Assessing the Utility of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Posters as Educational Aids in Dental Education for Undergraduate Students: Is it Useless or Helpful?

Background: Educational posters play a crucial role in education, information dissemination, and awareness. Their visual appeal efficiently communicates condensed yet vital information on significant topics, making them valuable for teaching sequential concepts. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department for student education.

Methods: The study was carried out during the fall semester of 2022 at Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad, Iran utilizing a questionnaire-based approach. The questionnaire gathered demographic information and assessed students' perspectives on educational posters. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results: This study was conducted on 70 students (35 females and 35 males). Gender-based analysis demonstrated significant differences in beauty, adaptability, and learning, with male students scoring lower than females (P values = 0.036 and 0.031, respectively). Further analysis by academic year unveiled higher beauty and adaptability scores among third-year students compared to second-year students, showing statistical significance (P value = 0.035). A two-by-two comparison highlighted that the average beauty score of third and fifth-year students surpassed that of second-year students (P values = 0.041 and 0.038, respectively). In summary, higher academic years correlated with superior performance, emphasizing the potential impact of educational posters on academic outcomes.

Conclusion: Posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department received commendable ratings in various areas, positively impacting the teaching and learning process.