Introduction: New teaching techniques are emerging with increasing use of computer and advancement of technology. There is a dilemma in the minds of senior teachers whether to totally abandon traditional method of “talk and chalk” and use power point method for lecture delivery. It is important to know the students’ perception regarding their preference of the teaching method to help them to learn and score better.Methods: The opinion of first year dental students was sought in the classroom after one month of teaching physiology by different teachers using talk and chalk or power point method. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the opinion of 400 students over the period of 8 years.Results: Majority (95%) students preferred the lecture by conventional “Talk and chalk” method over the power point presentation. About 15% were of the opinion that the teaching should be by conventional lecture by “talk and chalk” but diagrams should be shown by power point slides.Conclusion: The present study shows that for effective learning and teaching the conventional method of talk and chalk lectures should be combined wherever necessary with newer techniques like power point presentations

Kumar, Neeta

Sharma, Anita

English

Advanced Research Publications: Medical Journals

Research ArticleCopyright (c) 2018 International Journal of Healthcare Education & Medical Informatics (ISSN: 2455-9199)International Journal of Healthcare Education & Medical InformaticsVolume 5, Issue 3 - 2018, Pg. No. 11-15Peer Reviewed & Open Access JournalAbstractIntroduction: New teaching techniques are emerging with increasing use of computer and advancement of technology. There is a dilemma in the minds of senior teachers whether to totally abandon traditional method of “talk and chalk” and use power point method for lecture delivery. It is important to know the students’ perception regarding their preference of the teaching method to help them to learn and score better. Methods: The opinion of first year dental students was sought in the classroom after one month of teaching physiology by different teachers using talk and chalk or power point method. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the opinion of 400 students over the period of 8 years. Results: Majority (95%) students preferred the lecture by conventional “Talk and chalk” method over the power point presentation. About 15% were of the opinion that the teaching should be by conventional lecture by “talk and chalk” but diagrams should be shown by power point slides. Conclusion: The present study shows that for effective learning and teaching the conventional method of talk and chalk lectures should be combined wherever necessary with newer techniques like power point presentations.Keywords: Dental students, Dentistry, Power point, Teaching methods, Talk and chalkImportance of Talk and Chalk Method of Teaching: Dental Students’ view in           Preclinical YearsAnita Sharma1, Neeta Kumar21Department of Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.2Department of Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9199.201812IntroductionThis is the era when a lot of new teaching aids and techniques have emerged for example, overhead transparencies, power-point presentation etc. to take didactic lectures. Most of the students are now exposed to these new techniques. Few teachers adhere to the old method of teaching that is ‘Talk and Chalk’ - where the teacher delivers the lecture by talking and explaining on the board with a chalk. The conventional black board is now replaced by a white board where chalk is replaced by marker pens.Many researchers recommend power point presentation as a method of taking undergraduate lectures.1 Some have emphasized the importance of traditional Talk and chalk method.2, 3 So the question arises as to which method is better -the traditional Talk and chalk or the newer methods of teaching.The authors of this paper, being teachers for more than three decades, have been teaching medical and dental students in India using both these methods of teaching over the years. But somehow being a student as well as a teacher in this era of different ways of teaching, we have always felt the importance of a good Talk and chalk lecture. To the best of our knowledge little data in literature on healthcare education is available on this issue, hence we decided to take up this study.4-6 Corresponding Author: Dr. Neeta Kumar, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.E-mail Id: kumar_neeta@hotmail.comOrcid Id: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3199-9780How to cite this article: Sharma A, Kumar N. Importance of Talk and Chalk Method of Teaching: Dental Students’ view in Preclinical Years Int J HealthCare Edu & Med Inform 2018; 5(3): 11-15.ISSN: 2455-9199 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9199.201812Sharma A et al. Int. J. HealthCare Edu. & Med. Inform. 2018; 5(3) 12Materials and MethodsThis study was (8 years, 2009-2017) done in a dental college in Delhi, India. In this college, a new batch of fifty students join the first year of Bachelor of Dentistry (BDS) course every year. In the first year, which is a pre-clinical teaching year, the students have to study subjects like Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and Dental anatomy and histology. Different methods (Talk and chalk, power-point presentation) are used in different subjects so the students have exposure to both methods. Physiology is also taught by different teachers by these two methods.A questionnaire was developed by the first author to know the students view point on the different teaching methods i.e. which method of teaching they preferred and why for different subjects especially Physiology. This was pilot tested on 10 students and revised. All the batches of first year dental students over eight years (from 2009 to 2017) were asked the questions using the pretested questionnaire and their verbal responses were recorded by the teacher teaching physiology. Data of responses from these 400 students is presented here.ResultsOut of 400 students, 380 (95%) said they preferred the lecture by conventional “Talk and chalk” method over the power point presentation. The reasons given for their preference are shown in the table 1.Table 1.Summary of responses by the studentsS. No.Question Response (No of students) (%)No of students (%) Response: b1. Preferred the conventional lecture by “Talk and chalk”. 