scholarly journals Assessment of learning styles of undergraduate medical students using the VARK questionnaire and the influence of sex and academic performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rathnakar P. Urval ◽  
Ashwin Kamath ◽  
Sheetal Ullal ◽  
Ashok K. Shenoy ◽  
Nandita Shenoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Style Preferences

While there are several tools to study learning styles of students, the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire is a simple, freely available, easy to administer tool that encourages students to describe their behavior in a manner they can identify with and accept. The aim is to understand the preferred sensory modality (or modalities) of students for learning. Teachers can use this knowledge to facilitate student learning. Moreover, students themselves can use this knowledge to change their learning habits. Five hundred undergraduate students belonging to two consecutive batches in their second year of undergraduate medical training were invited to participate in the exercise. Consenting students (415 students, 83%) were administered a printed form of version 7.0 of the VARK questionnaire. Besides the questionnaire, we also collected demographic data, academic performance data (marks obtained in 10th and 12th grades and last university examination), and self-perceived learning style preferences. The majority of students in our study had multiple learning preferences (68.7%). The predominant sensory modality of learning was aural (45.5%) and kinesthetic (33.1%). The learning style preference was not influenced by either sex or previous academic performance. Although we use a combination of teaching methods, there has not been an active effort to determine whether these adequately address the different types of learners. We hope these data will help us better our course contents and make learning a more fruitful experience.

scholarly journals VARK LEARNING STYLES TOWARDS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG STUDENTS OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN SELANGOR

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 01-12
Author(s):  
Noor Nasyikin Md Zain ◽  
Fazilah Tamsir ◽  
Noor Ayuernie Ibrahim ◽  
Halimi Poniran ◽  
Amirul Syafiq Mohd Ghazali
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Private University ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Male Students ◽  
High Achievers ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Style Preferences

The objectives of this study are twofold: (a) to examine the influence of students’ learning styles on their academic performance; and (b) to identifies the preferred learning styles of students between high/low achievers, gender, and different clusters. By using VARK standard questionnaire, 433 undergraduate students from four faculties at the Private University in Selangor are used as observations for this study. The study finds that all students were unimodal learners and Kinesthetic (K) type of learning style is the learner type with the most number of students. High achievers are preferred Kinesthetic (K) learning style while Read/Write (R) learning style is more practiced by students with low achievement. Male students are more preferred Kinesthetic (K) learning style, but female students had a preference for Visual (V) learning style. Social science students are more preferred an Aural (A) as compared to the pure science students which are more preferred Read/Write (R) learning style. Further, this study confirms that Visual (V) and Kinesthetic (K) learning style preferences are positively and significantly influence students’ academic performance. This indicates that different subjects required different kinds of learning styles and instructions to optimally potentiate and benefit the students. This result is consistent with the “Meshing Hypothesis” which states that the learning outcomes could be highly achieved if learning was matched with a predominant learning style of the learner. This study gives a better representation of the current situation in the learning preferences among undergraduate students in Malaysia.

scholarly journals Exploring the Preferred Learning Styles among Undergraduate Medical Students and Postgraduate Residents by Using VARK Inventory

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Amna Ahsan ◽  
Nabila Talat ◽  
Saira Fayyaz
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Common Learning ◽  
Style Preferences

Background: Factors which influence learning are educators, students, curriculum, and educational environment. To support the learning environment, educators should be aware of the different learning styles of students, so as to efficiently design the teaching strategies and methodologies to cater to the learning needs of students. Objectives: To determine various learning styles of undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents by using the VARK questionnaire. To determine the comparison between learning styles of undergraduates and postgraduates.                  Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted about the learning style preferences of undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents of Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. The VARK questionnaire was used to categorize the learning styles as Visual (V), Auditory (A), Read and Write (R) and Kinesthetic (K). This study was conducted from 15 July to 15 August 2019. A total of 208 students were selected randomly from final year MBBS and postgraduate residents of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. Results: Among 208 students, 102 were undergraduate students and 106 were postgraduate residents. The most common learning style was Kinesthetic (34%) followed by Auditory (29%), Visual (20%), and Read/Write (17%). The unimodal and multimodal percentage of students was 62% and 38% respectively. Conclusion: The majority of undergraduate students and postgraduate residents in this study had unimodal learning styles. The most common learning style of all students was Kinesthetic (K) which was followed by Auditory (A), Visual (V), and Read/Write (R). Keywords: Learning styles, VARK, Postgraduate residents

scholarly journals Does learning style preferences influence academic performance among dental students in Isfahan, Iran?

