A Comparison of the Effects of Multimedia and Lecture on Learning the Color Recognition and Esthetic Course in Dental Students

Introduction: Today changing health care and medical curriculum has made computer-assisted learning more valuable than before. In fact, currently the increasing availability of accessing suitable hardware and software for Electronic-learning has provided a new horizon for educational institutes. This study evaluated the effects of multimedia and lecture on learning the color recognition and aesthetic course in dental students. Materials and Methods: The present study was an Quasi-experimental study which consisted of 46 undergraduate students in sixth semester at the school of dentistry of Guilan University of Medical Sciences. The sampling method was based on the total population of the study. The students were randomly selected and divided into two groups: the experimental (n = 26) and control groups (n = 20). The multimedia and lecture methods were used in the experimental and control group. Results: There was a significant relationship between pre-test and post-test scores in both experimental and control groups (P≤0.001). Independent t-test was used to compare the pre-test score between the control and experimental groups and the post-test score between these groups. There was no significant relationship between the pre-test scores as well as the post-test scores in the two groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the inevitable use of technology and computers in teaching students and as well as the strengths and weaknesses of electronic methods and lectures in the classroom, it is suggested to use a combination of electronic methods and lectures for teaching students.