This site offers materials we developed and/or curated on topics related to teaching, scholarship, and technology. In addition to these on-demand resources, we also offer consultation and a variety of training programs to support your professional development.

For support, contact Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng, Director of Educational Innovation and Assessment at szheng@pacific.edu. 

AI Guide
Generative AI Use Guidelines

The Dugoni School has launched a new resource with guidelines to help faculty, staff, and students at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry understand how to use generative AI effectively and responsibly.

View the Guide

For programs offered by the school that provide CDE credits, participants need to register here prior to the start of the program. 

 

School Programs

Teaching development programs

Contact Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng (szheng@pacific.edu) for more details. 

  • Annual Teaching Showcase: This program provides a low-risk platform for faculty to demonstrate innovative instructional practices and exchange ideas. 
  • Multi-institutional Dental Education Exchange (DEE): DEE is a multi-institutional group designed to strengthen our understanding of important issues in dental education and to collaborate with our colleagues in developing our skills as dental educators. Six dental schools joined to form the DEE, with one participating institution hosting a virtual (Zoom) session each year. Participating schools include University of Illinois-Chicago; University of Pittsburgh; Rutgers University; University of the Pacific; Boston University; University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. [Online]
  • Teaching & Assessment in Health Professions Education (TAHPE): This online course, formerly the Course Director Orientation, is open to all Dugoni faculty. The course focused on evidence-based, foundational educational design principles. The course is self-paced and hosted on Canvas. It uses a flexible modular approach, allowing you to choose the modules aligning best with your needs. [Online]
  • Lunch and Learn: This program consists of a series of seminars offered during lunch time. The focus is on active learning and emergent pedagogies associated with emerging technologies. 
  • Peer observation of teaching (POT): POT focuses on the strengths and areas that could be enhanced. Our primary goal is to provide formative feedback to support your teaching.

Other training programs

  • New Faculty Orientation: A presentation is given to new faculty that covers a wide range of information: administration, absences, clinical protocols. A new faculty information folder is shared via the Pac Manual Guidebook. They are given a tour and introduced to the faculty they will work with. A mentor is assigned for shadowing. They also receive their ID badges and set up their email etc.
  • Cross Training: Held every quarter. Each week has a topic or subject and the presentation or hands-on events occurs each day of the week in an effort to reach all faculty. Week 3 of each quarter is faculty orientation week and week 10 is Grading week. These are not included in faculty cross training. Schedules are emailed to your Pacific email address and posted in 4F area.
  • Dean's Speakers Series: The purpose of the Dean's Speaker Series is to increase the knowledge, skills, behavior and attitudes of our faculty, staff, students and alumni as it relates to an understanding of what is happening more broadly in health care, oral health care and education.
  • Faculty Development Day(FDD): FDD is a quarterly event dedicated to the development of the dental faculty in areas of biomedical, research, clinical, trends in the industry as well as dental education. It occurs on Tuesday of final examination week.
  • Biomedical Science Seminars: The seminars cover a wide range of topics in basic science and their application in dentistry. Scheduled are emailed to your Pacific address.

 

University Programs

 

Conferences

Dental education
Dentistry and science
General education
Seminars, webinars, and workshops

General Teaching Resources 

Dugoni School Resources 

These resources were developed in-house at the Dugoni School to help faculty with course planning and design.

  • Teaching and Assessment in Health Professions Education (TAHPE). This self-paced online course provides a practical foundation in evidence-based educational design. The modules cover key aspects of course planning, delivery and facilitation, including the backward design approach, writing meaningful learning objectives, best practices in assessment, technology integration, online learning design, and using data to strengthen teaching and assessment.
  • Course director 101 (video): This 8-minute animated video provides a brief overview of the course planning process. While the video will be most helpful for new course directors, more experienced course directors can also use it as a refresher. [A few minor updates: 2024]:
    • Night clinics are 6:00 – 8: 30 pm.
    • Week 11: 1 instructional day (Mon) + 1 study day (Tue) + 3 days of final exams (Wed-Fri).
  • Introducing your course to students on Day 1 (video): Check out this video to see how our own Dr. Gitta Radjaeipour introduced her preclinical course to new D1 students on the first day of class. Dr. Radjaeipour's course introduction was clear, transparent, and tied nicely to comprehensive patient care.
  • Dugoni syllabus template (word): The template specifies the major sections and information that should be included in a course syllabus. It includes a sample generative AI course policy and the APA format for citing generative AI tools. (Updated 05.2025)
  • Dugoni Canvas template (website): The template specifies the minimum tools that need to be activated on a Canvas site. It was approved by the dental school's Curriculum Committee. Several examples of module organization are also provided. Click the link to self enroll on the Canvas template site (Pacific credentials required; updated 05.2025).
  • Dugoni Canvas site and syllabus checklist (word): This rubric is for department chair or vice chair use in reviewing Canvas sites and syllabi. All Canvas sites and syllabi need to be approved by the department chair before publishing.