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najmeh Akhlaghi ◽  
Hosein Mirkazemi ◽  
Mehdi Jafarzade ◽  
Narjes Akhlaghi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Multimodal Learning ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Language Version

Purpose: The present study aimed to identify the learning preferences of dental students and to characterize their relationship with academic performance at a dental school in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 200 undergraduate dental students from October to November 2016. Data were collected using a 2-part questionnaire. The first part included demographic data, and the second part was a Persian-language version of the visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted with the chi-square test, 1-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression. Results: The response rate was 86.6%. Approximately half of the students (51.5%) had multimodal learning preferences. Among the unimodal group (48.5%), the most common mode was aural (24.0%), followed by kinesthetic (15.5%), reading-writing (8.0%), and visual (1.0%). There was a significant association between academic performance and the reading/writing learning style preference (P< 0.01). Conclusion: Multimodal learning styles were the most preferred. Among single-mode learning styles, the aural style was most common, followed by the kinesthetic style. Students with a reading/writing preference had better academic performance. The results of this study provide useful information for preparing a more problem-based curriculum with active learning strategies.

Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonderai Washington Shumba ◽  
Scholastika Ndatinda Iipinge
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing Students ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing ◽  
Style Preferences

This study sought to synthesise evidence from published literature on the various learning style preferences of undergraduate nursing students and to determine the extent they can play in promoting academic success in nursing education of Namibia. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on electronic databases as a part of the systematic review. Although, kinaesthetic, visual and auditory learning styles were found to be the most dominant learning style preferences, most studies (nine) indicated that undergraduate nursing students have varied learning styles. Studies investigating associations of certain demographic variables with the learning preferences indicated no significant association. On the other hand, three studies investigating association between learning styles and academic performance found a significant association. Three studies concluded that indeed learning styles change over time and with academic levels. The more nurse educators in Namibia are aware of their learning styles and those of their students, the greater the potential for increased academic performance.

Survey of Students' Perception and the Influence of Learning Style Preferences on Learner's Intention to Use 3D Visualization Instruction

2016 ◽  
pp. 297-316
Author(s):  
Yu-Hsin Hung ◽  
Ray I. Chang ◽  
Chun Fu Lin
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
3D Visualization ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Computer Science Pedagogy ◽  
Style Preferences ◽  
3D Representations

3D visualization specifically has been widely applied in a broad range of fields, including computer science, pedagogy, and so forth. 3D visualization instruction has become the essential tool that uses computer programs to generate 3D representations of manmade objects. For users, 3D visualization instruction can be manipulated, altered and efficiently communicated to others, and it is efficient for teaching and learning. The aim of this study is investigating students' perception toward 3D visualization instruction, and the influence of learning-style preferences on learners' intentions to use 3D visualization instruction. We are trying to develop the experiment which undergraduate students participated in this study, the purpose of which was to investigate the utilize 3D visualization instruction access to the single learning style and multiple learning styles. Data mining technology was employed in this study to identify multiple learning styles. The result showed that high visual and high sensing learning style has potential of using 3D visualization instruction.

scholarly journals PowerPoint presentation in learning physiology by undergraduates with different learning styles

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roopa B. Ankad ◽  
Shashikala GV ◽  
Anita Herur ◽  
Manjula R ◽  
Surekharani Chinagudi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Style Preferences

PowerPoint presentations (PPTs) have become routine in medical colleges because of their flexible and varied presentation capabilities. Research indicates that students prefer PPTs over the chalk-and-talk method, and there is a lot of debate over advantages and disadvantages of PPTs. However, there is no clear evidence that PPTs improve student learning/performance. Furthermore, there are a variety of learning styles with sex differences in classrooms. It is the responsibility of teacher/facilitator and student to be aware of learning style preferences to improve learning. The present study asked the following research question: do PPTs equally affect the learning of students with different learning styles in a mixed sex classroom? After we assessed students' predominant learning style according to the sensory modality that one most prefers to use when learning, a test was conducted before and after a PPT to assess student performance. The results were analyzed using Student's t-test and ANOVA with a Bonferroni post hoc test. A z-test showed no sex differences in preferred learning styles. There was significant increase in posttest performance compared with that of the pretest in all types of learners of both sexes. There was also a nonsignificant relationship among sex, learning style, and performance after the PPT. A PPT is equally effective for students with different learning style preferences and supports mixed sex classrooms.

The use of the learning styles questionnaire (LSQ) in the United Arab Emirates

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwish Abdulrahman Yousef
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Characteristics ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Style Preferences

