The drama workshop as a catalyst for integrative learning

This chapter provides a brief overview of traditional dental pedagogies and advocates the recognition of a third dental pedagogy, that of integrative learning. A novel practicum for head and neck cancer (HNC) education is used as an example of integrative learning. The chapter presents a novel educational intervention designed to scaffold student learning in a key topic in the dental undergraduate curriculum, namely the role of the General Dental Practitioner (GDP) in HNC prevention. This practical learning experience gives dental students an opportunity to work in a real-life situation, integrate their learning across contexts and time, and apply this knowledge in a variety of new situations. HNC is a collective term involving cancers of the lip, mouth, salivary glands, nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. This chapter provides an overview of a practical, educational intervention designed to help students make productive connections between theory and practice and to apply their knowledge in a safe but challenging, real-life situation.