Learning Objectives

Educational Alignment 

Backward Design

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Copyright and Fair Use

  • Copyright basics: A guide on copyright and fair use for Pacific faculty developed by Pacific librarians.
  • Creative Commons: Creative Commons is a non-profit organization which has developed and provided a set of public copyright licenses for authors to use when sharing their work with others.

Other resources

Please reach out to Dr. Sinky Zheng (szheng@pacific.edu) for any additional resources. 

Question tagging 

Item writing 

Item analysis

Assessment techniques

Formative assessment

Feedback giving

Rubrics

 

Below is a list of available and recommended educational tools. If there are other tools you would like to explore that are not listed here, please share with us. For support, contact Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng. 

We also have an Educational and Information Technology Advisory Committee at Pacific Dugoni. Feel free to reach out to committee members (AY 25-26): Mustafa Radif (Chair), Bina Surti, Hussein Al-Wakeel, Alisa Pham, Raybel Ramos, Didem Ozenen, Sinky Zheng.

(Note: * indicates that we have a license through Pacific Dugoni or the university.)

 

Tools for teaching & learning

 

Tools for research and scholarship

  • Bioart: To prepare figures for publication or slides for lectures.
  • SPSS*: A tool for quantitative data analysis. Contact SF IT.
  • Endnote*: Research reference management system. Contact SF IT.
  • RefWorks*: Research reference management system. Contact the university library.
  • Dedoose*: A tool to analyze and visualize qualitative data. Log in through the library.

 

San Francisco software 

List of software and applications available on the San Francisco Campus (login required).
Contact Raybel Ramos, Associate Dean for Information Technology, for details.

 

University software

List of software and applications (design, reference management, statistics packages, and others) available at the university (login required).
Contact Raybel Ramos, Associate Dean for Information Technology, for details.

 

The CUBE

The CUBE, a technology-rich collaborative space in the university library, works with faculty, staff, and students to develop digital tools for teaching, learning, and research (e.g., 3D printing, AR, VR, drones, multimedia production). Contact: cube@pacific.edu

This page features resources to help you leverage generative AI (GenAI) for academic purposes. In addition, we will continue to provide ongoing professional development sessions, including seminars, workshops, and on-demand resources.

Dugoni School GenAI Guidelines

The Dugoni School has developed the Dugoni Guidelines for Responsible GenAI  to support faculty, staff, students, and residents in using GenAI effectively and responsibly for teaching, learning, research, clinical care, and daily administrative work. 

Note: All community members are expected to review the guidelines prior to using GenAI in their work. Faculty are also encouraged to remind students to review the guidelines to promote effective and responsible use. Those mentoring students or other trainees on research should review the guidelines with them.

(The guidelines were last updated: 03/20/2025)

 

Other Resources

 

GenAI Tools

(Note: * Indicates that we have licenses through Pacific Dugoni or the university.)

  • Co-pilot*: MicroSoft's chatbot; log in with Pacific credentials.
  • Scopus AI*: GenAI for literature review that has been integrated into library databases; log in with Pacific credentials.
  • ChatGPT*: Chat, upload files, and perform data analysis. 
  • Claude.AI: Chat and upload files.
  • Synthesia: Create videos with AI avatars and voiceovers.
  • Heygen: Create videos with AI avatars and voiceovers.
  • Canva AI: AI-powered tool for creating flyers, images, and various graphics.
  • NotebookLM: Personalized AI research assistant powered by Google's Gemini AI model. It can summarize documents, answer questions about them, and host interactive discussions with two AI hosts. Free.
  • OpenEvidence AI: AI tool for medical information.
  • ADEA teaching resources: resources on teaching, learning, assessment, competency-based education, and more. It includes MedEdPORTAL, a peer-reviewed publication with downloadable multimedia resources.
  • ADEA eLearn: Live and on-demand learning resources on a variety of important topics impacting dental education.
  • Educause: a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing higher education through technology integration.
  • Chronicle of Higher Education: a leader in higher education journalism that provides news, advice, and insights to succeed in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
  • Online Learning Consortium (OLC): a leading organization dedicated to the advancement of digital and online learning.

Instructional Approaches

Below are practical tips, best practices, and sample lessons organized by instructional approaches/context.

Gameplay is a great way to engage this generation of students. Below are a few free web tools to create game-based learning.

  • Jeopardylabs Web-based jeopardy game that doesn't need a PowerPoint slide template. It has free and paid versions.
  • Hot Potato Create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, crossword, matching/ordering and flll in the gap activities. It is free.
  • Quizlet Search for and create your own flash cards and games. It is free.

Data and Support

Educational and other outcome data and support that you can request for teaching, research, and administrative purposes.

From idea generation to data acquisition, data analysis, and reporting, we provide support to help you translate educational data into actions. Contact: Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng, Director of Educational Innovation and Assessment; szheng@pacific.edu.

 

Types of Educational Data

Below are examples of educational data that you can request for teaching, research, and administrative purposes. There might be other types of data that are not listed here. Please reach out - we might be able to work with you to collect and access the data. 

