Learning Styles of Faculty Members and Senior Students in Coordinated Programs in Dietetics Compared by Area of Career Interest

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To identify differences in learning styles between dietetics students and faculty in Coordinated Programs. The learning styles of faculty members and senior students in Coordinated Programs (CP) in Dietetics were examined to compare learning styles by area of career interest in dietetics. Thirty-five (70%) of the 50 university CP programs (excluding our own) agreed to participate. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) 1985 and a short survey, to identify demographic and career preference information, as well as faculty teaching methods, were mailed to the 35 participating universities. Thirty-two programs (91%), including 108 faculty and 324 students, returned learning style and survey responses. LSI's were scored according to Kolb's specifications. Chi-square was used to compare learning styles of students and faculty and also to compare style with career interest or teaching area. Analysis showed significant difference between student and faculty learning styles (p=0.006). The percentage of students and faculty, respectively, in each of the four learning styles was: Diverger, 21.9% and 14.6%; Accommodator, 27.8% and 18.5%; Converger, 20.7% and 35.9%; Assimilator, 29.6% and 31.1%. Faculty also showed a significant difference for learning style within each area of practice (p=0.037), i.e., clinical, management, community/education, research/food science. For faculty, no significant differences were found in learning style by age or academic rank. For students, no significant differences were found in learning style by career choice, GPA, or age. The more even distribution of dietetics students' learning styles than faculty learning styles implies that dietetics faculty may need to consciously include a variety of teaching methods, beyond lecture and case study, to benefit a variety of learning styles. This would show consideration for students with different styles, as well as provide opportunities for students to develop abilities within styles other than their own.