Multimodal Learners Research Articles

Association of Learning Styles with Academic Achievements in First-year Professional MBBS Students of a Medical College in Eastern India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Research has shown that learning may be optimised by synchronising the learning environment with the learning style preferences of students. First-year medical students face immense stress as they adapt to a new learning environment and curriculum at the onset of their medical career. The simultaneous use of two supplementary learning styles questionnaires, namely, the Visual-Aural/Auditory-Read/WriteKinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire and the Vermunt Inventory of Learning Styles (Vermunt ILS), would provide detailed knowledge of their instructional preferences, information processing, and cognitive personality learning styles. Judicious use of such information at this stage may guide them towards improved learning and higher academic achievement. Aim: To study the association between learning styles and academic achievements in first-year professional MBBS students of a medical college. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India over the duration of 10 months from August 2021 to June 2022. Online surveys of 250 first-year MBBS students’ learning styles were conducted using the VARK questionnaire and Vermunt ILS, and the marks of three internal assessment examinations were collected. The data was entered into Microsoft Excel. Group as well as individual scores were analysed, and Pearson’s Chisquare test was used to determine the association between the students’ learning styles and their academic achievement. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the total of 160 submitted questionnaires, 139 (86.8%) students were visual learners, while the rest were multimodal learners. The factor loading of the ILS scales revealed higher alpha coefficients for learning orientations and mental models of learning, with the ‘use of knowledge’ being awarded high scores by the highest number of students, 104 (83.56%). A total 134 learners gave lower scores to processing and regulation strategies, but a significant association was found between 126 (94%) of them and their academic scores of ≥50% (p-value=0.024). Conclusion: Although no positive association was found between learning styles and academic achievement of firstyear medical students, the integration of two learning style tests provided educators with comprehensive insight into the learning preferences of their students, enabling them to develop an adaptive curriculum. Students might also utilise knowledge of their learning styles to guide themselves towards self-directed learning, lifelong learning, and higher academic achievement.

Assessment of Undergraduate Pharmacy Student Learning Styles Using the VARK Questionnaire

Introduction: Many students struggle to recognise their own learning styles, which leads to poor academic achievement. Thus, this study aimed to determine the preferred learning styles of undergraduate pharmacy students at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Selangor Puncak Alam Campus. The correlation between the preferred learning style of pharmacy students and their gender, year of study, and academic performance was also investigated in this study. Methods: Respondents (N = 258) were recruited using simple random sampling from four cohort of pharmacy students. The learning style was evaluated by using a validated Visual, Aural, Reading/writing, and Kinesthetic (VARK) Questionnaire. Results: In this study, unimodal learning style was preferred by 65.1% of the respondents, with the remaining 34.9% having multimodal style preference. Kinesthetic (K) was the most preferred learning style (37.6%) while Reading/writing (R) was the least preferred method of learning (33.7%). The Chi-square test of independence revealed that there was a significant correlation between gender and the preferred learning style (p = 0.002). However, no correlation was observed in the preferred modality according to the year of study (p = 0.877) and academic performance (p = 0.989). Conclusion: In conclusion, the majority of our pharmacy students were unimodal learners, with the kinesthetic learning style being the most common and reading/writing being the least preferred. Our pharmacy students have also been discovered to be multimodal learners, which may be an important consideration for educators utilising a mixed teaching technique to support various learning styles.

Assessment of learning styles using VARK model in first year undergraduate medical students

In the assimilation and processing of information, students favor different choices. Fleming described the VARK learning style model that includes a questionnaire which enables us to recognize a person’s sensory modality preference in learning. It categorizes the learning styles into four: visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), and kinesthetic (K).1) To assess the learning styles of first year MBBS students of a Private Medical College in Kerala and find out prevalence of unimodal and multimodal learners. 2) To find association between scores of students in anatomy, biochemistry and physiology and their VARK categories. 3) To determine the association between gender and VARK categories.A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among first year undergraduate medical students in a private medical college in Kerala. VARK questionnaire, consists of 16 multiple choice questions, was distributed to the participants after obtaining written consent. Scores of their internal assessment were also collected. The data was analyzed and the learning styles were presented as percentages. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to find the association between learning styles and gender, and the scores in internal assessment. The total number of students enrolled for the study was100. Age ranged from 17 to 22 years and females constituted 62%. It was observed that 84% students were unimodal, out of which Kinesthetic (45.2%) was the most preferred. There were 12 bimodal and 4 trimodal learners. No association between learning styles and gender as well as between learning styles and academic performance based on written and practical exams of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry were found. We found there were notable differences between males and females in unimodal kinesthetic and auditory learners in certain scores.The present study reported that unimodal learners were more frequent than bimodal and trimodal learners. There were no quadrimodal learners. The preferred method of learning amongst unimodal learners was the kinesthetic style. We found no association between gender and the preferred learning style. The study also found that there was no association between academic performance (scores) and their learning styles.

