Introduction: Increasingly, dental education is using digital strategies to deliver teaching; however, not all of these learning materials are engaging and effective.
Aim: To evaluate the perception and knowledge retention of undergraduate dental students after using two different digital learning tools: quizzes and PDF.
Methods: Thirty-three students from a Dental School in the United Kingdom took part in the research. They received learning material derived from the Prosthodontic (Kennedy classification) or Paediatric dentistry content (Tooth classification). The same content was delivered in two different formats: quiz game (n = 17) and PDF file (n = 16). The PDF file had ten images and their classifications, whilst the quiz had the same images with a question about the classification, along with alternatives (single best answer).
Results: All students gave similar performances on the knowledge assessment; however, their perception about the learning material differed. Students using quizzes (88%) agreed that they were fun and an interesting way of learning, while only 37.5% had this opinion about PDF material (p = .002). When using quizzes, learners were more motivated and confident. They would frequently recommend quizzes to other colleagues; however, the use of PDF was not suggested as frequently (p = .039). As a learning strategy, 100% of the students using quizzes wanted more of the same to study other dental subjects. This was not the case with the PDF format (p = .005).
Conclusion: Despite quizzes and PDF files resulting in a similar understanding of dental subjects, learners prefer quizzes to supplement their studies. Educators should consider using this interactive digital tool to engage students, instead of PDF files.
Keywords: feedback; formative assessment; gamification; medical education; online quiz.
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