Using appreciative inquiry on learning styles to facilitate student learning

Abstract

Context and setting In India, the medical education curriculum is discipline-based and the basic science subjects of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry are covered in Year 1; therefore undergraduate medical students have limited time in which to learn these subjects. There is a lack of awareness about different learning styles (visual, auditory, read–write, kinaesthetic [VARK]) and how these can be used to create a better learning environment. Why the idea was necessary We felt that students who are unaware of their learning styles tend to study superficially without understanding underlying concepts. The appreciative inquiry (AI) approach promotes adaptive methods in students by allowing them to identify the learning styles of good performers within their peer group who are managing the same time constraints. Becoming aware of learning styles using AI can help students discover their own learning styles and design strategies to convert teacher-provided material into a format better suited to their preferred style. What was done Sixty-two Year 1 undergraduate students participated in this study during 2009–2010. A pre-intervention questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale was used to assess existing perceptions about learning styles in terms of student reactions, learning behaviours and their effects on performance. An AI approach was used to discover good strategies based on learning styles of good performers. Students who were performing well shared their experiences of successful strategies they had employed to overcome issues with teaching materials and methods that had been delivered to them in a non-compatible learning style. This improved the understanding of poorly performing students of the usefulness of identifying learning styles and strategies to help them overcome the challenges imposed by time constraints. A post-intervention questionnaire was used to assess the extent of change in students’ perceptions of their learning processes. Evaluation of results and impact The AI revealed the following strategies. Visual learners draw maps, sketches and diagrams in the classroom; use images projected in lectures and diagrams in books to help them conceptualise facts better, and ask teaching staff to illustrate topics on which they require clarification. Auditory learners like to hear loud spoken words and descriptions of themes; read aloud when they study alone, and ask questions in seminars. Read–write learners like to write down what they have seen and prefer to read their own handwriting; read ‘in their minds’ what is spoken, drawn or shown; read written material in the form of circulated notes and textbooks, and take down important points that are verbalised in the classroom. Kinaesthetic learners like to see video presentations in lectures; enjoy live demonstrations of cases and role-plays in applied physiology, and like to perform actions with their hands to help them understand the learning materials. The post-intervention questionnaire revealed an increased awareness of learning style leading to a better understanding of concepts (88.4%), the facilitation of learning (88.9%), increased knowledge (86.3%), gains in confidence (85.9%), improved recall of information (85.2%), increased ability to synthesise or integrate material (80.1%), improved application to learning (72.2%), and improved performance in assessments (74.1%). A comparison of pre-post intervention scores for these items revealed significant increases (p < 0.001) in post-intervention scores. Awareness of learning styles can create a better learning environment by enabling students to use appropriate strategies.