Index Of Learning Styles Research Articles

Utilizing decision tree machine learning model to map dental students’ preferred learning styles with suitable instructional strategies

BackgroundGrowing demand for student-centered learning (SCL) has been observed in higher education settings including dentistry. However, application of SCL in dental education is limited. Hence, this study aimed to facilitate SCL application in dentistry utilising a decision tree machine learning (ML) technique to map dental students’ preferred learning styles (LS) with suitable instructional strategies (IS) as a promising approach to develop an IS recommender tool for dental students.MethodsA total of 255 dental students in Universiti Malaya completed the modified Index of Learning Styles (m-ILS) questionnaire containing 44 items which classified them into their respective LS. The collected data, referred to as dataset, was used in a decision tree supervised learning to automate the mapping of students' learning styles with the most suitable IS. The accuracy of the ML-empowered IS recommender tool was then evaluated.ResultsThe application of a decision tree model in the automation process of the mapping between LS (input) and IS (target output) was able to instantly generate the list of suitable instructional strategies for each dental student. The IS recommender tool demonstrated perfect precision and recall for overall model accuracy, suggesting a good sensitivity and specificity in mapping LS with IS.ConclusionThe decision tree ML empowered IS recommender tool was proven to be accurate at matching dental students’ learning styles with the relevant instructional strategies. This tool provides a workable path to planning student-centered lessons or modules that potentially will enhance the learning experience of the students.

Mapping the learning styles of medical students in Brazil

BackgroundMedical education has evolved based on the application of pedagogical actions that place the student as the protagonist of the learning process through the use of active teaching methodologies. Within this context, higher education teachers should use strategies that focus on the student and his/her context and avoid traditional teaching methods. Specifically in medical schools, there is an even greater challenge since the teaching methods of medical curricula differ from those used in previous schooling. Consequently, students acquire their own style of processing information that is often incompatible with the profile of medical schools. This may be one of the factors responsible for the lack of motivation among undergraduates.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to characterize the learning styles of students enrolled in a Brazilian medical school using the Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS).MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study that included students from the 1st to the 6th year of a Brazilian medical school. The students participating in this study voluntarily answered 44 questions about learning styles of the Felder-Silverman instrument validated in Brazil. The instrument was divided so that each domain consisted of 11 questions with two response options in which only one could be selected. For each domain, a score (1 point) was assigned to the selected option (a, b) of the question and the learning style category was determined as the difference between these values. For data collection and tabulation, we used the Learning Syle Platform (EdA Platform) developed based on Felder’s studies since this system processes information about the dimension analyzed, the preferred style, and the most striking characteristics of each style.ResultsThe results showed that sensing was the preferred learning style of the students, followed by the sequential and visual styles. It was not possible to determine whether gender or age influences the choice of learning methods because of the homogeneity of the results.ConclusionsThe present data will enable teachers of the institution involved in this study to plan pedagogical actions that improve the students’ self-awareness, as well as their teaching-learning skills, by choosing the most adequate active methodologies for the medical education programs considering the individuality of each student and class.

Game-based Activity Design in Primary School Students’ Learning Style Detection

Generation Alpha, the present primary school cohort born after 2010, has significant exposure to mobile devices and gaming. Adopting a "One Size Fits All" approach in modern teaching methods may not be effective, as it overlooks individual learning preferences. Personalized learning can be facilitated by identifying a student’s learning style (LS). Adaptive learning based on LS has been found to have positive effects in several studies. However, traditional learning style detection techniques such as questionnaires and self-assessments can be time-consuming and demotivating for primary school students. This study aims to propose a game-based activity framework as an alternative to the Index of Learning Style (ILS) questionnaire linked with Felder Silverman Learning Style Model for LS detection. The proposed game was evaluated with a sample of sixty students, and preliminary results indicate that the game outperforms the original ILS questionnaire in terms of student engagement and motivation to complete LS activities, achieving an overall satisfaction rate of 87.5%. The second phase of the research will focus on evaluating the accuracy of LS prediction using the designed game, which is currently ongoing.

A comparison of Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles.