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the use of Honey and Mumford’s (1986) learning styles questionnaire (LSQ) in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE) higher education. In particular, it aims at exploring the learning style preferences of United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students using LSQ. It also investigates whether there are statistically significant differences in students’ learning style preferences because of their demographic and academic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of 1,463 undergraduate students at the UAEU. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present the main characteristics of respondents, to explore the learning style preferences of UAEU students and to find out whether there are significant differences in students’ learning style preferences because of their demographic and academic characteristics. Findings Results indicated that UAEU students have strong preferences for the four learning styles. Results showed that about 68 per cent of UAEU students have strong or very strong preferences for the activist leaning style, whereas about 84 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the reflector learning style, 78 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the theorist learning style; about 60 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the pragmatist learning style. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in certain learning styles because of students’ demographic and academic characteristics. Research limitations/implications There are a number of limitations associated with this study. First, data were collected from a single university in the UAE. Second, the results are based on a self-report survey and this in turn might affect the reliability of the results. Another limitation is that this study is of snapshot type. Hence, it might not capture the dynamic nature of learning style. On the other hand, it has a number of implications for students, educators and administrators. Originality/value The present study is the first attempt to explore learning styles preference of undergraduate students using LSQ, not only in the content of UAE higher education but also in the Arab world.

scholarly journals Learning Style Preferences Among Undergraduate Medical Students: An Experience from Different Medical Colleges of Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Md Rezaul Karim ◽  
AKM Asaduzzaman ◽  
Md Humayun Kabir Talukder ◽  
Kazi Khairul Alam ◽  
Farhana Haque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Multimodal Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Colleges

This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted to determine the learning styles of undergraduate medical students. The study period was from July 2017 to June 2018. The study was carried out among the students of 2nd, 3rd and 4th phases of MBBS course of 3 government and 4 non-government medical colleges of Bangladesh. Out of 7 medical colleges, 4 were within Dhaka and 3 were from outside Dhaka. The sample size was 1004 students. Medical colleges were selected purposively and convenience sampling technique was adopted for data collection. Bangla translated version Fleming's VARK (visual, auditory, read/write and kinesthetic) questionnaire was used to identify the learning styles of students. The study revealed that out of 1004 medical students, 64.2% preferred multimodal learning styles and rest 35.8% preferred unimodal learning styles. Among unimodal learning preferences, auditory (A) and kinesthetic (K) were the most preferred sensory modalities of learning. Among multimodal learning styles preferences, the combination of auditory & kinesthetic (AK) and auditory, read/write & kinesthetic (ARK) were predominant. There were only significant differences of the mean scores of visual (V) learning style among the male and female students. Majority of students preferred multimodal learning styles. Students are able to learn effectively as long as the teacher provides a blend of visual, auditory, read/writing and kinesthetic activates. The study recommended that teachers should be aware of the medical students' learning styles and aligning teaching-learning methods with learning styles will improve their learning and academic performance. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.10(2) 2019: 26-30

scholarly journals The learning style preferences of chiropractic students: A cross-sectional study

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephney Whillier ◽  
Reidar P. Lystad ◽  
David Abi-Arrage ◽  
Christopher McPhie ◽  
Samara Johnston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Kinesthetic Learning ◽  
Style Preferences ◽  
Chiropractic Students

Objective The aims of our study were to measure the learning style preferences of chiropractic students and to assess whether they differ across the 5 years of chiropractic study. Methods A total of 407 (41.4% females) full-degree, undergraduate, and postgraduate students enrolled in an Australian chiropractic program agreed to participate in a cross-sectional survey comprised of basic demographic information and the Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire, which identifies learning preferences on four different subscales: visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Multivariate analysis of variance and the χ2 test were used to check for differences in continuous (VARK scores) and categorical (VARK category preference) outcome variables. Results The majority of chiropractic students (56.0%) were found to be multimodal learners. Compared to the other learning styles preferences, kinesthetic learning was preferred by a significantly greater proportion of students (65.4%, p &lt; .001) and received a significantly greater mean VARK score (5.66 ± 2.47, p &lt; .001). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time chiropractic students have been shown to be largely multimodal learners with a preference for kinesthetic learning. While this knowledge may be beneficial in the structuring of future curricula, more thorough research must be conducted to show any beneficial relationship between learning style preferences and teaching methods.

Learning Style Preferences of Pharmacy Students

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-129
Author(s):  
Zoriah Aziz ◽  
Tey Xin Yi ◽  
Syireen Alwia ◽  
Chong Nyuk Jet
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Pharmacy Education ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Style Preferences ◽  
The University

Students have preferences about how they like to learn. Available evidence suggests that understanding students’ learning style is helpful in providing them a successful learning experience. The aim of the study was to determine the learning styles preferences of pharmacy students. The Honey and Mumford’s Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was administered twice to all undergraduate pharmacy students (n=240) in the University of Malaya, Malaysia. The LSQ covered four different learning preferences: activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist. The LSQ showed satisfactory test-retest correlation (0.57 to 0.66) and moderate internal reliability (0.53 to 0.61). Reflector learning style was the most common among the students (60.4%) followed by theorist and pragmatist (both 8.8%) and activist (6.2%). Another 15.8% of the students did not show any dominant learning styles. The preferred learning styles were statistically independent of the demographic variables examined such as level of academic year, sex, race and pre-university qualifications. A range of teaching methods and learning activities should be provided in pharmacy education in order to match the variety of learning styles.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document