COPDENDStandards forDental Educators

www.copdend.org

Text © COPDEND 2013.All rights reserved for commercial use. This document may only be copied or reproducedwith 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 Browneat Cardiff University working in consultation with the Advisory Group.

Membership of the Advisory Group

Chair: Helen FalconChair of COPDEND and Postgraduate Dental Dean, Oxford & Wessex Deaneries

Jon CowpeDirector, Postgraduate Dental Education in Wales

Lisa Hadfield-LawEducation Adviser for the Royal College of Surgeons of England

Donna HoughDCP Tutor, North West Deanery

David HusseyPostgraduate Dental Dean, Northern Ireland

Stephen Lambert-HumblePostgraduate Dental Dean, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery

Will McLaughlinConsultant in Restorative Dentistry, Cardiff Dental Hospital

Shalin MehraAssociate Dental Dean, Oxford & Wessex Deaneries, Dental Corporate Body Director

Lawrence MudfordVice Dean FGDP(UK)

Graham OrrDirector of Postgraduate GDP Education, North East Scotland,NHS Education for Scotland

Stephen PorterDental Schools Council representative, Director Oral Medicine,UCL Eastman Dental Institute

Ian SharpAssociate Postgraduate Dental Dean, West Midlands

Forewordby Helen Falcon

The UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors(COPDEND) plays a leading role in the co-ordination of postgraduatedental education and training programmes and activities, and aims topromote and share best practice and continuously improve theexperience of our learners.

I am delighted to introduce theseStandards for Dental Educators that buildon the successful “COPDEND Guidelinesfor Dental Educators” published in 2008.I want our Dental Educators to berecognised for the skilled work that theydo, in the same way that we recognise andreward clinicians’ achievements withpatient care. There has been a sea changein attitudes since I first became involvedwith postgraduate dental training andeducation, over twenty years ago. It’s nowalmost unthinkable that a trainer of dentistsor DCPs should be expected to carry outtheir critically important role without someformal induction and training for the job.

However, there is as yet no consistentapproach or agreement about what isneeded to underpin this much improvedsituation. We know that where there areclear standards for people to achieve, wecan monitor how well we are doing, andalso help shape training and educationprogrammes to meet those standards.We can assist those who aspire to becomeeducators to better understand what theyneed to learn and what competences theyshould acquire and demonstrate toprogress their own careers.

The recent publication of the FrancisReport1 has highlighted the essential linkbetween high quality education and trainingand high quality patient care; and these

standards will help us to evaluate criticallywhat we do to support the delivery ofpostgraduate education and training indentistry and to plan how we can improve.We need to consider carefully how best toincorporate these standards, not only in thework of postgraduate dental deaneries butalso across the wider field of postgraduatedental education and to make sure they areuseful to our regulators, commissionersand learners.

I should like to acknowledge the sterlingwork of those involved in the design,testing and refinement of these standards.We have had very wide involvement fromacross the dental professions and this is atruly multi professional piece of work.Particular thanks must go to the workinggroup members and especially to AlisonBullock and Julie Browne for sharing theirconsiderable expertise in this field, and fortheir unfailing efficiency and good humour.Last but not least, I am extremely gratefulto one respondent to the consultation thattook place as part of the development ofthese standards for so eloquentlysummarizing what we are trying to do:

“ These Standards will hopefully actas an inspiration to the profession.At worst they are an aspiration towhich we can all work.”

COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 1

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.

IntroductionStandards for dental educatorsThe drive towards excellence in dental education requires dentaltrainers and teachers to hold themselves accountable for theireducational performance and commitment to continuous qualityimprovement in their practice.

Such accountability extends to patientsand the public, their learners (in whateverguise, be they students, trainees orpractitioners in primary or secondary care),and their colleagues. In developing theStandards for Dental Educators,COPDEND has for the first time set out thevalues, knowledge and behavioursexpected of dental educationprofessionals.2

In presenting these Standards, COPDENDseeks to ensure that skilled educatorsprovide high quality educationalexperiences for all learners. Standardsclarify the expectations of educators, offergreater recognition of the role, greaterconsistency for learners, and shape theeducational content for dental educators.

