HUHSDM Mission

The mission of the Hebrew University - Hadassah School of Dental Medicine is to train and educate dental practitioners, research students and specialists in Israel to the highest quality of excellence and ethical standards while providing comprehensive patient care. This should result in raising the standing of the School of Dental Medicine and the Hebrew University as leaders in their field on both regional and global levels. 
 

HUHSDM Educational Philosophy

HUHSDM is committed to the development of graduates competent in the art, bio-science, behavioral and clinical sciences of general dentistry. The basis of our educational philosophy is the cultivation of a humanistic environment honoring our core values of professionalism, excellence, leadership, continuous improvement, diversity and caring. In this environment, it is critical that faculty and staff develop, integrate, and facilitate effective and active learning among the students.

 

 

 

Goals

• An ongoing curriculum review and its evaluation

Objectives

1. Review of educational policies and creation of new policies as the need arises (such as the curriculum management, and student's due process).
2. Review of long-term and short-term program evaluation data (Tables 2a and 2e in CODA standards).
3. Review of course evaluations, Board examination results, student surveys, and alumni surveys.
4. Recommendations and self-evaluations from Departments as needed.
5. Empowerment to require changes in courses based on Standard 2-8.
6. Initiation of major curriculum revision efforts.
7. Annual review of CODA standard 2.

List of data supplied annually to the Educational Committee

Q4 - September – short-term curriculum mapping, analysis, and planning

• Curriculum syllabi
• Curriculum mapping and analysis by Competencies

Q1 - February – curriculum compliance analysis by CODA standards

• Board examination results
• Tables 2a and 2e
• Updated CODA standard 2

Q2 - April – long-term curriculum planning

• Review of educational policies and creation of new policies on a per need basis
• Initiation of major curriculum revision efforts

Q3 - July – data collection and analysis

• Average grades of courses and number of failures in the 1^st attempt
• Student surveys (student evaluations of the course and faculty)
• Alumni surveys

• Faculty self-evaluation by Head of Departments
• Student's complaints log

 

Composition of the Educational (Curriculum) Committee

The Teaching Committee is responsible for the ongoing curriculum evaluation process. It is headed by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. The committee needs to be approved by the Faculty Council. Recommended composition:

1. Head of the Committee
2. Dean
3. Heads of the dental school departments (Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Community Dentistry, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine Sedation & Maxillofacial Imaging, Prosthodontics, and Institute of Dental Sciences).
4. Head of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
5. Assoc. Dean
6. Head of Student's Clinics
7. Head of Student Teacher Committee
8. 2 Student representatives

Process

1. An ongoing curriculum review and evaluation process which includes input from faculty, students, administration and other appropriate sources;

The Teaching Committee review and evaluation meetings are hold on a quarterly basis throughout the academic year. The impact of these reviews on the School's philosophy of education is examined, and accordingly as needed, modification and/or changes are implemented.

To receive a wider perspective on the curriculum, diverse consultation is carried out. The committee will at a minimum, annually review the outcome measures and provide curriculum feedback through the departmental review process. The review process includes collaborative faculty examination of the teaching program, by analyzing information and developing an action plan. The review process is evidence informed. Thus, sources for analysis of the curriculum include: course results (student grades, performance on assessments, etc.), consultations with students, recent graduates and faculty members’ surveys, interviews and focus groups student consultation, alumni surveys, and instructor consultation. 

This committee constantly keeps abreast of new educational methodologies and new topics of importance to the practice of dentistry.

 

Curriculum Management Plan.

 

Collaborative analysis and curriculum management assessments including feedback are the responsibility of the Teaching Committee, Faculty Council, and Office of Academic Affairs.

There are several components of the curriculum management plan as described below:

 

 

 

Information sources for analysis of the curriculum include:

• Course results – Course outcomes reflected in the students’ grades, performance on assessments etc., are collected at the end of each course. Evaluation of all courses is with respect to the ability of students to accomplish the school’s defined competencies by the end of the program.
• Curriculum mapping by competencies – Elements of the curriculum are assessed once a year to examine how well they support the program defined competencies. Mapping consists of associating courses with program outcomes. Mapping will include identifying curricular gaps, where outcomes are not currently being taught and/or assessed, and curricular redundancies, where outcomes are taught in multiple courses without a rationale for the overlap.
• Instructor self-assessments- A questionnaire to help map the curriculum in its entirety will be filled by each course coordinator once a year. The committee will be able to analyze the alignment of the various components of the program on the basis of the coordinators’ report. Teaching practices, and details of the contribution of each course are surveyed. This will allow to outline the extent to which students will have acquired the knowledge, skills, abilities and values (i.e. the program learning outcomes) expected. This report, prepared by the course or clinic teachers, is discussed with faculty members who participate in the teaching of each course and are reviewed by the Department head. The report evaluates course instruction in light of the relevant competencies and whether new material need to be added or redundant material removed from the course. The Department head reports to the committee, presenting challenges, gaps or other issues to be implemented in each courses taught by the department. 
• Student End-of-Course Survey – At the end of each course students are requested to fill a survey.  The survey addresses instructional methods, textbooks, tests, competency attainment, and teaching effectiveness of faculty members. These reports are reviewed and recommendations are provided to the course director, Department head, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Dean. The results of the yearly annual reviews are communicated to the course director and department chairman for discussion and implementation of potential changes. Course directors are asked to submit to the Teaching Committee any comments relevant to the annual review after consultation with the department chair.
• Alumni survey – A questionnaire filled by alumni assessing the extent to which the program prepared them to their position as dentists will be collected yearly.
• The Vice Dean for Academic Affairs occasionally invites representatives from oral health related companies, university administration, and other health schools to present new and relevant information, which can have a positive effect on the curriculum. Examples of such presentations include incorporation of preventive care innovations, interdisciplinary courses, and assessment of recently introduced courses.

