the field of human-computer interaction have provided guidelines and methods for evaluating and optimising the usability of e-learning materials. The fields of cognitive load theory and human-computer interaction share a common goal in striving to reduce extraneous cognitive load. The load induced by poor usability of e-learning materials can be viewed as a specific component of extraneous cognitive load, adding to any load resulting from poor instructional design. The guidelines from these two fields are complementary and, if correctly implemented, may substantially improve the impact of our e-learning resources on the development of the clinical reasoning skills of students.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaarhttp://www.ajhpe.org.za/index.php/ajhpe/article/view/569sPublisher's versio

Association between dental and periodontal conditions with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional analysis of urban South Africans

Oral diseases are preventable causes of poor health outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Investigate the association between dental and periodontal conditions with kidney function and determine whether inflammation mediate the association between periodontitis and CKD. Cross-sectional analysis of 1551 South African adults of mixed ancestry. CKD was classified as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60mL/min/1.73m2. Oral profile was captured by decayed, missing, filled teeth index (DMFTi), bleeding on probing (BOP), pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and periodontitis classified as PD ≥4 mm.Overall, 6% had CKD, with 93% and 66% of participants with and without CKD, respectively having a high DMFTi (p<0.0001). Further, 84% (CKD) and 43% (without CKD) were edentulous (p<0.0001). A great proportion of the dentate sub-sample (n=846) had periodontitis, however, BOP, PD ≥4mm and CAL ≥4mm were similar between the groups. DMFTi was associated with eGFR and prevalent CKD (p<0.023), with this association driven by the Missing component. Periodontitis was not associated with eGFR nor CKD (p>0.282). In routine care of people with CKD, attention should be given to oral health

Optimising cognitive load and usability to improve the impact of elearning in medical education

E-learning has the potential to support the development of expertise in clinical reasoning by being able to provide students with interactive learning experiences, exposure to multiple cases, and opportunities for deliberate practice with tailored feedback. This review focuses on two important but underappreciated factors necessary for successful e-learning, i.e. the management of the learner’s cognitive load and the usability of the technology interface. Cognitive load theory views learning as involving active processing of information by working memory via separate visual and auditory channels. This system is of very limited capacity and any cognitive load that does not directly contribute to learning is considered extraneous and likely to impede learning. Researchers in cognitive load theory have provided evidence-based instructional design principles to reduce extraneous cognitive load and better manage the cognitive processing necessary for learning. Usability is a concept from the field of human-computer interaction which describes how easy technology interfaces are to use, and is routinely evaluated and optimised in the software development industry. This is seldom the case when e-learning resources are developed, especially in the area of medical education. Poor usability limits the potential benefit of educational resources, as learners experience difficulties with the technology interface while simultaneously dealing with the challenges of the content presented. Practitioners in the field of human-computer interaction have provided guidelines and methods for evaluating and optimising the usability of e-learning materials. The fields of cognitive load theory and human-computer interaction share a common goal in striving to reduce extraneous cognitive load. The load induced by poor usability of e-learning materials can be viewed as a specific component of extraneous cognitive load, adding to any load resulting from poor instructional design. The guidelines from these two fields are complementary and, if correctly implemented, may substantially improve the impact of our e-learning resources on the development of the clinical reasoning skills of students

Exploration of supervisor and student experiences during master’s studies in a health science faculty

CITATION: Chikte, U.M.E. & Chabilall, J.A. 2016. Exploration of supervisor and student experiences during master’s studies in a health science faculty. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(1): 57-79, doi: 10.20853/30-1-559.The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.zaSignificant growth in postgraduate student numbers with seemingly little change in staff composition and supervision capacity have prompted the need for research into the experiences of supervisors in a diverse interdisciplinary health sciences department. This article contends that supervision strategies form an important facet of institutional knowledge sharing in an interdisciplinary context especially in developing the capacity of postgraduate students to apply competencies later within the macro society in a sustainable manner. The article addresses one of the research questions of a larger study: What are the experiences of supervisors during the supervisory process of master’s students in a Health Science Faculty? Supervisors were of the view that they were committed to their supervision duties. Their multiple roles meant that they had to be encouraging, understanding, empathetic, set boundaries, be supportive while they act as guides and mentors who are expected to provide timeous and continuing feedback. To provide a comprehensive appreciation of the study, the article also presents significant findings from the qualitative component pertaining to student-views of the supervision process. Recommendations relate to the workload of supervisors, faculty development and greater access to resources including funding that would generally influence postgraduate supervision.http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/view/559Publisher's versionAuthors retain copyrigh