Dental educator roles are diverse anddesigned to support different members ofthe dental team, in primary and secondarycare and academic settings. Roles includebut are not confined to: Dental and DentalCare Professional (DCP) CPD Tutors,supporting lifelong learning; DCP Tutorssupporting dental nurses, dentaltechnicians, clinical dental technicians,dental therapists, orthodontic therapistsand dental hygienists’ programmes; DentalFoundation Training (DFT) ProgrammeDirectors, Advisers and Trainers (andequivalents in Scotland); Specialty TrainingEducational and Clinical Supervisors,Training Programme Directors and Trainers;

Royal College and Faculty examiners andtutors; and Postgraduate Deans(Directors/Heads of Schools) and AssociateDeans. The educator role may be full-timebut is frequently undertaken on a part-timebasis and alongside a busy clinical postand/or academic research activities.

Dental education is practised in a complexenvironment and under conditions thatrequire a unique set of standards.

� The General Dental Council regulatesthe entire dental team and therefore thestandards must be applicable both inter-and multi-professionally.

� Dentists and DCPs generally work withina team; this means that the learningenvironment is particularly complex,especially where multiple practitionersare involved simultaneously in patienttreatment and the education of juniorprofessionals.

� The majority of dental practitioners workin primary care, where practical skillspredominate and learning is one-on-onewith the trainer in the dental practice.

� The workplace learning context isaffected by the business contract andfunding arrangements and regularlyincludes practitioners discussingpayment for treatment directly withpatients.

2 |

2. We note that COPDEND’s responsibility is for postgraduate and continuing education and training

COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 3

These unique features require Standardsfor Dental Educators which can recognisethis context. However, whilst there is nodoubt that dental education requires aunique mix of knowledge, skills andattitudes, COPDEND recognises that manyof the competences required of dentaleducators are generic to all healthcareeducators and to this end the COPDENDStandards have been set out in a formatthat allows them to be mapped againstother existing standards frameworks.

These include: the Academy of MedicalEducator’s (AoME) Professional Standardsfor Medical Educators and its Frameworkfor the Professional Development ofPostgraduate Medical Supervisors; theGeneral Medical Council’s (GMC) work onthe Recognition and Approval of Trainers;the Higher Education Academy’s (HEA)Professional Standards Framework; and inWales, the Standards for Health Servicesand the Quality Development Plan.

How the standards were developed

The COPDEND Guidelines for DentalEducators were used as a starting point.Information about current training for dentaleducators was gained from an onlinequestionnaire (completed by over 400dental educators and providers of trainingfor educators) and discussions with allPostgraduate Dental Deans/Directors ortheir representatives.

Draft standards were extensively discussedby the Advisory Group, led by HelenFalcon, chair of COPDEND. During a10-week consultation period 83 responseswere received from individuals andorganisations. Revisions were made andthe final Standards were approved byCOPDEND in February 2013.

Description and organisation of the Standards

The Professional Standards are divided intothe core values and five domains. Withinthe five domains, the core knowledgerequired of all dental educators has beenset out.

Beyond the core values and core domainspecific knowledge, the standards arearranged into two levels which broadlyreflect the roles of dental educators (levelone) and the strategic leaders andmanagers of dental education (level two).

Not all standards are relevant to alleducators; rather the application ofstandards should reflect the individualeducator’s role. For example, for the DF1

trainer, the standards related to level one inthe domains ‘Teaching and Learning’,‘Assessing the Learner’ and ‘Guidance forPersonal and Professional Development’will be most relevant, together with some ofthe standards in level one of the ‘QualityAssurance’ domain. It is possible thatsome in an ‘advisory’ role (for example,training programme directors) might havesome standards applicable at both levelsone and two, depending on the relevanceof the domain. However, all dentaleducators are expected to demonstratethat they understand and share the corevalues and core knowledge set out in thestandards.

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COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 5

Why have Standards?

The main reason why a dental educatorshould engage with these standards relatesto the quality of patient care provided bythe dental profession. At all times, dentalprofessionals seek to address patients’needs. Patients should to be treated byknowledgeable and skilled dentists, DCPs,trainees and students who maintain highprofessional standards. The maintenanceof high quality professional practicedepends upon high quality learningexperiences. This in turn relies uponexcellent educators, who reflect upon andseek to improve what they do with learners.

