title: Interpretive versus didactic learning approach towards oral biology: a student's perspective.
abstract: This study analyzed the preference of dental students for oral biology questions that require either an interpretive or a descriptive approach to answer and to compare the preferences with their final examination result retrospectively. A questionnaire requiring student academic number and containing two questions (one asked with an interpretive approach/the other asked with a descriptive approach) from random topics of oral biology course was distributed among students who have already appeared in the final examination. Majority of the students who had achieved good grades (A+, A, B+, B) preferred interpretive questions whereas majority of the students with average grades (C+, C, D+, D) selected descriptive questions. Common reason for picking interpretive question was that it enhances critical thinking. The descriptive questions were argued to provide students with a chance to explain more. Hence, students should be encouraged to learn interpretively to promote enquiry based learning (EBL) and critical thinking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Farooq
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*