Orthodontic undergraduate education: assessment in a modern curriculum

This paper describes the problems of assessment for students on an undergraduate orthodontic course which is using problem-based learning to encourage active self-learning, deep learning and give students the skills to become effective lifelong learners in the future. Traditional assessment does little to encourage a range of behaviours and skills which are encouraged through problem-based learning but which must be rewarded, in the minds of the students, by the chosen method of assessment. This is because learner behaviour is driven by assessment. Details of the range of assessment methods available and those chosen on the orthodontic undergraduate course at the University of Manchester Dental School are reported and discussed.