 

2. Evaluation of all courses with respect to the defined competencies of the school to include student evaluation of instruction

An essential component of the curriculum management plan is the evaluation of all courses by the Teaching Committee as they relate to HUHDSM competencies. Course syllabi outline and review related to competencies is completed through the Office of Academic Affairs, and results are forwarded to the Teaching Committee for further discussion and review. Curriculum mapping of the courses assesses the contribution of each course to the Schools’ defined competencies. In the course level, a review by the Teaching Committee of the course content and methods is ongoing. Each course coordinator is required to map the course activities to the achievement of defined competencies. The instructors review their courses by a self-assessment form and discuss suggestions for improvement with their chair. The Department heads present the department courses and the need for related strategic changes is discussed with the Teaching Committee with the aid of the Course Coordinator Self-Assessment form. Faculty members are requested to review and adjust their courses annually (two syllabus days), and to identify the competencies addressed for each course (available in the syllabi books and on the learning website).

 

All the competencies are taught and covered in HUHSDM courses; curriculum mapping checks that HUHSDM tests the students in each competency.

Direct measures of students learning are depicted by Courses Results and Competency Test Results, which measure students' skills and their achievements with respect to the defined competencies.

 

The Student End-Course Survey serves the Teaching Committee as an evaluation tool regarding gaps in student capability and understanding. Furthermore, through the survey, learning experience and challenges can be identified.

The Alumni Survey evaluates to which extent the program prepared them for their current practice as dentists. Additional means for curriculum assessment include Graduation Rates and HUHSDM Governmental Licensing Test Results. Ideas for further evaluations can aid teachers to address student learning challenges that are discovered.

 

The analysis stage is intended to reveal areas for potential improvement in the curriculum, which could result in curricular change.

Through the incorporation of information as described in evidence-based practice, the curriculum management and evaluation process at HUHSDM involves students, faculty, administration and alumni to ensure that deficiencies in the curriculum are identified and evaluated, and that corrective action is taken by the School to improve the overall effectiveness of the educational program.

 

3. Elimination of unwarranted repetition, outdated and unnecessary material

 

The Teaching Committee reviews in an ongoing process the curriculum. Information regarding repetition and outdated and unnecessary material is presented to the Committee by the Department chairs. The discussion includes input from course evaluations (Course Coordinator Self-Assessment Survey, Student and Course Survey). Feedback from the surveys regarding repetition or need for elaboration is evaluated. This evaluation includes the Alumni Survey that provides another viewpoint as to outdated and unnecessary material in accordance of their working place. The Teaching Committee evaluates the data and defines and prioritizes the needed actions. Deciding on the scale and scope of change involves balancing the needs identified through the analysis process and the availability of resources for supporting the change process. This decision-making process is open and collegial with broad consultation. Approval of the Committee is followed by implementation of the recommended changes. Examples of Curriculum review and actions taken follow.

 

Need for Improvement	Action Taken	Date of Implementation
Course of removable Dentures	Separating clinic from the general clinic and adding clinical operation time	October 2019
Course for Pedodontics non-cooperative children	Separate clinic for non-cooperative children	October 2019
Extend Clinical hours	Comprehensive Care- Prosthodontics D5-97861 Addition of clinical practice hours	October 2019
Extend Clinical hours	Comprehensive Care- Prosthodontics D6-97971 Addition of clinical practice hours	October 2019

 

4. Incorporation of emerging information and achievement of appropriate sequencing. 

Incorporation of emerging information and achievement of appropriate sequencing are addressed by HUHSDM's curriculum management process as outlined above. Both the major courses and curriculum reviews request an assessment of course content and sequence to identify any areas of course content overlap or omission. Evaluation of information from a variety of sources, including interviews with students, faculty, and faculty leaders led us to include more clinical science concepts in years one to three, add basic science concepts to clinical seminar discussions, and ongoing meetings between the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and the course directors of all basic and clinical sciences to assure that integration is taking place on an ongoing basis.

Examples of incorporation of emerging information into the curriculum can most notably be found in the Pharmacology course, in which information and discussion of new drugs is included on an ongoing basis. In the Oral Imaging course, the use of CBCT technology was incorporated.  In Restorative Dentistry, Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry courses, the incorporation of new technology has been taking place on an ongoing basis, including training with CAD/CAM and new dental materials. In one of the Orthodontics' courses, a lecture on Invisalign has been added.