COPDEND
Standards for
Dental Educators
www.copdend.org
Text © COPDEND 2013.
All rights reserved for commercial use. This document may only be copied or reproduced with the following acknowledgement: COPDEND 2013
These standards have been developed by COPDEND and should not be adapted. Only COPDEND can edit or amend these standards or provide further guidance. This document should be cited as:
COPDEND UK (2013) Standards for Dental Educators. Oxford: COPDEND
This document was prepared for COPDEND by Alison Bullock and Julie Browne at Cardiff University working in consultation with the Advisory Group.
Membership of the Advisory Group
Chair: Helen Falcon
Chair of COPDEND and Postgraduate Dental Dean, Oxford & Wessex Deaneries
Jon Cowpe
Director, Postgraduate Dental Education in Wales
Lisa Hadfield-Law
Education Adviser for the Royal College of Surgeons of England
Donna Hough
DCP Tutor, North West Deanery
David Hussey
Postgraduate Dental Dean, Northern Ireland
Stephen Lambert-Humble
Postgraduate Dental Dean, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery
Will McLaughlin
Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Cardiff Dental Hospital
Shalin Mehra
Associate Dental Dean, Oxford & Wessex Deaneries, Dental Corporate Body Director
Lawrence Mudford
Vice Dean FGDP(UK)
Graham Orr
Director of Postgraduate GDP Education, North East Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland
Stephen Porter
Dental Schools Council representative, Director Oral Medicine, UCL Eastman Dental Institute
Ian Sharp
Foreword
by Helen Falcon
The UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors
(COPDEND) plays a leading role in the co-ordination of postgraduate
dental education and training programmes and activities, and aims to
promote and share best practice and continuously improve the
experience of our learners.
I am delighted to introduce these Standards for Dental Educators that build on the successful “COPDEND Guidelines for Dental Educators” published in 2008. I want our Dental Educators to be recognised for the skilled work that they do, in the same way that we recognise and reward clinicians’ achievements with patient care. There has been a sea change in attitudes since I first became involved with postgraduate dental training and education, over twenty years ago. It’s now almost unthinkable that a trainer of dentists or DCPs should be expected to carry out their critically important role without some formal induction and training for the job. However, there is as yet no consistent approach or agreement about what is needed to underpin this much improved situation. We know that where there are clear standards for people to achieve, we can monitor how well we are doing, and also help shape training and education programmes to meet those standards. We can assist those who aspire to become educators to better understand what they need to learn and what competences they should acquire and demonstrate to progress their own careers.
The recent publication of the Francis Report1has highlighted the essential link
between high quality education and training and high quality patient care; and these
standards will help us to evaluate critically what we do to support the delivery of postgraduate education and training in dentistry and to plan how we can improve. We need to consider carefully how best to incorporate these standards, not only in the work of postgraduate dental deaneries but also across the wider field of postgraduate dental education and to make sure they are useful to our regulators, commissioners and learners.
I should like to acknowledge the sterling work of those involved in the design, testing and refinement of these standards. We have had very wide involvement from across the dental professions and this is a truly multi professional piece of work. Particular thanks must go to the working group members and especially to Alison Bullock and Julie Browne for sharing their considerable expertise in this field, and for their unfailing efficiency and good humour. Last but not least, I am extremely grateful to one respondent to the consultation that took place as part of the development of these standards for so eloquently summarizing what we are trying to do:
“
These Standards will hopefully actas an inspiration to the profession. At worst they are an aspiration to
which we can all work.
”
1. Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. Chaired by Robert Francis QC. February 2013. London: The Stationery Office. Available from http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/report.
Introduction
Standards for dental educators
The drive towards excellence in dental education requires dental
trainers and teachers to hold themselves accountable for their
educational performance and commitment to continuous quality
improvement in their practice.