Learning Style Preferences of First-Year Residents in Various Medical Specialties in Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand

Background: Learning styles preferences play an important role in helping learners acquire knowledge. Because each individual establishes different learning styles, knowing students’ learning preference may help instructors design appropriate teaching methods which aids students to achieve learning outcome more effectively. Objective: To determine the learning styles in first-year residents of various medical specialties, using the VARK model. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited all first-year residents of academic year 2021 to 2022, at Ramathibodi Hospital. Ninety-five residents gave their consent and submitted the VARK questionnaire. The results were classified into 3 groups of specialties, based on its major characteristics being surgery-based, cognitive-based, or diagnostic-procedure-based. Results: The VARK preferences in the surgery-based group were as followed; 7.9% aural learners, 26.3% kinesthetic learners, and 65.8% multimodal learners, with none being visual and read/write learners. In the cognitive-based group, the VARK preferences were 7.7% visual learners, 19.2% aural learners, 3.8% read/write learners, 19.2% kinesthetic learners, and 50.0% multimodal learners. In the diagnostic-procedure-based group, the VARK preferences were 8.3% visual learners, 37.5% kinesthetic learners, and 54.2% multimodal learners with none being aural and read/write learners. Conclusions: The VARK preferences showed that Ramathibodi’s overall first-year residents were mostly multimodal learners with the surgery-based and the diagnostic-procedure-based groups having more kinesthetic preference learners in their specialties.

Learning styles of medical students.

Objective: To assess the various learning styles of fourth year medical students using VARK inventory. Study Design: Descriptive Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Community Medicine, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Lahore. Period: May to July, 2022. Material & Methods: Study was commenced after obtaining permission from 2022 VARK Learn Limited to use the VARK inventory and after review by IRB, LMDC. Study tool used was questionnaire with the VARK inventory version 7.8. The VARK inventory is a pre-tested and validated tool developed to assess learning styles of students on basis of visual, aural, read/write and kinesthetic styles. Data entry and analysis was done using IBM SPSS software version 21. Students were grouped according to learning styles as well according to number of preferred styles (uni-modal and multi-modal). Comparison of student gender and pre-medical qualification against learning style were performed using chi-square test. Results: Amongst the participants 52.1 % were female while 84% of students had completed their FSc before admission to MBBS. It was seen that that most commonly favored learning style was Kinesthetic mode (n=133) followed by auditory (n=131), then 108 visual learners and only 88 read-write learners. Results showed that only 2 participants were uni-modal learners while the remaining 98.6% of students were multi-modal learners. Amongst the multimodal learners, 40% were quadra-modal learners, 40% tri-modal learners and 19% bi-modal learners. Conclusion: In conclusion, multimodal learning approaches are the most preferred learning modality. This implies that both teachers as well as students should incorporate multiple learning styles in their teaching as well as learning process.

Changes in the VARK Learning Style from the First to the Second Preclinical Year of Medical Students: A Follow-up Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study in a Thai Medical School

Objective: This study aimed to determine percentage of students who changed (change group) and did not change (no-change group) in the visual (V)–aural (A)–reading/writing (R)–kinesthetic (K) learning style from the first (Preclinic1) to the second (Preclinic2) preclinical year; and compare academic performance (GPA, percentile of GPA, and achievement of study targets) and stress levels between these groups.
 Materials and Methods: The VARK and research questionnaires were sent to students of the 2019 class at the end of Preclinic1 and again at Preclinic2. GPA and percentile of GPA were obtained from academic records while achievement of study targets and stress levels were from the research questionnaires.
 Results: Most students were multimodal learners (65.03% in Preclinic1 and 69.51% in Preclinic2). From Preclinic1 to Preclinic2, 69.3% of students changed and 30.7% of students did not change their learning preference. In Preclinic1 and Preclinic2, GPA and percentile of GPA were higher in the no-change compared with the change group (p<0.01 all). GPA in the change group was lower in Preclinic2 than that in Preclinic1 (p<0.001). Achievement of study targets and stress levels of the change group in Preclinic2 were lower than theirs in Preclinic1 and those of the no-change group in Preclinic2 (p<0.05 all). The students who changed their learning preference might need to adapt to their new learning preference probably leading to lower academic capability but less stress.
 Conclusion: Students changed their learning preference around 70% from Preclinic1 to Preclinic2. The change group exhibited lower academic capability but less stress.

A Blended Institutional Learning Approach for the Higher Education Sustainability

Blended learning approach create more multimodal learner centered learning environment that innovatively shape the instructors’ delivery and students’ learning. The study on the effects of deliberate practice on blended learning sustainability shows the feasible and practical approach for the students connected outside the classroom with cognitive engagement through the successful completion of courses and sharing of knowledge in their future career. This paper highlights the strategic dimensions for blended learning in Higher Education Institutions and the key competencies in Higher Education sustainability that are driven to the blended learning model. Skills, attributes, and competencies are important to determine the successful placement of university graduates. How the advanced technological based learning activity would help the students to acquire those competencies during their course duration has been discussed.

