Adding value through a common learning platform: Oral Health Education at Griffith University

Abstract

Since the inception of oral health education in Australia, the specific professional groups within this area of health care have been provided with academic and technical training in distinct and separate settings. Teaching and learning has been conducted within distinct courses for the different disciplines. There has been varying levels of qualification and little recognition for the need for inter-professional communication and collaborative work. Common learning sets the scene for inter-professional collaboration between dentist, oral health therapist, oral hygienist, dental prosthetist and dental technologist. The objective of this paper is to investigate how the concept of common learning can add value to the teaching and learning experience within the discipline of oral health education at Griffith University. The change from these discrete teaching practices is now evident in the teaching and learning methodology being initiated at Griffith University, where the Dentistry and Oral Health School has introduced a suite of programs based on a collaborative curriculum. Further evidence on the lead role taken by Griffith University, in dental education in Australia, is provided by outlining the teaching and learning opportunities for the oral health team of professionals. The outcome of this integrated multidisciplinary teaching and learning approach highlights the benefits of effective teaching and learning in dental education. The curriculum promotes the building of respect and communication amongst peers, it maximises their knowledge base thereby providing graduates with a platform of similar knowledge to foster engagement in collaboration, teamwork as well as life-long learning and research.