Learning styles have been studied in dental and generational research, but research has been limited with Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a difference between Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles. First- and second-year dental hygiene students attending three programs located in Southern California were invited to participate in the study. Additional participants were recruited through dental hygiene social media sites. The 44 item Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered via an online survey platform. Millennial and Generation Z participants were compared on the four dimensions of the ILS: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test. A total of 150 dental hygiene students agreed to participate; Millennials (n = 61), Generation Z (n = 89). There was no significant difference between Millennial and Generation Z students in the active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, or sequential/global dimensions (p > 0.05); both cohorts preferred the active, sensing, and sequential learning styles. There was a statistically significant difference in the visual/verbal dimension with Millennials indicating a significantly greater preference for the visual learning style than Generation Z (p = 0.04). There may be differences between the learning styles of Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The finding that Generation Z students differ significantly from Millennials on the visual-verbal dimension may indicate a shift toward the verbal dimension learning style that needs further study.

Professional training in industrial maintenance: A social interactionist approach

The present article discusses whether higher engineering and technology courses in Brazil prepare students for professional practice in the maintenance segment, froman educational theoretical framework point of view. To achieve this, the theme significance was researched in Scopus and ScienceDirect bases. The work proposal is based on the concepts of teaching and learning by Vygotsky, confronting the methods used by professors’ engineers, which multiply what they learned in higher education courses. In the planned research, we intend to understand the paradigms and skills of the maintainer considering the action research methods, through the ILS tool—Index of Learning Styles by Felder and Solomon. To analyze the students’ learning profile regarding their preferences for receiving information, we discuss the scenarios generated, expecting to design a teaching and learning process centered on students, an assumption based on Vygotsky's cognitive theory, in which an individual's learning process is related to their interaction in the social environment that they are. As a result, the proposed teaching practices made it possible to increase personal interest in learning, and we observed that there was less difference between the students’ learning styles and also noticed the same profile in the four dimensions, both morning and evening scenarios. Students consider themselves active, sensory, visual, and global.

Learning styles of medical students from a university in China

BackgroundInvestigating students’ learning styles can generate useful information that can improve curriculum design. This study adopts diverse measures to identify the learning styles of students despite limited literature related to clinical medical students in China. We utilized Felder’s Index of Learning Styles to examine the learning style characteristics of clinical medical students at Inner Mongolia Minzu University.MethodsCluster sampling (probability sampling) was used. This cross-sectional study investigated clinical medicine students with regard to their learning style preference and the difference across genders. This study also analysed data collected from other published studies. A total of 411 students from the medical school at Inner Mongolia Minzu University completed the Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed the learning styles of students in four dimensions: visual-verbal learning, sequential-global learning, active-reflective leaning, and sensing-intuitive learning.ResultsThe analysis results show that clinical medicine students choose to receive visual information (73.97% of the student sample) instead of verbal information. These students prioritize sensory information (67.15%) rather than intuitive information and process reflective information (51.82%) rather than active information. They prefer to process information sequentially (59.85%) instead of globally. Our results also show that male students present a higher preference for an active learning style over a reflective learning style, while female students seem to present a higher preference for a reflective learning style over an active learning style. These preferences vary between cohorts (gender), but the difference is not statistically significant. Compared to data collected from other published studies, active, visual, sensing, and sequential are the most popular styles of learning adopted by medical science students.ConclusionsThe identification of medical students’ learning style in China provides information that medical educators and others can use to make informed choices about modification, development and strengthening of medical educational programs. Our outcomes may potentially improve motivation, engagement and deep learning in medical education when used as a supplement to teaching/learning activities.

Improving Student Performance with ILS Based Student-Teacher Pairings

Students are often assigned to instructors by student schedule or request. We present findings that assigning students to instructors based on learning style similarity can improve learning. We assume that instructors teach consistent with their learning style, and use the Felder and Silverman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) to describe learning style as a vector in R4. We examine the effect on grade difference a as a function of the learning style “distance” between students and their instructors . X2 tests show that the students (N=300) who were more similar (nearer) to their instructor performed better (p-value: 0.000453), and linear regression indicates that student performance could improve by up to 2% by being assigned to a more similar instructor. Our study shows that, with our three novel approaches (standardized learning style measurement, differenced grades, and the consideration of different norms), our data indicate a mild support for using the idea behind the meshing hypothesis to provide recommendations for student-teacher pairing.

