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T H E S T U D Y : C A N D O C U M E N T I N G O L D E R A D U L T S ’ L I F E S T O R I E S I M P R O V E D E N T A L S T U D E N T S ’ E M P A T H Y ?

W H A T W E H A V E L E A R N E D S O F A R

At the end of the study, we had completed all the targeted activities. The students had also successfully
created the biographies and write ups. We collected various types of data, including the survey results,
session recordings and vlogs. These are still being analysed to generate the research findings. From
conducting the study online, we have learned a lot.

Here are some of our key lessons learned:

When there’s a will, there’s a way
When the pandemic hit, we thought it would be impossible to conduct our communication-based
study. Thanks to online technologies and the commitment of both the dental students and older adults,
we were able to complete our plan albeit an adapted version.

Inter-generational contact is mutually beneficial, even when done online
Educators in various fields have used teaching tasks that bring students into contact with members of
the older generation. Such tasks include community work, service learning and life-story
documentation. These tasks are designed to improve the students’ soft skills, build humanistic
qualities and expose students to different people and perspectives. While these tasks are usually done
face-to-face, our study demonstrated that an online approach is also possible. The positive feedback
we received from the older adults and the dental students indicates that both groups had enjoyed the
experience. The dental students reported a change in how they viewed older people. Several said they
had more confidence in talking to older people and that their communication skills had improved. In
turn, the older adults expressed positive feelings about contributing to the students’ learning. Several
said they enjoyed the chance to share their life lessons.

Dental students are creative!
People may think that dental students are more
inclined to science and geeky work. However, we
found that they enjoyed the chance to be creative.
During our training sessions, they were enthusiastic
and active participants. As a result, they honed their
skills in using words and visuals. We think that their
biographies demonstrate their artistic and
storytelling talents. You can judge this for yourself,
when you read the next section of this book.
Pre-clinical dental students of Universiti
Malaya (The participants)

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