Such accountability extends to patients and the public, their learners (in whatever guise, be they students, trainees or practitioners in primary or secondary care), and their colleagues. In developing the
Standards for Dental Educators,
COPDEND has for the first time set out the values, knowledge and behaviours expected of dental education professionals.2
In presenting these Standards, COPDEND seeks to ensure that skilled educators provide high quality educational experiences for all learners. Standards clarify the expectations of educators, offer greater recognition of the role, greater consistency for learners, and shape the educational content for dental educators. Dental educator roles are diverse and designed to support different members of the dental team, in primary and secondary care and academic settings. Roles include but are not confined to: Dental and Dental Care Professional (DCP) CPD Tutors, supporting lifelong learning; DCP Tutors supporting dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental therapists, orthodontic therapists and dental hygienists’ programmes; Dental Foundation Training (DFT) Programme Directors, Advisers and Trainers (and equivalents in Scotland); Specialty Training Educational and Clinical Supervisors, Training Programme Directors and Trainers;
Royal College and Faculty examiners and tutors; and Postgraduate Deans
(Directors/Heads of Schools) and Associate Deans. The educator role may be full-time but is frequently undertaken on a part-time basis and alongside a busy clinical post and/or academic research activities. Dental education is practised in a complex environment and under conditions that require a unique set of standards.
Q The General Dental Council regulates the entire dental team and therefore the standards must be applicable both inter-and multi-professionally.
Q Dentists and DCPs generally work within a team; this means that the learning environment is particularly complex, especially where multiple practitioners are involved simultaneously in patient treatment and the education of junior professionals.
Q The majority of dental practitioners work in primary care, where practical skills predominate and learning is one-on-one with the trainer in the dental practice.
Q The workplace learning context is affected by the business contract and funding arrangements and regularly includes practitioners discussing payment for treatment directly with patients.
These unique features require Standards
for Dental Educators which can recognise
this context. However, whilst there is no doubt that dental education requires a unique mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes, COPDEND recognises that many of the competences required of dental educators are generic to all healthcare educators and to this end the COPDEND
Standards have been set out in a format
that allows them to be mapped against other existing standards frameworks.
These include: the Academy of Medical Educator’s (AoME) Professional Standards
for Medical Educators and its Framework for the Professional Development of Postgraduate Medical Supervisors; the
General Medical Council’s (GMC) work on the Recognition and Approval of Trainers; the Higher Education Academy’s (HEA) Professional Standards Framework; and in Wales, the Standards for Health Services and the Quality Development Plan.
How the standards were developed
The COPDEND Guidelines for Dental
Educators were used as a starting point.
Information about current training for dental educators was gained from an online questionnaire (completed by over 400 dental educators and providers of training for educators) and discussions with all Postgraduate Dental Deans/Directors or their representatives.
Draft standards were extensively discussed by the Advisory Group, led by Helen Falcon, chair of COPDEND. During a 10-week consultation period 83 responses were received from individuals and organisations. Revisions were made and the final Standards were approved by COPDEND in February 2013.
Description and organisation of the Standards
The Professional Standards are divided into the core values and five domains. Within the five domains, the core knowledge required of all dental educators has been set out.
Beyond the core values and core domain specific knowledge, the standards are arranged into two levels which broadly reflect the roles of dental educators (level one) and the strategic leaders and managers of dental education (level two). Not all standards are relevant to all educators; rather the application of standards should reflect the individual educator’s role. For example, for the DF1
trainer, the standards related to level one in the domains ‘Teaching and Learning’, ‘Assessing the Learner’ and ‘Guidance for Personal and Professional Development’ will be most relevant, together with some of the standards in level one of the ‘Quality Assurance’ domain. It is possible that some in an ‘advisory’ role (for example, training programme directors) might have some standards applicable at both levels one and two, depending on the relevance of the domain. However, all dental educators are expected to demonstrate that they understand and share the core values and core knowledge set out in the standards.
Why have Standards?