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING STYLES AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS AT GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE, VISAKHAPATNAM: A CROSSSECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Understanding a student's degree of motivation and learning performance requires detection of learning styles. To accommodate these distinct student learning styles, teachers should also create a variety of learning resources in a variety of mediums. Hence this study was conducted with an objective to understand the learning styles among Medical students. Methodology: The study was conducted in October 2022 among 2nd and 3rd year M.B.B.S students at a medical college in Visakhapatnam. 286 out of 400 students gave their consent and responded. A Felder and Silverman Learning Style Model (FSLSM) Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire was used to identify student's learning preferences. The mean (SD) age of the partici Results: pants was 20.3± (0.91) years. The majority of the medical students was moderate-strong visual learners (76.3%) and fairly well balanced in the sequential/global dimension (71.7%), active/reective dimension (61.5%) and sensory/intuitive dimension (61.2%) of the Index of Learning Styles (ILS). Conclusion: The ndings of this study can be utilized to advise teachers to all dimensions in a balanced approach while teaching. This further helps in the improvement of the academic performance of the students.

Estilos de aprendizagem de estudantes de graduação de diferentes profissões da saúde de uma instituição

Abstract: Introduction: The concept of “learning styles” derives from theories postulating that students learn by following diverse pathways and that learning is more effective when the adopted teaching strategies more closely match specific student characteristics and learning preferences. Objectives: To determine, in first-year students attending different undergraduate courses in the health area at the same higher education institution, the frequency of different learning styles, categorized according to the four dimensions of Felder & Soloman (FS) model, and to detect any differences associated with the type of course and gender. Method: The study population (N=283; 190 women) consisted of first-year students attending the Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Nutrition and Metabolism, and Occupational Therapy courses, with 68.2% of them aged between 18 and 20 years. The students answered a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire and the FS Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire, which allowed determining the frequencies of the different learning styles and their associations with the type of undergraduate course and gender. Results: the student group showed a predominance of “Sensory”, “Visual”, “Reflective” and “Sequential”, learning styles, in the “Perception”, “Input”, “Processing” and “Understanding” dimensions of learning, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of learning styles, in any of the dimensions, that could be associated with the type of course and gender, although women showed a significant predominance of the “Reflective” style in the “Processing” dimension. Conclusion: It was not possible to establish significant differences between the different undergraduate courses in the health area, or between men and women, regarding the students’ predominant learning styles, although women showed a significantly higher frequency of the Reflective style. These findings must be considered when planning learning activities and, mainly, in pedagogical support, giving students the opportunity to learn about their learning styles and helping them to better adapt to the strategies employed in each institution.

Implementation of K-Means Clustering for Optimization of Student Grouping Based on Index of Learning Styles in Programming Classes

<span lang="EN-US">This study aims to group students into study groups (classes) based on learning styles utilising K-Means Clustering technique and Sum of Squared Error for cluster assessment. This study used type of learning style developed by Felder and Silverman, which includes four dimensions: (1) the learning process; (2) perception of learning; (3) information input; and (4) understanding of information. This study subjects were Universitas Sebelas Maret's students majoring in informatics Education consisting of 58 respondents. The results showed that the K-Means clustering approach with cluster evaluation using Sum of Squared Error produced the best clustering when the number of clusters was k=2. The cluster analysis showed that each class has different learning styles and characteristics. The first cluster (group) consists of 26 respondents and has the features of an active learning style in the learning process dimension, sensing in the learning perception dimension, visual in the information input dimension, and a balance between global and sequential in the information understanding dimension. Meanwhile, the second cluster (group) consists of 32 respondents and has a reflective tendency in the learning process dimension, sensing in the learning perception dimension, visual in the information input dimension, and global in the information understanding dimension.</span>

Structural relationships between levels of perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms: The mediating role of cognitive styles

The current research aims to determine the structural relationships between the levels of perfectionism and the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder with the mediation of cognitive styles. The statistical population of the present study consisted of University of Tabriz students; 360 were selected using a combination of purposeful and convenience sampling, and they completed online the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Positive and negative perfectionism, and Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles. A reflective cognitive style was found to mediate the relationship between positive perfectionism levels and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Additionally, perfectionism levels can predict the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder; reflective cognitive style can predict the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and perfectionism levels can predict reflective cognitive style. Consequently, the levels of perfectionism and reflective cognitive style predict the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and any intervention in this sector should consider the interactive effects of these variables.

