Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30888328›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2019

WeChat as a Platform for Problem-Based Learning in a Dental Practical Clerkship: Feasibility Study.

Wei Zhang, Zheng-Rong Li, Zhi Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed.

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  5. Social Media in Oral Health Education: A Scoping Review.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Wei ZhangState Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab for Oral Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9298-4497
Zheng-Rong LiState Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab for Oral Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8154-1049
Zhi LiState Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab for Oral Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1927-9294

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProblem-Based-Learning (PBL) has been widely accepted in student-centered medical education. Since WeChat is the most popular communication app in China, we have chosen to use WeChat as new platform for online PBL in order to reduce the limitations of traditional PBL in dental practical clerkships.

objectiveThis study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of online PBL using WeChat (WeChat-PBL) in a dental practical clerkship.

methodsA total of 72 students in a dental practical clerkship and 10 tutors participated in this study from June to August 2017. We created 10 WeChat groups to provide a communication platform for the PBL teaching, in which the students selected the PBL cases themselves from their practical clerkship. After each individual PBL case, group members were required to complete an evaluation on the PBL process itself. A final questionnaire survey was completed by the participants to summarize the long-term evaluation of the whole WeChat-PBL experience after the 3-month clerkship. Data from the PBL cases, WeChat messages, periodic evaluations, and long-term evaluations were collected for analysis.

resultsThere were 45 cases presented in the WeChat-PBL within the 3-month clerkship. All students had positive reactions to the communication within the PBL groups. The results of the periodic evaluation showed that the students and tutors were quite satisfied with the process of WeChat-PBL and appreciated the group members' contributions and performance. The final questionnaire results indicated that the WeChat-PBL had achieved positive effects.

conclusionsThe results of this study indicate the feasibility and acceptability of the app, WeChat, for problem-based learning in a dental practical clerkship.

Indexed as

Education, DentalEducation, DistanceFeasibility StudiesHumansProblem-Based LearningSurveys and Questionnairesappclerkshipdental medicinePBLWeChat

Identifiers

PMID30888328
PMCPMC6444215

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.