The main reason why a dental educator should engage with these standards relates to the quality of patient care provided by the dental profession. At all times, dental professionals seek to address patients’ needs. Patients should to be treated by knowledgeable and skilled dentists, DCPs, trainees and students who maintain high professional standards. The maintenance of high quality professional practice depends upon high quality learning experiences. This in turn relies upon excellent educators, who reflect upon and seek to improve what they do with learners.
The role education and training plays in safeguarding patients was made clear in the Francis Report1. COPDEND believes
that Standards for Dental Educators provides a framework which supports the continuous improvement of dental educators. The potential to affect the quality of patient care is why dental educators should be bothered to read on. A wide ranging set of benefits was identified by the respondents to the consultation that was carried out as part of developing the Standards:
Q
For the profession:
standardization, accountability and transparency.
Raise the profile of the profession . . .
Reassurance for patients and regulators that safety is at the centre of practice and training.
Improved standards of education make better practitioners and therefore an improvement in patient safety/treatment outcomes.
Uniformity, high standards expected as norm.
Q
For patients and the public:
reassurance and improved healthcare as a
result of improved education.
The HEA considers that standards will ensure that students receive the highest quality learning experience. Evidence suggests that educators who reflect on their own practice provide a learning environment in which students engage in critical
contemplation, and that this will have a positive impact on patient safety.
Perceived barriers to implementation mainly related to time and resources. Other implementation barriers that were noted included attitudes (arrogance, fear, resistance to change), lack of awareness and apathy. A few identified a risk that the introduction of standards might put off
existing educators and deter the recruitment of new dental educators. Others noted difficulties in monitoring. These all need careful consideration and guidance from organisations such as COPDEND.
It will make it clear to applicants what is required of them.
Q
For students/trainees/practitioners:
improved learning opportunities and
greater consistency.
By ensuring a minimum level of standards for educators, the trainees should receive a greater consistency of training.
Having standards in place may encourage new educators because it gives a framework to work within . . .
Q
For employers and regulators:
quality control, clarity of expectations
leading to improved governance, CPD and career planning.
Q
For individual educators:
motivation, job satisfaction, increased
confidence, career pathways, opportunities for recognition and a better
foundation for future development both as a dental practitioner and also as
an educator.
Q
For providers:
guidance on curriculum content.
This can only be beneficial to the profession. It will give some consistency and clarity on what is expected of educators. This would be particularly beneficial to someone like me who is new to being a trainer.
Examples of evidence
Core Values
Q Personal development planning, appraisal
Q Reflections on education and training
Q Feedback from colleagues, learners, patients
Q Wider reflection on role; meta-reflections/reflections-on-reflections
Q Training in role modelling and protecting patient safety
Core Knowledge
Q Courses or programmes (face-to-face, online) plus reflections
Q Readings (from books, journals) plus reflections
Q Results of assessments
Q Reflective notes on documents (curricula, assessment systems, local/national procedures)
Level 1
Q Feedback from learners, patients, colleagues
Q Reflections on practice as an educator
Q Reflections on (anonymised) examples of individual learning
plans/assessment/guidance/audits etc
Level 2 (as above plus…)
Q Reflections on strategy documents and/or development and contribution to change
Q Reflections on approaches to learning plans/assessment/guidance/QA/ performance management etc for the region
Q Reflections on the contribution of wider roles (e.g. national committees, examining)
Q Grants, awards
Q Prizes; local, national and international recognition
A word on evidencing the Standards
Many higher education institutions (HEIs) provide education and training for dental educators and offer opportunities to build credits towards postgraduate Certificates, Diploma and Masters in dental education. Postgraduate Deaneries also offer local induction courses for dental educators and other short courses relevant to dental educators.
However, dental education is both a scholarly and a practical undertaking. Evidencing standards is therefore not solely about courses followed or certificates gained; rather, that knowledge and skills can be demonstrated through the work of the dental educator, for example by describing dental education activity and critically reflecting on events, referencing theory and literature, or by seeking feedback about performance as an educator from learners and peers.
