Design and Evaluation of DentAll Mobile Software for Dental Education

INTRODUCTION: The use of new learning methods to improve the educational processes is inevitable in the field of dentistry. Due to the positive effects of mobile learning on the students’ learning and skills, we decided to design a software in the required areas. Considerations of systemic diseases, medications, emergencies, prophylaxis, tests interpretation, lesions diagnosis, cephalometric, and cast analysis were the topics required. METHODS: This semi-experimental study was carried out in Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during 2020. DentAll software was developed using Android Studio software. It is an educational and decision-making support system. The satisfaction and perceptions of 10 professors, 5 post-graduate students, and 30 senior dental students about the designed software were assessed using a questionnaire based on a 5-part Likert scale. The senior students were invited and the pre-test was taken to assess the students' knowledge; then, the designed software was provided by the administrator. At the end of the process, the post-test was taken. Paired samples t-test was used to compare the results of the pre-test and post-test. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 17.0. The significance level was established at a P < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean scores of the pre-test and post-test were 16.5 ± 1.49 and 18.2 ± 0.99, respectively. The statistical analysis showed that the difference between the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test was statistically significant (p< 0.001). 46.7% of the professors and post-graduate students expressed their overall satisfaction as very high, 46.7% as high, and 6.7% as average. Furthermore, 50% of the students expressed their overall satisfaction as very high, 36.7% as high, and 13.3% as moderate. CONCLUSION: The designed comprehensive software satisfied the students and the professors who used it and the students' scores increased after use. This software had capabilities such as easy access to the resources, learning anytime and anywhere, increasing the students' interest and motivation, etc. from the point of view of the commentators. To the best of our knowledge, this comprehensive educational aid has not been designed previously and it was effective in improving the students' learning, scientific knowledge and treatment planning.