Purpose The role of simulation-based education (SBE) in enhancing communication has been established in the literature. To ensure achieving desired outcomes from SBE initiative, the individual learners, their experiences, and environments need to be considered. This study aimed at exploring the perception of post-graduate dental students regarding their participation in SBE sessions, around selected communication skills, designed in alignment with the assumptions of adult learning theory and steps of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle.
Methods This study utilized a qualitative design. Six focus-group sessions were conducted following the SBE sessions. The generated data was inductively investigated using a multi-staged participant-focused approach to thematic analysis, based upon constructivist epistemology. NVivo was utilized to facilitate text Fragments’ coding and categorization.
Results Forty-three post-graduate dental students participated. The analysis resulted in 16 categories spread across five sequential phases of the SBE experience. The “input” theme referred to the resources needed for the SBE process, and included three categories: facilities, personnel, and teaching materials. The second theme included steps of SBE “process”: pre-brief, simulation, and debrief. The third, fourth, and fifth themes constituted the short- and longer-term results of the SBE intervention. The participants reported instant benefits on confidence in their expertise in communicating with patients and their guardians. Additionally, perceived effects on the empathy and professionalism were reported.
Conclusion SBE, that is based upon adult and experiential learning theories, and developed after thorough consideration of the individual learners, and their experiences and learning environments, holds potential in enhancing communication skills among post-graduate dental students.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Readiness for interprofessional learning and correlation with academic self-efficacy among undergraduate health professions students in KSA: A cross-sectional study Tayseer Mansour, Maha K. Desouky, Ghada A. Wassif, Ayat R. Abdallah, Zeinab A. Hassan, Zeinab M. Elsawaf, Marwa M. Fawzi, Abeer Fathy, Aliaa A. Khadre Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences.2026; 21(2): 322. CrossRef
Improving Students’ Communication Skills: A Literature Review on the Effectiveness of Teams Games Tournament-Based Learning Anggriawan Eka Wardhana, Muhammad Hanif, Ibadullah Malawi JPI (Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia).2026; 15(1): 268. CrossRef
Effects of building resilience skills among undergraduate medical students in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting in the United Arab Emirates: A convergent mixed methods study Farah Otaki, Samuel B. Ho, Bhavana Nair, Reem AlGurg, Adrian Stanley, Amar Hassan Khamis, Agnes Paulus, Laila Alsuwaidi, Ashraf Atta Mohamed Safein Salem PLOS ONE.2025; 20(2): e0308774. CrossRef
Perceptions regarding attitude towards simulation-based learning among nursing students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study Fatma Abdou Eltaib, Fadiyah Jadid Alanazi, Fathia Ahmed Mersal, Taghreed Hussien Aboelola Belitung Nursing Journal.2024; 10(5): 578. CrossRef
Do we feel the same emotions in simulation as with a real patient? A pilot study among dental students Marion Strub BMC Medical Education.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Speaking, Playing, Learning: Unveiling the Potential of Role Playing Models in Differentiated Elementary Education Zaenatul Wasilah, Sri Sukasih Jurnal Imiah Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran.2024; 8(3): 405. CrossRef
Medical students’ perception of resilience and of an innovative curriculum-based resilience skills building course: A participant-focused qualitative analysis Bhavana Nair, Farah Otaki, Avantika Fiza Nair, Samuel B. Ho, Boshra Ismael Ahmed Arnout PLOS ONE.2023; 18(3): e0280417. CrossRef
Using team-based learning to optimize undergraduate family medicine clerkship training: mixed methods study Lisa Jackson, Farah Otaki BMC Medical Education.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Designing a Conceptual Framework to Align Learning Objectives to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Core Competencies: A Narrative Review Norman Cadiz Belleza, Maureen Johnson Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy.2023; 2(2): 36. CrossRef
Change management in higher education: A sequential mixed methods study exploring employees’ perception Rima Ezzeddine, Farah Otaki, Sohaib Darwish, Reem AlGurg, Sally Mohammed Farghaly PLOS ONE.2023; 18(7): e0289005. CrossRef
Exploring academic teachers perspectives regarding the impact of using medical simulation in dentistry pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study Izabela Mamcarz, Katarzyna Sarna-Boś, Renata Chałas, Jarosław Sobieszczański, Wojciech Świątkowski, Luciano Augusto Cano Martins, Kamil Torres BMC Medical Education.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Desarrollo de las habilidades blandas en estudiantes de odontología. Revisión sistemática
/Development of soft skills in dental students. Systematic review Daniela Vanessa Segovia Bermeo, Rafael Eduardo García Abad Revista de la Asociación Odontológica Argentina.2023; : 1. CrossRef
Effect of introducing interprofessional education concepts on students of various healthcare disciplines: a pre-post study in the United Arab Emirates Shroque Zaher, Farah Otaki, Nabil Zary, Amina Al Marzouqi, Rajan Radhakrishnan BMC Medical Education.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Patients’ and physicians’ gender and perspective on shared decision-making: A cross-sectional study from Dubai Mohamad Alameddine, Farah Otaki, Karen Bou-Karroum, Leon Du Preez, Pietie Loubser, Reem AlGurg, Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Ravishankar Jayadevappa PLOS ONE.2022; 17(9): e0270700. CrossRef
Introducing the 4Ps Model of Transitioning to Distance Learning: A convergent mixed methods study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic Farah Otaki, Shroque Zaher, Stefan Du Plessis, Ritu Lakhtakia, Nabil Zary, Ibrahim M. Inuwa, Haoran Xie PLOS ONE.2021; 16(7): e0253662. CrossRef
Medical Students’ Perception and Perceived Value of Peer Learning in Undergraduate Clinical Skill Development and Assessment: Mixed Methods Study Shaikha Alzaabi, Mohammed Nasaif, Amar Hassan Khamis, Farah Otaki, Nabil Zary, Sharon Mascarenhas JMIR Medical Education.2021; 7(3): e25875. CrossRef
First
Prev