380 (95%) 20 (5%)2. Diagrams should be shown by drawing on board. 340 (85%) 60 (15%)3. Concepts become clearer by “Talk and Chalk”. 360 (90%) 40 (10%)4. Teachers take more time to explain the concept rather than changing the slides fast.368 (92%) 32 (8%)5. Easier to take down notes when taught by “Talk and chalk” method because power point slides are changed very fast.360 (90%) 40 (10%)6. Diagrams are easier to follow when drawn on board step by step. 280 (70%) 120 (30%)7. They connect better with the teacher during Talk and chalk lecture. 320 (80%) 80 (20%)8. Lectures should be taken by “chalk and talk”. 380 (95%) Response b: 20 (5%)Response c: 60 (15%)from U.K. were sent to Shanghai to study the class-room methods of teaching. These teachers reported that teacher directed method of teaching should not be abandoned.2 The current study has also shown that first year dental students definitely prefer to be taught different subjects including physiology by “Talk and chalk method” and not by power point presentation. A point to be noted here is that these students join dental college just after school and were not exposed to power point method of teaching. The power point presentations are too fast for their liking. They want to take down notes during the lecture which they are not able to when slides are changed so fast. In order to copy down the matter from the slides they are unable to concentrate on the content and hence their concepts of the subject do not become clear.We all know, the preclinical subjects especially Physiology are all about understanding concepts. Physiology being the basis of all medicine it becomes very essential to make the students understand the basic concepts. Hence, the method of teaching which serves this purpose should be adopted. As the students prefer the conventional “Talk and chalk” lectures, we should realize the importance of this method. This method should be used with of course the use of power point slides whenever required such as showing diagrams or conceptual figures. Meo SA and Meo SA et al. have further shown that the students taught by integrated method performed better.4,5Only 20 (5%) preferred power point presentation over “chalk and talk”. About 15% (60) were of the opinion that the teaching should be by conventional lecture by “talk and chalk” but diagrams should be shown by power point slides.DiscussionThe preferred method of teaching has been a topic of debate amongst many teachers of medical and dental colleges. Looking at success of students from China in different international tests like PISA, TIMSS etc. 70 teachers From our students’ point of view Talk and Chalk is the winner. Seth A et al.6 have compared perception of medical and dental students and found that dental students preferred the use of talk and chalk method. Although there is no evidence-based superiority of any lecture delivery method.6The traditional method of teaching though more cumbersome for the teachers should not be done with, it is here to stay. Definitely there are some disadvantages and limitations of the conventional Talk and chalk method. It is ISSN: 2455-9199 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9199.20181213Sharma A et al. Int. J. HealthCare Edu. & Med. Inform. 2018; 5(3)Points to be kept in mind by the teacher are as follows:• Teachers voice should be loud and clear • Teacher should create a relaxed environment during the lecture and try to give a personal touch to the lecture sessions• The first few minutes can be spent in finding out how their day has been, any difficulties they are facing in the subject or otherwise• Eye contact with students during the lecture is of paramount importance• Spellings should be emphasized upon as most of the medical words and terminologies are new for the fresh students and hence, they often mis-spell them. Moreover, some students may not be used to “English language” as the medium of instruction before joining the dental college• Short breaks should be taken during a lecture. One may stop for some humour or ask questions. Continuous long lectures can get boring and students’ interest in the lecture is lost• It’s not easy to concentrate well for more than 15- 20 minutes7• Students should be encouraged to ask questions and clear doubts if any, during the lecture. It is a known fact that student - teacher interaction is extremely important in creating a learning environment.8 Interactive lectures are more interesting and result in better learning8-10 • Practical examples from day to day life should be given to explain various concepts. It makes the lecture more interesting and easier to understand• Teacher should keep a plan and important points of the lecture handy to refer to, so that the lecture is more organized and no important point is missed• The application of various concepts to different clinical conditions should be explained very well. This makes the students take more interest in the subject and helps them understand diseases better. This approach certainly helps make better doctors• The last and most important point is to discuss good human values and medical ethics with the students every now and then. This goes a long way