CONSIDERATION OF INDIVIDUAL-STYLE CHARACTERISTICS IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF MATHEMATICIANS

Growing requirements for modern mathematical education and the need to improve its quality predetermine the search for and application of effective educational technologies and practices that take into account the individual-style characteristics of students. A direct relationship has been established between the learning style and the difficulties that applicants face in the learning process. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to take into account individual learning styles in the process of professional training of future mathematicians. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, systematization (to clarify the key concepts of the study), questioning (to determine the individual style characteristics of students), generalization (in order to form author's conclusions). The essence of the concept of «individual learning style» has been clarified as a set of stable cognitive and behavioral factors that determine the characteristics of the student's perception of educational material and reactions to various educational situations. Some models of individual learning styles are analyzed (Kolb (provides four main style types of personality behavior (diverges, assimilators, converges, accommodators)), Honey and Mumrford (doers, thinkers, theorists, pragmatists), Felder, Silverman (contains four dimensions and corresponding style features («Information perception» – sensitive, intuitive, «Information acquisition» – visual, verbal, «Information processing» – active, reflective, «Information understanding» – consistent, global) and their features are defined. The results of an empirical study of the individual style characteristics of students, future mathematicians (according to the «Learning Style Index», Felder, Soloman) are presented. The necessity of taking into account individual learning styles in the planning and implementation of the educational process is substantiated. In particular, when choosing the most optimal forms, methods, teaching technologies, diagnostic tools, adapting the ways of presenting educational material through its visualization, planning a flexible structure of classes, presenting the material gradually, consistently and based on the individual difference in learning styles of applicants. Knowledge of the prevailing learning styles determines pedagogical self-regulation and ensures the effectiveness of the professional training of future specialists, future mathematicians.

Navigating the Case-based Learning Multimodal Learning Environment: A Qualitative Study Across the First-year Medical Students

Case-based learning (CBL) is a popular instructional method aiming to bridge theory and clinical practice. This study aims to explore how the CBL mixed modality curriculum influence students’ learning styles and support-learning strategies. We employed an explanatory sequential mixed method with an initial 44-itemed Felder-Silverman’s Index of Learning Style (ILS) questionnaire distributed to the first-year medical students (n = 142) using convenience sampling to describe preferred learning styles. The qualitative phase utilised three focus group discussions (FGDs) to explore the multimodal learning style exhibited by students in depth. Most students preferred a combination of learning styles reflective, sensing, visual and sequential (i.e., the RSVISeq style, 24.64%) from the ILS analysis. The frequency of learning preference from processing to understanding were well balanced: sequential-global domain (66.2%), sensing–intuitive (59.86%), active–reflective (57%) and visualverbal (51.41%). The qualitative data reported three major themes, namely, Theme 1: CBL mixed modalities navigates learner’s learning style, Theme 2: Learners active learning strategies from the CBL modalities supports learning and Theme 3: CBL modalities facilitating theory into clinical knowledge. Many quantitative and qualitative studies have reported the multimodal learning style of the first-year medical students. Medical students utilise multimodal learning styles to attain clinical knowledge when learning with CBL mixed modalities. Educators’ awareness of the multimodal learning style is crucial in delivering the CBL mixed modalities effectively, considering strategic pedagogical support for students to engage and learn CBL in bridging theoretical knowledge and clinical practice.