COPDEND
Standards for Dental Educators
v. 1 Enhancing the care of patients through dental education v. 2 Modelling good professional behaviour and attitudes at all times v. 3 Continuously seeking to improve his or her educational practice v. 4 Learner-centred education, safeguarding learner wellbeing v. 5 Enabling a culture of personal and professional development v. 6 Actively contributing to and supporting the education of colleagues v. 7 Equality and diversity
v. 8 GDC Standards promoting high quality, ethical, safe patient-centred care at all times, and seeking to maintain oral health, prevent oral disease and ensure patient dignity
Core Values
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1. k. 1 C an de sc rib e ho w di ffe re nt id ea s ab ou tl ea rn er s an d le ar ni ng m ak e a di ffe re nc e to ed uc at io na lp ra ct ic e. 1. k. 2 C an id en tif y go od pr ac tic e re la tin g to di ffe re nt m od es of ed uc at io na ld el iv er y in or de r to m ax im is e le ar ne r ac hi ev em en t 1. k. 3 C an di sc us s di ffe re nt ap pr oa ch es to co ur se de ve lo pm en ta nd pr og ra m m e pl an ni ng 1. k. 4 C an sp ec ify th e co nt en to ft he le ar ne rs ’p ro gr am m e/ cu rr ic ul um ,t he re qu ire d pr of es si on al an d cl in ic al st an da rd s, an d ex pe ct ed ou tc om es 1. 2. 1 U se s re se ar ch ev id en ce to im pr ov e de nt al ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng 1. 2. 2 P ro m ot es th e ap pl ic at io n of ed uc at io na lt he or y to de nt al ed uc at io n an d su pp or ts be st pr ac tic e in ed uc at io n 1. 2. 3 Le ad s th e st ra te gi c de ve lo pm en to f de nt al ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng th ro ug h lia is on w ith se rv ic e co m m is si on er s, pr ov id er s, pa tie nt s an d th ei r re pr es en ta tiv es an d by im pl em en tin g ne w an d im pr ov ed ap pr oa ch es 1. 1. 1 A pp lie s ed uc at io na lt he or y an d a cr iti ca le va lu at io n of ev id en ce to th ei r ed uc at io na lp ra ct ic e 1. 1. 2 D ev is es ap pr op ria te ed uc at io na li np ut to m ee tl ea rn er s’ ne ed s an d co nt in ua lly se ek s to im pr ov e in pu ti n th e lig ht of fe ed ba ck 1. 1. 3 P re pa re s ow n or us es ot he rs ’h ig h qu al ity le ar ni ng re so ur ce s an d ed uc at io na lm at er ia ls 1. 1. 4 P la ns ,s up er vi se s, di sc us se s an d re vi ew s le ar ne rs ’ de ve lo pi ng kn ow le dg e an d sk ills ,e nc ou ra gi ng in cr ea si ng pr of es si on al re sp on si bi lit y 1. 1. 5 E ns ur es le ar ne rs ar e aw ar e of th e ai m s, ob je ct iv es ,c on te nt an d ar ra ng em en ts of co ur se s/ pr og ra m m es 1. 1. 6 E m pl oy s go od co m m un ic at io n sk ills an d w or ks w el li n te am s S pe ci fic to le ar ni ng in th e w or kp la ce : 1. 1. 7 M ax im is es op po rt un iti es fo r st ud en ts to ac qu ire re le va nt ex pe rie nc e in th e w or kp la ce ,w hi ls tm ak in g th e ca re of ea ch pa tie nt th e pr ac tit io ne r’s pr im e co nc er n 1. 1. 8 Lo ok s fo r op po rt un iti es to in vo lv e pa tie nt s an d th e w id er w or kp la ce te am as ed uc at or s 1. 1. 9 M ai nt ai ns fin an ci al an d et hi ca lp ro bi ty w he re cl in ic al pr ac tic e in te rfa ce s w ith bu si ne ss pr ac tic e C o re K n o w le d g e L e v e l 2 L e v e l 1D
