title: Should Attendance Be Required in Lecture Classrooms in Dental Education? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Attendance in the Lecture Classroom Should Be Required and Viewpoint 2: Attendance Should Not Be Required in the Lecture Classroom.
abstract: This Point/Counterpoint discusses the long-argued debate over whether lecture attendance in dental school at the predoctoral level should be required. Current educational practice relies heavily on the delivery of content in a traditional lecture style. Viewpoint 1 asserts that attendance should be required for many reasons, including the positive impact that direct contact of students with faculty members and with each other has on learning outcomes. In lectures, students can more easily focus on subject matter that is often difficult to understand. A counter viewpoint argues that required attendance is not necessary and that student engagement is more important than physical classroom attendance. This viewpoint notes that recent technologies support active learning strategies that better engage student participation, fostering independent learning that is not supported in the traditional large lecture classroom and argues that dental education requires assimilation of complex concepts and applying them to patient care, which passing a test does not ensure. The two positions agree that attendance does not guarantee learning and that, with the surge of information technologies, it is more important than ever to teach students how to learn. At this time, research does not show conclusively if attendance in any type of setting equals improved learning or ability to apply knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Ana Lucia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Seminario
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry. cervantesmen@uthscsa.edu.
authors.forename: Maria Jose Cervantes
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Piskorowski
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cutler is Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University; Dr. Parise is Program Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Dr. Seminario is Visiting International Dentist Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Dr. Cervantes Mendez is Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry; Dr. Piskorowski is Assistant Dean for Community-Based Dental Education, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dr. Silva is Chair, Department of Endodontics, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D013335:Students, Dental; D014481:United States
keywords: active learning; computer-assisted instruction; dental education; educational measurement; educational technology; lecture; teaching method