Abstract Faculty members of dental colleges have recently tried to improve the technical education and have strived to enhance their clinical clerkship systems. The Faculty of Dentistry, Niigata University, continues to administer the traditional and characteristic clinical clerkship. However, the aim of the current study was to establish an evaluation system for directly acquiring competent clinical skills, with proper utilization of knowledge and techniques at each clinical site. Verification of the learning process or the experience of the students and the instructions received by them were considered as other aims. Therefore, the development of a regulation system to assess the clinical skills and objective evaluation of the achievement level of each student were expected.

 A portfolio is known to be a useful formative evaluation tool, and it can chronologically record the cumulative learning process. Therefore, a web-based e-portfolio system including an assessment rubric for students and instructors was created and applied to the clinical clerkship. The students and instructors who attended sessions on the clinical clerkship could understand the system without any confusion. The general clinical skill evaluation level that was assessed and marked on the system by the instructors tended to gradually increase with the progress of the clinical clerkship term, and it was suggested that the clinical skills of the students improved with their own clinical experiences. The web-based e-portfolio system on the clinical clerkship was considered to be a meaningful tool for reviewing the performance of students and facilitating effective training by the instructors.

 Abstract In recent years, the social demand for improving the quality of higher education has increased. Therefore, it is important for professional education in the medical profession to utilize a multilateral educational assessment of learning outcomes as a means to improve educational practice.

 In this study, in order to visualize learning outcomes, we performed generic educational institutional research with a common questionnaire for general use among multiple universities in the first year of education at our college (n=99), in order to compare the results of the representative educational institutional research (representative IR data).

 In terms of the general learning situation, our college showed a higher percentage of affirmative answers to the question regarding “practice of professional training” (p<0.05), but a lower percentage of affirmative answers regarding “learning to check articles and references”, “presentation on our thoughts and research” and “discussion among students” (p<0.05, respectively).

 In relation to the quality assurance of education, our college showed a higher percentage of affirmative answers regarding “adequacy of college life”, “overall quality of teaching” and “positive learning attitude” (p<0.05, respectively).

 It may be useful to examine the results of the generic educational institutional research to promote understanding of education issues and visualization of multiple learning outcomes, thus leading to quality assurance of first-year education.

 Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the educational effects of medical ethics case analysis on 131 first-year dental students using the results of a questionnaire. The students were instructed to analyze the medical ethics cases using Jonsen’s four quads approach and to discuss the correspondence. The questionnaire survey was performed at the time of starting and completing this ethics class.

 At the time of starting the class, about half of the students answered that they have an image of their own future, whereas only 8% answered that they have sufficient knowledge of ethics. The term “medical ethics” reminded the students of morals as dentists, respect for the patient’s will, the definition of human life, and so on.

 About 80% answered that they could participate well in the group work. However, the students answered that only 10% actively participated in the group work.

 At the time of completing the class, 54-63% gave positive answers to the other questions except for the degree of knowledge. The answer scores of motivation and knowledge at the time of completion were higher than those at the time of starting, and thus this group work provided an opportunity to think deeply about medical ethics. The students who gave higher scores regarding participating in the group work indicated a higher interest in the class and the cases. Although early ethics education is required, the selection of cases is difficult.

 Abstract Learning portfolios are educational tools that help students to build their educational careers in multiple steps : to record and store their own educational outcomes, to make self-assessments of their learning attainment levels, and then to find their educational agenda, in their campus life.

 In this study, we performed a questionnaire survey on final-year students just prior to graduation in fiscal 2014 and 2015. Next, in order to clarify the educational effects of the improvement of learning portfolios on educational career building, and to visualize the changes in generic skills associated with the self-managed learning, we performed an annual survey of the students’ self-assessment of the learning outcomes.

 Regarding self-managed learning skills and educational career building, there were significant increases in the percentage of affirmative answers to the questions regarding “renewed recognition of the importance of self-management” and “heightened sense of purpose” in their campus life (up to approximately 60% in fiscal 2015) (p<0.05, respectively, compared to fiscal 2014). Moreover, regarding generic skills associated with self-managed learning, there was an increased percentage of affirmative answers in fiscal 2015, compared to fiscal 2014.

 It is suggested that the learning portfolios, which focus on the importance of willingness to learn and self-management, may promote educational career building in campus life. Furthermore, it may increase the generic skills associated with self-managed learning skills after improvement of the learning portfolios.

 Abstract Rapid population aging is a serious problem in Japanese society today. Since many of the patients visiting Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital are elderly with complicated oral and systemic backgrounds, we have been suffering from a shortage of suitable patients for the undergraduate student clinic. Moreover, the number of patients who agree to be treated at the clinic has been decreasing as patients’ requirements have become increasingly difficult to fulfill. Thus, despite the fact that we have been letting the students treat patients by themselves, they must acquire clinical skills with a very limited number of patients. To solve this problem, we developed six new practice models that require comprehensive treatment planning and have been providing these models as a preclinical program. This program is for 5th-year undergraduate dental students just before actual clinical practice. Each model has the following features : teeth requiring extraction, dental caries, missing teeth, accumulation of dental calculus, a multi-root tooth with deep periodontal pockets with signs of hemi-section or tri-section, and teeth requiring endodontic treatment. Although we are currently using rubrics to assess student performance, the assessment methodology still requires some improvement. Here, we introduce our novel comprehensive model practice course. We have evaluated student satisfaction and the effectiveness of this program through questionnaires at the end of each course. Student responses to date have been positive. As a result, this study indicated that our comprehensive model practice course is effective for pre-clinical training.