ILS Validity Analysis for Secondary Grade through Factor Analysis and Internal Consistency Reliability

In differentiated learning, the teacher needs to be aware of the learning styles of students in the classroom to accommodate specific learning preferences, e.g., the Felder–Silverman learning style model. The corresponding instrument, i.e., the Felder–Silverman Index of Learning Style (ILS), was designed to assess learning styles, specifically for engineering students. The ILS has been tested at the middle school level to identify the learning styles; however, validity/reliability had not been established in earlier studies with large samples. The focus of this study was to identify the validity and reliability of an ILS instrument for middle school students (N=450) by investigating the factor structure through factor analysis. This includes internal consistency reliability and constructing validity report of the ILS. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken to investigate the factor structure to establish validity. As a result of the study, the reliability of the instrument was established. Five-factors emerged through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The outcome provided five-factors (i.e., Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR), and Goodness of Fit (GFI)), out of which four factors were related to the four dimensions of the Felder–Silverman model, and the fifth factor was related to the association of sensing/intuitive and sequential/global dimensions of the model, which is in agreement with the theoretical construct of ILS. As a result of CFA, ILS entailing 24 items indicates a good fit with five-factor structure. CFI=0.922;TLI=0.927; RMSEA=0.026; SRMR=0.585;GFI=0.911;X2=277;df=42;p=0.60. This study suggests that the ILS for the secondary-grade students needs to be revised with fewer items to improve the reliability, as supported by empirical evidence through the EFA and CFA.

ICT-based assessment of cognitive load in chemistry learning

The article is devoted to studying and preventing an excessive increase in the cognitive load of university students studying chemistry using various electronic resources. The experiment involved 49 third-year students of the Faculty of Chemistry who studied organic chemistry. A homemade software was developed to measure the level of cognitive load using the secondary problem method. Cognitive load levels were studied depending on the types of used electronic resources. The studied resource types are texts of different levels of complexity, audio and visual materials in different combinations. The load values were measured for each respondent, expressed in relative quantitative units and averaged over the whole student group. In parallel, the preferred learning styles among the respondents were identified according to the Index of Learning Style of Felder-Soloman. A correlation was established between the preferred learning styles of students and the cognitive load they feel when working with electronic resources. The factors that affect an optimal set of educational resources were identified for student groups with various learning profiles. The results of factor analysis allowed the authors to assess the contribution of different learning styles in the formation of cognitive load in the use of different electronic resources. The techniques described in this article allow one to control cognitive load, predict and prevent its excessive increase.

Adaptation and validation of the Preferences of Learning Styles (Index of Learning Styles, ILS, 1997) questionnaire to the cultural and cognitive characteristics of Spanish students aged 11-15 years

Introduction. The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) is a questionnaire created to assess students’ preferences regarding how they learn. It was originally designed in English for university students. The objective of the present work is to adapt the ILS questionnaire to Spanish and validate this adapted version, taking into account the cultural characteristics and cognitive level of the recipients, namely Spanish students aged 11–15. Method. We used the Delphi method involving expert opinions for content validation and the Brown and Maydeu-Olivares model, an approach from the Item Response Theory, for construct validation (this model is recommended for forced-choice items). Results. We located new items in the data scrubbing process, which in previous research were missed using classical factor analysis. The results for the global fit of the model show that 32 of the 44 items in the original questionnaire, display optimal values in various indices (RMSEA, CFI, X2, among others), and so this instrument can be used to identify learning style preferences in Spanish adolescents. Discussion. The Brown and Maydeu-Olivares model takes into account the nature of forced-choice items and this is the first the first time it has been applied to the ILS questionnaire. This validation procedure is novel and proves to be an optimal validation method for questionnaires with this type of items. The interest in the ILS questionnaire is due to the dimensions it assesses, which provide teachers and students with information about learning preferences for better psycho-pedagogical orientation and for the design of more personalized educational interventions.

Revisiting learning styles and autonomy in the design studio: an undergraduate assessment

PurposeThis cross-sectional study investigated differences in the learning styles of 127 undergraduate architectural students (first year through to final year) to examine the relationship between learning styles and learning autonomy.Design/methodology/approachFor the investigation, the Felder and Solomon index of learning styles and the Macaskill and Taylor autonomous learning scale were used to identify how these variables relate to one another and how this relationship differs by gender and level of study.FindingsThe study provides evidence of a statistically significant impact of studio-based learning on both learning autonomy and style. Our findings, in conjunction with the absence of consistent findings from literature, provide suggestions for making learning in the studio more inclusive for all students. The authors also suggest that looking for learning style differences in the design studio is redundant. This is not intended to ignore the importance of learning styles, but when differences of learning preferences are apparent in one design studio, such finding would provide support for that specific learning setting, and only then conclusions can be drawn and suggestions can be introduced to help its learners, but not to be generalized to other studios.Originality/valueLearning styles in the design studio literature has revealed only a few fragmentary and sometimes contradicting evidence that cannot be generalized. Although previous studies have explored learning styles in architecture in some detail, much uncertainty still exists about the relation between learning styles and other learning concepts such as autonomy, especially within studio-based subjects. In this research, the authors interrogated and critically review learning styles as applied to different design settings from different countries.

