A Comparative Analysis of Conventional and Chat-Generative Pre-trained Transformer-Assisted Teaching Methods in Undergraduate Dental Education.

introductionIn the present era, individuals have the ability to improve their study organization, attendance in classes, and use of mnemonics via the utilization of contemporary technology. The use of the open AI-based application Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in dentistry is a developing domain, and the integration of this technology into dental education relies on the accessibility and efficacy of AI technology, as well as the readiness of institutions to adopt it. Furthermore, it is crucial to contemplate the possible ethical ramifications associated with the utilization of AI in the field of dentistry, as well as the need for dental practitioners to have adequate training in its use. In order to include the Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer in the dentistry curriculum, a thorough evaluation and consultation with field specialists would be necessary. This study aimed to determine whether the Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer is more effective than conventional teaching methods in teaching undergraduate dental students.

methodComparative research was conducted at Shri. Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Medical and Rural Development Foundation's Dental College, Ahmednagar. Computer-generated random numbers were used to divide 100 students into two groups. Each group consists of 50 students. A didactic lecture was given using PowerPoint (Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corp.) for both groups. Group A was given textbooks to read and Group B used the Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. An online questionnaire using Google Forms (Menlo Park, CA: Google LLC), which had been pre-validated, was sent via email to both groups. The pre- and post-test scores are then compared using the t-test.

resultThe calculated t-value is 12.263 (at 81 degrees of freedom) and the p-value is 0.000, which is less than 0.01. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected, and it is concluded that conventional method scores and ChatGPT method scores for the post-test have a high significant difference. Also, it is observed that the mean scores for the conventional method are higher than the mean scores for the ChatGPT method for the post-test.

conclusionIt has been concluded from the study that traditional teaching methods are more effective for learning than understanding ChatGPT.