title: Outcomes mapping: a method for dental schools to coordinate learning and assessment based on desired characteristics of a graduate.
abstract: This project, utilizing a seldom-used approach to dental education, was designed to define the desired characteristics of a graduating dental student; convert those characteristics to educational outcomes; and use those outcomes to map a dental school's learning and assessment programs, based on outcomes rather than courses and disciplines. A detailed rubric of the outcomes expected of a graduating dental student from this school was developed, building on Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards and the school's competencies. The presence of each characteristic in the rubric was mapped within and across courses and disciplines. To assess implementation of the rubric, members of two faculty committees and all fourth-year students were asked to use it to rate 1) the importance of each characteristic, 2) the extent to which the school teaches and assesses each, and 3) the extent to which each counts toward overall assessment of competence. All thirty-three faculty members (100 percent) on the committees participated, as did forty-six of the fifty-five students (84 percent). The groups gave high scores to the importance of each characteristic, especially for knowledge and technical competence (then separate categories but merged in the final rubric) and for self-assessment, as well as the extent to which they are being taught and assessed. Respondents most commonly named critical thinking as the area that should be emphasized more. Mapping the curriculum and creating its related database allow the faculty and administration to more systematically coordinate learning and assessment than was possible with a course-based approach.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Schneider is Executive Associate Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Prof. Cunningham-Ford is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Dr. Johnsen is Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Ms. Eckert is Academic Clinical Program Management Specialist, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; and Mr. Mulder is Senior Systems Administrator, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics. galen-schneider@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Galen B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Dr. Schneider is Executive Associate Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Prof. Cunningham-Ford is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Dr. Johnsen is Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Ms. Eckert is Academic Clinical Program Management Specialist, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; and Mr. Mulder is Senior Systems Administrator, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics.
authors.forename: Marsha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cunningham-Ford
authors.affiliation: Dr. Schneider is Executive Associate Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Prof. Cunningham-Ford is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Dr. Johnsen is Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Ms. Eckert is Academic Clinical Program Management Specialist, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; and Mr. Mulder is Senior Systems Administrator, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.affiliation: Dr. Schneider is Executive Associate Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Prof. Cunningham-Ford is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Dr. Johnsen is Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Ms. Eckert is Academic Clinical Program Management Specialist, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; and Mr. Mulder is Senior Systems Administrator, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics.
authors.forename: Mary Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.affiliation: Dr. Schneider is Executive Associate Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Prof. Cunningham-Ford is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Dr. Johnsen is Dean, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; Ms. Eckert is Academic Clinical Program Management Specialist, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics; and Mr. Mulder is Senior Systems Administrator, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulder
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003479:Curriculum; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003729:Dental Care; D004497:Education, Dental; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004526:Efficiency; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D012575:Schools, Dental; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D013850:Thinking
keywords: competencies; curriculum reform; dental curriculum; dental education; outcomes