The role education and training plays insafeguarding patients was made clear inthe Francis Report1. COPDEND believesthat Standards for Dental Educatorsprovides a framework which supports thecontinuous improvement of dentaleducators. The potential to affect thequality of patient care is why dentaleducators should be bothered to read on.

A wide ranging set of benefits wasidentified by the respondents to theconsultation that was carried out as part ofdeveloping the Standards:

� For the profession: standardization, accountability and transparency.

Raise the profile ofthe profession . . .

Reassurance for patientsand regulators that safety isat the centre of practice andtraining.

Improved standards ofeducation make betterpractitioners and therefore animprovement in patientsafety/treatment outcomes.

Uniformity, high standardsexpected as norm.

� For patients and the public: reassurance and improved healthcare as aresult of improved education.

The HEA considers that standards willensure that students receive thehighest quality learning experience.Evidence suggests that educators whoreflect on their own practice provide alearning environment in whichstudents engage in criticalcontemplation, and that this will havea positive impact on patient safety.

Perceived barriers to implementation mainlyrelated to time and resources. Otherimplementation barriers that were notedincluded attitudes (arrogance, fear,resistance to change), lack of awarenessand apathy. A few identified a risk that theintroduction of standards might put off

existing educators and deter therecruitment of new dental educators.Others noted difficulties in monitoring.These all need careful consideration andguidance from organisations such asCOPDEND.

It will make it clear toapplicants what is requiredof them.

� For students/trainees/practitioners: improved learning opportunities andgreater consistency.

By ensuring a minimum levelof standards for educators,the trainees should receive agreater consistency oftraining.

Having standards in place mayencourage new educatorsbecause it gives a frameworkto work within . . .

� For employers and regulators: quality control, clarity of expectationsleading to improved governance, CPD and career planning.

� For individual educators: motivation, job satisfaction, increasedconfidence, career pathways, opportunities for recognition and a betterfoundation for future development both as a dental practitioner and also asan educator.

� For providers: guidance on curriculum content.

This can only be beneficial to theprofession. It will give some consistencyand clarity on what is expected ofeducators. This would be particularlybeneficial to someone like me who isnew to being a trainer.

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COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 7

Examples of evidence

Core Values

� Personal development planning,appraisal

� Reflections on education and training

� Feedback from colleagues, learners,patients

� Wider reflection on role; meta-reflections/reflections-on-reflections

� Training in role modelling andprotecting patient safety

Core Knowledge

� Courses or programmes (face-to-face,online) plus reflections

� Readings (from books, journals) plusreflections

� Results of assessments

� Reflective notes on documents(curricula, assessment systems,local/national procedures)

Level 1

� Feedback from learners, patients,colleagues

� Reflections on practice as an educator

� Reflections on (anonymised) examplesof individual learningplans/assessment/guidance/audits etc

Level 2 (as above plus…)

� Reflections on strategy documentsand/or development and contributionto change

� Reflections on approaches to learningplans/assessment/guidance/QA/performance management etc for theregion

� Reflections on the contribution of widerroles (e.g. national committees,examining)

� Grants, awards

� Prizes; local, national and internationalrecognition

A word on evidencing the Standards

Many higher education institutions (HEIs)provide education and training for dentaleducators and offer opportunities to buildcredits towards postgraduate Certificates,Diploma and Masters in dental education.Postgraduate Deaneries also offer localinduction courses for dental educators andother short courses relevant to dentaleducators.

However, dental education is both ascholarly and a practical undertaking.Evidencing standards is therefore not solelyabout courses followed or certificatesgained; rather, that knowledge and skillscan be demonstrated through the work ofthe dental educator, for example bydescribing dental education activity andcritically reflecting on events, referencingtheory and literature, or by seekingfeedback about performance as aneducator from learners and peers.

COPDENDStandards 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 careat all times, and seeking to maintain oral health, prevent oral disease and ensurepatient dignity

Core ValuesThe dental educator is committed to:

8 |

Domain1.Teaching

andlearning

1.k.

1Can

describ

eho

wdifferent

ideas

abou

tlearnersandlearning

makea

differenceto

educationalpractice.

1.k.

