title: Reflective learning in community-based dental education.
abstract: Learners gain additional value from community-based education when they are guided through a reflective process. The purpose of this article is to describe how structured reflection assignments and methods are incorporated in the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry's community-based DISC (Dentistry in Service to Communities) program. The following strategies are described as ways to enrich community-based learning experiences for dental students: photographic documentation; written narratives; critical incident reports; and mentored post-experiential small group discussions. Fieldwork and course-related examples are drawn from community-based dental experiences to illustrate how reflective teaching approaches can enhance student learning. A directed process of reflection is suggested as a way to increase the impact of the community learning experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599, USA. ron_strauss@dentistry.unc.edu
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Mahyar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mofidi
authors.forename: Eugene S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: McMurtry
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Carl
authors.forename: Edward M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Neal
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003149:Community Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States