This is how I teach
This month we spoke with Associate Professor Muhammed Yakin from the vlog Dental School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Muhammed is a member of the vlog Education Academy and an Advance HE Fellow. Here Muhammed explains how witnessing the impact on patient healthcare and student development is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching in his discipline.
How would you describe your approach to teaching/your teaching philosophy?
To put things in perspective, I facilitate student learning in a range of topics across the Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Bachelor of Oral Health Programs, which include dental histology, general pathology, and oral pathology. I am also a clinical tutor in the oral diagnosis/emergency care dental clinics at vlog Dental Hospital.
Teaching preclinical sciences to dental students can be challenging because the students love to see how preclinical sciences such as pathology relate to their future profession and they can become disengaged if they do not see a clear connection. The teaching strategies I use have a clear developmental aim and are designed to encourage problem solving through a social constructivist approach which strongly links preclinical science to professional practice and prepares them for workplace learning.
In other words, I design scenario-based learning and case-based discussions, aiming to provide the environment for the students to develop the clinical reasoning skills applicable to all areas of dentistry. I lead the students through a vigorous cycle of knowledge acquisition and application via real-time feedback during interactive tutorials and following formative and summative assessments.
In the clinic, I encourage the students to steer the flow of the appointment and be the ‘brains’ not just the ‘hands’ of the operation. At each year level, the students will have developed the necessary technical skills through simulation exercises, and I encourage and support them to develop a sound diagnostic approach and become both the brains and the hands of the operation.
An approach, worthy of being mentioned, is that I use humour, or more accurately described as pathologist humour, to try and keep students engaged.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was interviewed by the vlog University Dental Student Society that the podcast was titled: “From Oral Pathologist to Comedian”.Muhammed Yakin
I have to say that not all students share the same view because I had one student suggest that I take improv lessons in Comedy!
What do you like most about teaching in your discipline?
The most rewarding aspects are the impact on patient healthcare and student development that I feel privileged to witness.
As with pathology, oral pathology is the bridge that links our understanding of the transition from health to disease, underpinned by the other sciences such as histology, embryology, anatomy, and physiology to name a few. With oral pathology, the students can make a vital impact on patient quality of life and life expectancy in patients with oral cancer through early detection.
In the clinic, students become very efficient practitioners when they develop sound diagnostic skills underpinned by an understanding of the preclinical sciences in addition to the necessary technical skills. I very much enjoy seeing how far the students improve from years 3 through 5, becoming almost independent towards the end of year 5.
How does your teaching help prepare students for their future?
My teaching practices are aimed at developing students’ graduate competencies in preparation for safe, competent, and independent dental practice. I believe that my role is to facilitate their learning through an inquisitive approach that has at the forefront, the wellbeing of the patients together with the importance of self-care for the students to develop self-awareness and recognise their scope of practice.
These goals are achieved through interactive scenario-based learning in the preclinical sciences and focussing on the diagnostic process in the clinic. With oral pathology, the key aspect is early detection of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders – which are my also research interests. This is emphasised mainly through the oral pathology module in the middle of the program but also revisited in the final years. The impact on patient care and the achievement of learning outcomes is demonstrable when students in the clinic know what is normal, what is most likely benign, and what needs to be investigated because of the likelihood of cancer. I have had a few students detect cancers and other oral potentially malignant disorders throughout the course of my academic career.
What is your favourite way to use technology to enhance learning?
I like to ask students questions during interactive learning sessions, however I recognise that students have different life experiences, academic abilities, and learning preferences. Some may not feel comfortable with this approach and may feel like they are being put on the spot. Therefore, I combine in-person interactions with technology in the classroom to encourage student engagement. I use interactive platforms such as Forms or Socrative and walk through example answers, highlighting common misconceptions. I have also used H5P, Kahoot, Mentimeter, and adaptive lessons in the classroom or as additional resources for students to use outside the classroom.