2Can

identifygo

odpracticerelating

todifferent

mod

esof

educationaldelivery

inorde

rto

maximiselearnerachievem

ent

1.k.

3Can

discussdifferent

approa

ches

toco

urse

developm

enta

ndprog

ramme

planning

1.k.

4Can

specify

theco

ntento

fthe

learners’p

rogram

me/curriculum

,the

requ

iredprofession

alandclinical

standa

rds,andexpe

cted

outcom

es

1.2.

1Usesresearch

evidence

toimprove

dentaled

ucationandtraining

1.2.

2Promotes

theap

plicationof

educationaltheoryto

dentaled

ucation

andsupp

ortsbe

stpracticeined

ucation

1.2.

3Lead

sthestrategicde

velopm

ento

fde

ntaled

ucationandtraining

throug

hliaison

with

serviceco

mmission

ers,

providers,pa

tientsandtheir

representatives

andby

implem

enting

newandimproved

approa

ches

1.1.

1App

liesed

ucationaltheoryandacriticalevaluationof

evidence

totheired

ucationalpractice

1.1.

2Devises

approp

riate

educationalinp

utto

meetlearners’

need

sandco

ntinually

seeksto

improveinpu

tinthelight

offeed

back

1.1.

3Prepa

resow

nor

uses

others’h

ighqu

ality

learning

resourcesanded

ucationalm

aterials

1.1.

4Plans,sup

ervises,discussesandreview

slearners’

developing

know

ledg

eandskills,e

ncou

raging

increasing

profession

alrespon

sibility

1.1.

5Ensures

learnersareaw

areof

theaims,ob

jectives,c

ontent

andarrang

ementsof

courses/prog

rammes

1.1.

6Employsgo

odco

mmunicationskills

andworks

wellin

team

s

Spe

cific

tole

arni

ngin

the

wor

kpla

ce:

1.1.

7Maximises

oppo

rtunities

forstud

entsto

acqu

irerelevant

expe

rienceintheworkp

lace,w

hilstm

akingthecare

ofeach

patient

thepractitioner’s

primeco

ncern

1.1.

8Lo

oksforop

portunities

toinvolvepa

tientsandthewider

workplace

team

ased

ucators

1.1.

9Maintains

financialandethicalprobitywhere

clinicalpractice

interfa

ceswith

business

practice

Co

reK

now

led

ge

Leve

l2Le

vel1

COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 9

10 |

Domain2.Assessing

thelearne

r

2.k.

1Can

identifythestreng

thsand

weaknessesof

different

assessment

proc

esses

2.k.

2Can

describ

etheexpe

cted

standa

rds,assessmentsystem

orgrad

ingcriteria

relatingto

thetraining

they

provide

2.k.

3Can

explaintheprinciples

ofco

nstructivefeed

back

2.k.

4Can

outline

theuseof

form

ative

andsummativeassessmentinstrum

ents

andcanexplaintheirrelationshipto

learning

2.k.

5Can

explainthefeed

back

skills

requ

iredso

that

learning

improves

followingassessment

2.2.

1Lead

sthestrategicde

velopm

ent

andimplem

entationof

assessment

proc

essesandsystem

s,enco

urag

ing

andsupp

ortingco

lleag

uesandlearners

tobe

activelyenga

ged

2.1.

1Usesap

prop

riate

assessmenttoo

lswith

learners,

exchange

sco

nstructivefeed

back,a

ppropriatelydo

cuments

outcom

esanduses

assessmentresultsandreflectionto

inform

future

learning

Co

reK

now

led

ge

Leve

l2Le

vel1

Domain3.Guidan

ceforpersona

land

professiona

ldevelopmen

t(PPD)

3.k.

1Can

access

andthen

detailcurrent

guidance

relatingto

ethicaland

profession

alco

nduct

3.k.

2Can

access

andthen

describe

localand

nationalprocedu

resrelatingto

clinicalgo

vernance

andpo

orpe

rform

ance

andthesupp

orta

vailable

3.k.

3Can

describ

ecurrente

ducational

andprofession

alrequ

irementsforinitial,

postgrad

uate

andco

ntinuing

registration

3.k.

4Can

access

andde

scribethetools

andskills

requ

iredto

supp

ortP

PD

planning

3.k.