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2. k. 1 C an id en tif y th e st re ng th s an d w ea kn es se s of di ffe re nt as se ss m en t pr oc es se s 2. k. 2 C an de sc rib e th e ex pe ct ed st an da rd s, as se ss m en ts ys te m or gr ad in g cr ite ria re la tin g to th e tr ai ni ng th ey pr ov id e 2. k. 3 C an ex pl ai n th e pr in ci pl es of co ns tr uc tiv e fe ed ba ck 2. k. 4 C an ou tli ne th e us e of fo rm at iv e an d su m m at iv e as se ss m en ti ns tr um en ts an d ca n ex pl ai n th ei r re la tio ns hi p to le ar ni ng 2. k. 5 C an ex pl ai n th e fe ed ba ck sk ills re qu ire d so th at le ar ni ng im pr ov es fo llo w in g as se ss m en t 2. 2. 1 Le ad s th e st ra te gi c de ve lo pm en t an d im pl em en ta tio n of as se ss m en t pr oc es se s an d sy st em s, en co ur ag in g an d su pp or tin g co lle ag ue s an d le ar ne rs to be ac tiv el y en ga ge d 2. 1. 1 U se s ap pr op ria te as se ss m en tt oo ls w ith le ar ne rs , ex ch an ge s co ns tr uc tiv e fe ed ba ck ,a pp ro pr ia te ly do cu m en ts ou tc om es an d us es as se ss m en tr es ul ts an d re fle ct io n to in fo rm fu tu re le ar ni ng C o re K n o w le d g e L e v e l 2 L e v e l 1D
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3. k. 1 C an ac ce ss an d th en de ta il cu rr en t gu id an ce re la tin g to et hi ca la nd pr of es si on al co nd uc t 3. k. 2 C an ac ce ss an d th en de sc rib e lo ca la nd na tio na lp ro ce du re s re la tin g to cl in ic al go ve rn an ce an d po or pe rfo rm an ce an d th e su pp or ta va ila bl e 3. k. 3 C an de sc rib e cu rr en te du ca tio na l an d pr of es si on al re qu ire m en ts fo r in iti al , po st gr ad ua te an d co nt in ui ng re gi st ra tio n 3. k. 4 C an ac ce ss an d de sc rib e th e to ol s an d sk ills re qu ire d to su pp or tP P D pl an ni ng 3. k. 5 Is fa m ilia r w ith th e ra ng e of ag en ci es an d so ur ce s of in fo rm at io n ab ou tP P D 3. 2. 1 W hi ls tr ec og ni si ng th at is su es of pa tie nt sa fe ty ar e pa ra m ou nt ,e ns ur es th at de nt al ed uc at or s an d le ar ne rs ar e ap pr op ria te ly, tr an sp ar en tly an d fa irl y tr ea te d in m at te rs of po or pe rfo rm an ce 3. 1. 1 C om pl ie s w ith G D C an d N H S st an da rd s an d gu id an ce in re la tio n to ed uc at io n, C P D ,c lin ic al go ve rn an ce an d po or pe rfo rm an ce m at te rs ,s ee ki ng an d ac tin g on ad vi ce an d su pp or t 3. 1. 2 P ro vi de s on e-to -o ne ed uc at io na ls up po rt an d gu id an ce to le ar ne rs 3. 1. 3 C on st ru ct iv el y an d se ns iti ve ly ch al le ng es po or pr ac tic e in th e de liv er y of pa tie nt ca re C o re K n o w le d g e L e v e l 2 L e v e l 1D
