Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33976483›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of clinical pediatric dentistry

Use of Puzzles as an Effective Teaching-Learning Method for Dental Undergraduates.

Latha Nirmal, M S Muthu, Madhavan Prasad

Erratum issuedOpen access · diamondAbstract readEditorial
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Educational Aid Game for Differential Diagnosis of Oral Lesions Through Mobile Learning.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026
    Trial
  2. Crossword Puzzles and Knowledge Retention.Journal of effective teaching in higher education · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Latha NirmalDepartment of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
M S MuthuCentre for Early Childhood Caries Research (CECCRe), Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Madhavan PrasadDepartment of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPassive teaching in the form of didactic lecture is the usual mode of disseminating knowledge in dental colleges in India. An innovative way to address the diverse learners learning style at the undergraduate level is much sought after in dental education. Puzzles in the form of crossword and word search are structural, self-learning educational tools that review and reinforce knowledge and concepts acquired during the lecture.

objectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of crossword and word search puzzles as an active teaching learning method for dental undergraduates. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis is an open, randomized parallel group interventional study conducted with the final BDS students in the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research. Two modules of the "must know" category of the curriculum were selected. The class was divided into two groups (interventional and control) using computerized random generator. Learners in both the groups were exposed to didactic lectures, but the activity of solving the puzzles was undertaken only by the interventional group learners. Questionnaire in the form of MCQ was given at the end of the activity to both the groups, and results were evaluated.

resultsMann-Whitney

conclusionOur study revealed that puzzles can be used as an effective active learning tool to reinforce lecture material for dental undergraduates. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Nirmal L, MS Muthu, Prasad M. Use of Puzzles as an Effective Teaching-Learning Method for Dental Undergraduates. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(6):606-610.

Indexed as

ActivityDental EducationPuzzlesRetentionWordsearch.

Identifiers

PMID33976483
PMCPMC8060935
OpenAlexW3148812962

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

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.