5Isfamilia

rwith

therang

eof

agencies

andsourcesof

inform

ation

abou

tPPD

3.2.

1Whilstrecog

nising

that

issues

ofpa

tient

safetyarepa

ramou

nt,e

nsures

that

dentaled

ucatorsandlearnersare

approp

riately,

transparently

andfairly

treatedinmattersof

poor

perfo

rmance

3.1.

1Com

plieswith

GDCandNHSstanda

rdsandgu

idance

inrelationto

education,

CPD,c

linicalgo

vernance

andpo

orpe

rform

ance

matters,seeking

andactingon

advice

andsupp

ort

3.1.

2Provide

son

e-to-one

educationalsup

portandgu

idance

tolearners

3.1.

3Con

structivelyandsensitivelychalleng

espo

orpracticein

thede

liveryof

patient

care

Co

reK

now

led

ge

Leve

l2Le

vel1

COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 11

Domain4.Qua

lityassuranc

e

4.k.

1Can

describ

eaba

sicrang

eof

course

evaluationtoolsandtherolesof

audit,evaluationandresearch

inde

ntal

education

4.k.

2Can

demon

strate

awarenessof

localand

nationalqualityassuranceand

improvem

entsystemsandproc

esses

relatedto

educationandtraining

4.2.

1App

raises

dentaled

ucatorson

theirpe

rform

ance

4.2.

2Con

tributes

tothestrategic

developm

enta

ndimplem

entationof

QA

system

sforde

ntaled

ucationand

initiatingactionas

approp

riate

4.2.

3Analysesevaluationda

ta,

identifying

areasforstrategic

developm

ent

4.2.

4Develop

saculture

inwhich

the

high

eststand

ards

ofde

ntaled

ucation

areprom

oted

andmaintainedforthe

benefitof

patientsandlearners

4.1.

1Evaluates,reflectsup

onandseeksto

improvehisor

her

owned

ucationalperform

ance

4.1.

2Records

data

(inpu

ts,p

rocesses

andou

tcom

es)for

mon

itoringandauditp

urpo

ses

4.1.

3Implem

entslocaland

nationalqualityassurancesystem

sandproc

essesrelatedto

educationandtraining

4.1.

4Encou

rage

slearnersto

participateinaudit,evaluationand

research

Co

reK

now

led

ge

Leve

l2Le

vel1

12 |

Domain5.Man

agem

ent

5.k.

1Can

explaincurrentreq

uirements

andou

tline

bestpracticeforfair

recruitm

enta

ndselectionto

educational

prog

rammes

5.k.

2Can

explainthefeatures

ofeffectivemanag

ement,lead

ershipand

team

workandtherequ

iredskills.

5.k.

3Can

explainho

wtheenvironm

ent

andthepe

opleinitaffect

learning

5.2.

1Fairlyrecruits,selects,m

anag

esandlead

sde

ntaled

ucators,ensuring

they

areprop

erlysupp

ortedintheirrole

byworkloa

dmanag

ementsystems,

resources,indu

ctionandprofession

alde

velopm

ent

5.2.

2Instigates

orpo

sitivelyco

ntributes

tonationaland

localpolicyde

velopm

ent

fored

ucationandtraining

5.2.

3Lead

sor

contrib

utes

tothe

strategicde

velopm

ento

fdental

educationandimplem

ents

improvem

entsinde

ntaled

ucationand

training

5.1.

1Where

involved

inrecruitm

ent,fairlyandap

prop

riately

selectslearnersfored

ucationalprogram

mes

5.1.

2Participates

inlocaland

/ornationalcom

mittees,

orga

nisations,a

nd/ordiscussion

grou

pson

dentaled

ucation

5.1.

3Works

effectivelybo

thinde

pend

ently

andinliaison

with

others

tomanag

eresourcesforde

ntaled

ucation

5.1.

4Manag

estheed

ucationalinp

utof

others

Co

reK

now

led

ge

Leve

l2Le

vel1

COPDEND Standards for Dental Educators | 13

www.copdend.org

“developing the dental workforceto meet the needs of patients”

COPDEND is the Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans andDirectors, from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.The Deans commission, provide and quality manage high qualitytraining and education for the whole dental team.