in producing doctors with a human touch• One added advantage of Talk and chalk lecture is that it is not dependent on electricity or any equipment’s. So, power failure or failure of equipment cannot ruin the lecture.Table 2.Advantages and disadvantages of Chalk and talk method above other methodsS. No.Chalk and Talk method Other methods (Power point)Advantages Disadvantages1. It is not dependent on electricity or any equipments. So power failure or failure of equipment can not ruin the lecturePower failure ruins the lecture.Requires computer and projector which adds to the cost2. First year students more familiar with this traditional method so better acceptabilityStudents just come from school. Not very familiar3. Concepts become clearer by “ Talk and Chalk”  as teacher takes more time to explainTeacher has tendency to change the slides fast and may not take time to explain 4. Easier to take down notes when taught by “Talk and chalk” method because teacher goes slowPower point slides are changed very fast and teacher discourages notes taking5. Diagrams are easier to follow when drawn on board step by stepReady made diagram does not give enough time to the students to follow each step6. They connect better with the teacher during Talk and chalk lecture as eye contact is easier to maintainPace of lecture is fast and often teacher hidden behind the computer7. Two way flow of information easy as teacher can observe body language of the students and pace is slowThere is a one way flow of information. Often the teacher does the talking and students are passive listenersDisadvantages Advantages1. Topic may not be covered fully as pace often slowPlanned content can be finished in time2. Diagrams to draw during the lecture take away lot of timeReady made diagrams save timeusually a one-way flow of information. The teacher does the talking and students are passive listeners. One-hour lecture might get boring for the students. This method of teaching is usually slower than the power point presentation. A good teacher can overcome these limitations by bringing about some innovations in the conventional lecture (table 2). 3. Lecture can be boring if not made interactive and teacher faces blackboard all the timeTeacher faces students most of the time4. Students may not able be concentrate if short breaks are not taken during the lectureEasy to break monotony by using interesting picturesISSN: 2455-9199 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9199.201812Sharma A et al. Int. J. HealthCare Edu. & Med. Inform. 2018; 5(3) 14ConclusionThis study clearly shows that most first year BDS students prefer to be taught various subjects, especially physiology by the Talk and chalk method. A combination of this ‘old method’ of teaching and the newer techniques like power point presentations should be used for teaching. Newer techniques have their own usefulness but the dictum ‘ Old is gold ‘ stands true for the Talk and Chalk lectures of yesteryears. This fulfills the students’ expectations and their learning needs.Conflict of Interest: NoneReferences 1. Barua M, Patel L. Evaluation of different teaching methods used in physiology lectures. Indian Journal of Basic and Applied Medical Research 2014; 4(1): 271-6.2. ‘Chalk and talk’ teaching might be the best way after all. Available from: https://theconversation.com/chalk-and-talk-teaching-might-be-the-best-way-after-all-34478. Accessed on 26.09.2018.3. Gadicherla S, Babu RM. Comparison of blackboard and power-point presentation in teaching biochemistry for MBBS students. International Journal of Biomedical and Advance Research 2018; 9(1): 19-22.4. Meo SA. Power of the power-point and role of chalkboard. Med Teach 2008; 30(6): 640-1.5. Meo SA, Shahabuddin S, Al Masri AA et al. Comparison of the impact of power-point and chalkboard in undergraduate medical teaching: an evidence-based study. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan 2013; 23(1): 47-50.6. Seth V, Upadhyaya P, Ahmad M et al. Power-point or chalk and talk: Perceptions of medical students versus dental students in a medical college in India. Adv Med Educ Pract 2010; 1: 11-6.7. Nayak SB. The broken lecture: an innovative method of teaching. Adv Physiol Educ 2006; 30(1): 48.8. Gulpinar MA, Yegen BC. Interactive lecturing for meaningful learning in large groups. Med Teach 2005; 27(7): 590-4.9. Sharma A, Ahmad T. Role of intraclass interactive student tutorial in medical teaching. Journal of Medical Erudite 2015; 3(1): 49-54.10. Yakovleva NO, Yakovlev EV. Interactive teaching methods in contemporary higher education. Pacific Science Review 2014; 16(2): 75-80.Date of Submission: 2018-09-27Date of Acceptance: 2018-10-12ISSN: 2455-9199 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9199.20181215Sharma A et al. Int. J. HealthCare Edu. & Med. Inform. 2018; 5(3)Appendix 1: QuestionnaireWhich method of teaching do you prefer:• Chalk & talk• Power point presentationDiagrams should be shown by:• Drawing on board• By slidesYour concepts become clearer by which method of teaching:• Chalk & tal• Power point presentationTeachers spend more time explaining concepts by:• Chalk & talk• Power point presentationIt is easier to take down notes by:• Chalk & talk• Power point presentationDiagrams are easier to follow:• On board step by step• Power point presentationYou connect better with teacher during which method of teaching• Chalk & talk• Power point presentationHow should the lectures be taken:• Chalk & talk• Power point presentation• Chalk & talk but diagrams by slides

Importance of Talk and Chalk Method of Teaching: Dental Students’ view in Preclinical Years

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Importance of Talk and Chalk Method of Teaching: Dental Students’ view in Preclinical Years

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