Following 11 years in private dental practice, transitioning into full-time academics was challenging on many fronts, but not being technologically savvy required the steepest learning curve. The digital age reshaped not only how education is delivered but also how confidence and creativity are cultivated among faculty, learners, and academic leaders. Today, I serve as Interim Chair of a dual-specialty department at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine and program director for a pediatric dental residency — roles that keep these challenges immediate. Taking part in AAL’s Institute for Teaching and Learning early in my career helped me recognize that my own development as a digital educator required the same patience and incremental progress I was learning to extend to my students. I became adaptable to the changing face of education, qualities increasingly emphasized in professional education literature, including this article.

From Spreadsheets to Structured Assessment

While not overtly pedagogical, using Google Sheets and Google Forms to support data collection allowed me to acquire usable proficiency in these platforms by applying the same strategies often encouraged for students—breaking tasks into manageable steps, seeking peer input, and accepting slow but steady progress. I highly advise seeking colleagues and staff who are willing and able to share their proficiency in all manner of technology to create a support team for your endeavors.

Digital educational tools assisted greatly in the development of a comprehensive Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) designed as both an assessment and teaching tool. OSCEs are well documented as effective for evaluating higher‑order competencies such as clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism, domains often underassessed by traditional examinations, as explored by Gözde Nur Erkan in a recent article.  Designing a viable, clinically applicable OSCE to assess third year dental student readiness to enter clinical practice with child patients required creative integration of digitally accessible case materials, standardized prompts, and structured scoring rubrics to ensure validity and equity. Selective use of AI to assist in the design of grading rubrics for each OSCE scenario reduced bias and significantly improved efficiency in answer review.

The OSCE development process reinforced a central theme: creativity in educational design is grounded in confidence, which increases with each implementation of digital technology. Implementing an electronic platform-hosted OSCE represented a departure from familiar evaluation formats and required a level of “trust in the process” that developed over time. Each implementation strengthened confidence in both the tool and the educational value it offered, mirroring findings in assessment literature that emphasize formative design, informational calibration, and reflective refinement.

Calibrating Faculty

Education literature (including this article) increasingly emphasizes that faculty and leaders must engage with digital tools not only for instruction but to sustain effective academic communities. One departmental challenge involved improving access to faculty calibration resources in a way that respected time constraints while promoting consistency in teaching and assessment. Faculty calibration, while emphasized for successful accreditation, has long been recognized as foundational to reliability, fairness, and learner trust, yet traditional in‑person approaches are increasingly difficult. Drawing on emerging literature describing technology‑enhanced calibration strategies, QR codes were embedded into a departmental newsletter and linked to brief calibration exercises, reference materials, and supplemental guidance. This digitally-enhanced approach supported self‑directed review while reinforcing shared expectations, an outcome aligned with published findings (read more here) that asynchronous calibration tools can enhance faculty confidence and preparedness.

Introducing QR code‑based calibration to a multi-generational faculty required acknowledging that learning new systems is an evolving process. AAL’s May 2026 Noteworthy Leadership Articles highlighted psychological safety among both learners and educators as essential for adopting innovative assessment and teaching practices. By framing digital resources as supportive tools rather than replacements for expertise, technology became a facilitator of professional dialogue rather than a source of resistance.

Carrying Confidence and Creativity Forward

Across these experiences a consistent lesson emerged: confidence is cumulative and transferable. Skills developed through educational innovation including reflection, adaptability, and comfort with uncertainty translated across leadership, assessment, and engagement contexts. Meaningful innovation occurs in environments where experimentation is supported, feedback is valued, and missteps are reframed as learning opportunities.

Ultimately, confidence and creativity in the digital age are less about mastering specific technologies than about embracing a mindset oriented towards growth. Digital tools served as mechanisms for deeper connection among faculty, students, and alumni. Incorporating QR codes, OSCEs in electronic platforms, and survey software provided opportunities to model adaptability and reflective practice, reinforcing professional behaviors expected of future dental practitioners as well as colleagues. As dental education continues to evolve, these experiences affirm that cultivating confidence and creativity is not an ancillary task of leadership but a central responsibility—one that shapes culture, empowers learners, and advances educational excellence.  While I still have much to learn, everyone can develop confidence in using digital tools in their educational pursuits.

References

Nadim M Islam, Lory Laughter, et al., “Adopting artificial intelligence in dental education: A model for academic leadership and innovation.” Journal of Dental Education Vol. 86, No. 11, November 2022.

Gözde Nur Erkan, “Mastering OSCE Competencies Through Peer Role-Play and Bidirectional Feedback: Empowering Self-Assessment and Documentation in LA Emergencies,” Journal of Dental Education, January 22, 2026.

Valentin Niță, Ioana Guțu, “The Role of Leadership and Digital Transformation in Higher Education Students’ Work Engagement,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, No. 6, March 14, 2023.

Camille M Biorn, Ellen J Rogo, et al., “Effectiveness of Online Faculty Calibration Activities,” Journal of Dental Hygiene Vol. 97, No. 5, October 2023.

Author:

Kimberly K. Patterson, DDS MS

Dr. Kimberly K. Patterson is the Interim Chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry and a Clinical Associate Professor at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. She also serves as the Program Director for the Advanced Dental Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Patterson is a member of AAL’s Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) Advisory Council.