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4. k. 1 C an de sc rib e a ba si c ra ng e of co ur se ev al ua tio n to ol s an d th e ro le s of au di t, ev al ua tio n an d re se ar ch in de nt al ed uc at io n 4. k. 2 C an de m on st ra te aw ar en es s of lo ca la nd na tio na lq ua lit y as su ra nc e an d im pr ov em en ts ys te m s an d pr oc es se s re la te d to ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng 4. 2. 1 A pp ra is es de nt al ed uc at or s on th ei r pe rfo rm an ce 4. 2. 2 C on tr ib ut es to th e st ra te gi c de ve lo pm en ta nd im pl em en ta tio n of Q A sy st em s fo r de nt al ed uc at io n an d in iti at in g ac tio n as ap pr op ria te 4. 2. 3 A na ly se s ev al ua tio n da ta , id en tif yi ng ar ea s fo r st ra te gi c de ve lo pm en t 4. 2. 4 D ev el op s a cu ltu re in w hi ch th e hi gh es ts ta nd ar ds of de nt al ed uc at io n ar e pr om ot ed an d m ai nt ai ne d fo r th e be ne fit of pa tie nt s an d le ar ne rs 4. 1. 1 E va lu at es ,r ef le ct s up on an d se ek s to im pr ov e hi s or he r ow n ed uc at io na lp er fo rm an ce 4. 1. 2 R ec or ds da ta (in pu ts ,p ro ce ss es an d ou tc om es )f or m on ito rin g an d au di tp ur po se s 4. 1. 3 Im pl em en ts lo ca la nd na tio na lq ua lit y as su ra nc e sy st em s an d pr oc es se s re la te d to ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng 4. 1. 4 E nc ou ra ge s le ar ne rs to pa rt ic ip at e in au di t, ev al ua tio n an d re se ar ch C o re K n o w le d g e L e v e l 2 L e v e l 1D
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5. k. 1 C an ex pl ai n cu rr en tr eq ui re m en ts an d ou tli ne be st pr ac tic e fo r fa ir re cr ui tm en ta nd se le ct io n to ed uc at io na l pr og ra m m es 5. k. 2 C an ex pl ai n th e fe at ur es of ef fe ct iv e m an ag em en t, le ad er sh ip an d te am w or k an d th e re qu ire d sk ills . 5. k. 3 C an ex pl ai n ho w th e en vi ro nm en t an d th e pe op le in it af fe ct le ar ni ng 5. 2. 1 Fa irl y re cr ui ts ,s el ec ts ,m an ag es an d le ad s de nt al ed uc at or s, en su rin g th ey ar e pr op er ly su pp or te d in th ei r ro le by w or kl oa d m an ag em en ts ys te m s, re so ur ce s, in du ct io n an d pr of es si on al de ve lo pm en t 5. 2. 2 In st ig at es or po si tiv el y co nt rib ut es to na tio na la nd lo ca lp ol ic y de ve lo pm en t fo r ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng 5. 2. 3 Le ad s or co nt rib ut es to th e st ra te gi c de ve lo pm en to fd en ta l ed uc at io n an d im pl em en ts im pr ov em en ts in de nt al ed uc at io n an d tr ai ni ng 5. 1. 1 W he re in vo lv ed in re cr ui tm en t, fa irl y an d ap pr op ria te ly se le ct s le ar ne rs fo r ed uc at io na lp ro gr am m es 5. 1. 2 P ar tic ip at es in lo ca la nd /o r na tio na lc om m itt ee s, or ga ni sa tio ns ,a nd /o r di sc us si on gr ou ps on de nt al ed uc at io n 5. 1. 3 W or ks ef fe ct iv el y bo th in de pe nd en tly an d in lia is on w ith ot he rs to m an ag e re so ur ce s fo r de nt al ed uc at io n 5. 1. 4 M an ag es th e ed uc at io na li np ut of ot he rs C o re K n o w le d g e L e v e l 2 L e v e l 1www.copdend.org
“developing the dental workforce
to meet the needs of patients”
COPDEND is the Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors, from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Deans commission, provide and quality manage high quality training and education for the whole dental team.