Students’ Perceptions of ILS as a Learning-Style-Identification Tool in E-Learning Environments

This paper presents the evaluation of the Index of Learning Styles, an assessment tool of the Felder–Silverman learning model. A few studies have previously evaluated this tool, but as far as we know, none of them considered the learners’ opinion to achieve their goals. Considering that many studies suggest continuing with the Index of Learning Styles’ evaluation, an experimental study was conducted using Protus, developed as an adaptive learning system. Analysing the concurrent validity of the Index of Learning Styles, students’ learning preferences were acquired via two different tools: the Index of Learning Styles and the subjective questionnaire. Results suggest that the Index of Learning Styles is valid for defining learning style at the beginning of the learning process, resolving the cold-start problem. We found some differences between the results of the Index of Learning Styles and subjective assessment. By enhancing the Protus user interface with new functionality, which allows a free choice of the learning style during the learning process, we overcome the observed limitations of the Index of Learning Styles. This solution could be implemented in different personalised e-learning environments, regardless of the applied assessment tool, leading to a more reliable student model.

Studying Learner’s Player Learning Style for Generating Adaptive Learning Game

Several studies have been conducted in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning(TEL) have shown that the adaptation to learner’s learning styles is a task that must be taken into account during the design phase of the educational sequences to increase the student’s motivation. Cognitive psychologists have proposed various models of style, which it’s often represented by using multiple dimensions statistically estimated, each model suggests an instrument for measuring an individual’s learning style. Most of them use questionnaires such as (Honey and Mumford (1992), Kolb (1984), Index of Learning Styles (ILS)). For this reason, the main aim of this paper is to show the results of a study that was addressed to doctoral students. The sample of the population was made up of 300 persons. The main finding of this paper is: • To illustrate the effectiveness of the French version of the Index Learning Styles (ILS) and uses factor analysis for an investigation into various dimensions to help students decrease the time spent on this test. • The generation of an adaptable learning game (LG) and the development of a new version of the eAdventure authoring tool based on E-ILS, capable of fixing learners’ preferences (desires, habits, etc.).

Why Students Should Be Taught Differently: Learner Characteristics, Learning Styles and Simulation Performance

Background Business simulation as an instructional tool helps in developing integrative thinking and decision making skills. It is being taught to audiences who differ considerably in age, work experience (learner characteristics) and learning styles. The use of simulations is likely to grow further with advancements in internet technology and the fact that simulations are very amenable to remote modes of instruction. Aim This study aims to assess how learner characteristics and learning styles impact business simulation performance. It further assesses the combined effect of learner characteristics and learning styles on performance in business simulations, we specifically consider the manner in which learning styles moderate the impact of learner characteristics (age) on simulation performance. Method The study was conducted with 605 students of full time MBA and executive MBA programs with age group varying from 21 years to 53 years. They were taught using the same business simulation by CAPSIM. The learning styles were measured using Felder-Solomon’s instrument ‘Index of learning style’. Regression analysis was conducted with predictor variables of learner characteristics and learning styles and outcome variable of simulation performance. The moderating effect of specific learning styles on learner characteristics was identified. Results The findings indicate that age is a significant predictor of simulation performance (younger, tech savvy students do better). Also, the use of reflective learning style enables better performance in business simulations. Older students are able to draw on experience and benefit more from reflective learning, for business simulations which involve integration across functions. Conclusion The study enhances our conceptual understanding of the factors enabling performance in business simulations and provides specific direction on how instructors must adapt facilitation approaches for different age groups of participants. Reflection is important for learning with business simulations; hence, the reflective learning style should be encouraged particularly among older students.