Learning outcomes
  • GPA and course grades
  • Academic standing
  • ExamSoft longitudinal performance reports
  • Integrated National Board Dental Exam (INBDE)
  • ADEX (Dr. Homer Asadi, Clinical Dean)
  • Competency assessment performance (Dr. Homer Asadi, Clinical Dean)
Instructional effectiveness
  • Student Rating of Instruction (SRI)
  • Peer Observation of Teaching 
Curriculum design
  • Curriculum mapping reports
  • Enrichment program outcomes
Curriculum feedback
  • Annual ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors
  • Annual Alumni Survey
Technology Analytics

Many technology platforms used at the dental school provide program, course, and student level usage data.

 

Educational Data Website

This website (on MyPacific) hosts all major types of school-level summary data and reports, designed to support internal review by school leadership. It is currently accessible to department chairs, program directors, associate deans, and the dean. Log in with your Pacific credential. 

 

Other Institutional Data

Pacific Dugoni's Outcomes Team maintains various types of other institutional outcome data, including clinical and operational data. For more information, contact:

Research & Scholarship

Contact the following individual for research support, including biomedical science, clinical, and health professions education research.

Dr. Rebecca Moazzez

rmoazzez@PACIFIC.EDU

Associate Dean for Research

Director, Center for Innovation and Translation

Chair, Preventive and Restorative Dentistry (PRD)

Contact Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng, Director of Educational Innovation and Assessment; szheng@pacific.edu.

Dr. Zheng provides consultation for the life cycle of educational research and scholarship, from idea generation to data collection, data analysis, and presentation and manuscript development.

 

Educational Poster Template

Click here to access a template for educational research posters. It is focused on the organization, content, and key points to be covered in each section. 

Note: You might modify the colors to match the look and feel of the Dugoni themed template here created by the dental school's Design & Photo Department. Login with Pacific credentials required. 

 

Educational Manuscript Template

Click here to access a template for full-length original research manuscripts. It provides a high-level structure for publishing original research, key points to be covered in each section, and tips on how to present research findings. 

 

Journal of Dental Education (JDE) Short Papers

In addition to full-length original research, JDE also publishes 500-word short papers in the Advancing Through Innovation series. Below are examples of published short papers by Dugoni faculty.

 

Other Resources

 

Publish Open Access for Free

Pacific has access to agreements with Elsevier, Wiley, Springer Nature, and ACS Publications to allow Pacific corresponding authors to publish Open Access in many of their journals for free. Visit the library's Research Support Guide to view the list of journals covered.

Selected Journals

Dental and Medical Education Journals

Basic Science Education Journals

General Educational Research Journals

Other Journals

Oral Health

Oral Health is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific. The journal publishes research across all areas of oral health, including education, research, and clinical practice. The journal is open access (free for all readers). But unlike most open access journals, it is also free for all authors. 

Co-Editors-in-Chief: 

 

Internal funding

University funding
A variety of grants to support faculty teaching, research, and professional development. (PacificID login required). 

Contact: Dr. Didem Ozenen, Associate Dean for Oral Health Education, dozdemirozenen@pacific.edu.

Dugoni grants
The grants support all types of research, including basic science, dental/clinical, and educational research. (PacificID login required).

Contact: Harmony Matshik Dakafay, Research Lab Manager, hmatshikdakafay@pacific.edu.

Byron J. Thayer Fund
Funds may be used to support a variety of programs and projects for the School of Dentistry. 

Contact: Dr. Didem Ozenen, Associate Dean for Oral Health Education, dozdemirozenen@pacific.edu.

External funding 

Dugoni Faculty Research Resources

Resources on grants, grant support, shared instruments and facilities, links to IRB Office and more.

Research Support Guide

The university library's research support guide webpage has information on citation management (e.g., RefWorks), finding and choosing journals, publishing open access for free, and more.

IRB Resources

Follow the steps outlined here (PDF) and below to submit your IRB application. 

  1. Register and complete the CITI research ethics training: Social and Behavioral Research Basic OR the Biomedical Research Basic.
  2. If you have not completed a prior IRB application with the online system, first fill out the Cayuse Access Request Form.
  3. Submit your IRB application to the Cayuse online system. University network login required. 

Visit the IRB page on MyPacific for more resources. 

University IRB office: irb@pacific.edu

Pacific Dugoni IRB representatives: Drs. Didem Ozenen, Rebecca Moazzez, Cassio Silva.

This section features research highlights and publications by the dental school faculty, staff, and students. Contact: Dr. David Ojcius, Assistant Provost for Research, at dojcius@pacific.edu.

Other Resources

General resources

Dossier management support

For support, contact:

Student rating of instruction

For questions, contact:

Peer observation of teaching

For questions, contact:

  • Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng (szheng@pacific.edu), Director of Educational Innovation and Assessment

 

Resources

 

Interested in serving as a peer observer? 

Reach out to your department chair and/or Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng. 

 

Promotion and tenure eligibility and review

For questions, contact the academic dean and copy the faculty affairs specialists in the email.