Medical Student Benefit from Learning Objectives Correlates to Specific Myers-Briggs Types

Abstract

Learning objectives are a common learning guide but little is known regarding which students may benefit from their use. We have previously reported that male medical students benefit from the use of learning objectives more than female students. We next tested whether specific Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) benefitted from using these objectives. Student’s MBTI types were determined by standard methods, and student use of online learning objectives was tracked in Blackboard. We then determined which types of students benefitted from learning objective use based on course exams and a standardized test. Although all MBTI types who downloaded objectives except intuitives (I) had better course exam scores, only sensing (S) types had enough benefit to significantly affect standardized test scores. Sensing types who downloaded learning objectives had a 30 % gain in score over non-downloaders on the course exam (80.7 ± 1.3 versus 68.7 ± 1.3; P = 0.001). The sensing–intuitive axis appears dominant over gender since sensing-type females benefit but intuitive-type males do not. MBTI type does not appear to affect the decision to download learning objectives as there is no significant difference in objective downloading rates between types. Students with specific Myers-Briggs types, particularly sensing, benefit from downloading learning objectives more than other students. These results support the notion that multiple learning methods may be needed to teach students with diverse learning needs.