Learning Preferences of Generation Z Undergraduates at the University of Cyberjaya

A new generation (Generation Z) of learners has entered universities/colleges. They were raised in an environment full of technology and high access to the online world which well affected their preferences for receiving information. It is indispensable to know their preferred learning style, which could aid in enhanced content delivery. The main aim of this study was to infer the Gen Z undergraduates’ learning preferences. In this cross-sectional study, convenience sampling was applied. The VARK questionnaire link was forwarded through the student WhatsApp groups. Descriptive and group comparisons were inferred using the chi-square test with p < 0.05 as level of significance. Three hundred Gen Z undergraduates from University of Cyberjaya participated in this study. There is a statistically significant higher preference for multimodal learning (75.7%) with higher preference among male Gen Z undergraduates. There is a statistically significant difference in the preference for various learning styles among the undergraduates who preferred unimodal learning style. Gen Z undergraduates at the University of Cyberjaya preferred the multimodal form of learning while the kinaesthetic mode of learning was highly preferred by both unimodal and multimodal learners.

The productive vocabulary of multimodal and unimodal English as a Foreign Language learners

This study investigated the productive vocabulary of EFL learners divided into two groups: multimodal (preference for two or three perceptual learning styles) and unimodal (preference for one perceptual learning style). The objectives of this research were twofold: (1) to identify the productive vocabulary of multimodal and unimodal EFL learners; and (2) to ascertain whether there were statistically significant differences between productive vocabulary and the preferences for learning (multimodality or unimodality). The sample consisted of 60 Spanish EFL learners (24 multimodal and 36 unimodal) in the 12th grade. The data collection instruments were the Learning Style Survey (Cohen et al., 2009) to divide the informants into multimodal and unimodal learners, and the 2,000-word version of the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (Laufer & Nation, 1995, 1999) to measure their productive vocabulary. Then, data were coded and subjected to quantitative analyses. The findings indicated that multimodal learners had more productive vocabulary (1,186 words) than their unimodal peers (948 words). However, there were not statistically significant differences between multimodal and unimodal learners in their productive vocabulary. However, both the effect size and the strength of association were large. Therefore, the results suggested that EFL learners employed different sensory modalities to learn vocabulary.

A study of the different learning styles of the present first professional MBBS students at United Institute of Medical Sciences, United Medicity, Prayagraj, India

Background: The study is designed to evaluate the different learning styles of the present first professional MBBS students. Students were requested to complete the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire at VARK-LEARN.COM. Results of the questionnaire were collected by email and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. We found that 68.2% had multimodal learning preferences and 31.7% had single learning preference. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyze the different learning styles of MBBS 1st year students of United Institute of Medical Sciences, Prayagraj, using the VARK questionnaire. Materials and Methods: This study includes the informed consent taken from each student before participating. The Institutional Ethics Committee approved the study. Copyright permission was taken from the website vark-learn.com, from VARK Learn Limited, New Zealand. One hundred and two students had consented, and out of them, 85 students participated in the study. The students were asked to complete the questionnaire on the website. The data on their learning styles were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: Out of 85 Students, 58 (68.2%) had multimodal learning preferences. Of these, 28.2% of students had four-part VARK or quadrimodal preferences, 28.2% of students had bimodal, and 11.7% had trimodal learning preferences. Twenty-seven (31.7%) had single learning preferences, and, out of these 27 students, 17 (20%) had kinesthetic, 6 (7.05%) had visual learning preferences, and 4 (4.7%) students had aural learning preferences. Conclusion: With the help of this study, we concluded that most of the students who participated in our study are multimodal learners, and out of the students who had a single learning preference, most had kinesthetic learning preferences.

Do learning styles influence learning outcomes in anatomy in first-year medical students?

ABSTRACTBackground:Learning styles are a key element for teachers for any given learning environment. The Visual, Aural/Auditory, Reading/write, Kinesthetic (VARK) instrument is easy to administer and can have an impact on the quality of learning environment. The present study was done to understand the learning styles preferred by the students using VARK questionnaire and correlating learning styles with their academic performance.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted on 100 first-year MBBS students. Students were categorized into five groups of learners: visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic, and multimodal, based on their scores obtained after administering VARK questionnaire. First internal marks of theory and practicals were collected. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done in five groups of learning styles.Results:Out of 97, 13 were visual, 25 were auditory, 5 were read/write, 40 were kinesthetic, and 14 were multimodal type of learners. Three students were chronic absentees and were excluded from the study. The student who scored highest in theory internal assessment belonged to visual and kinesthetic type of learner, whereas who scored least was a kinesthetic learner. The student who scored highest in practical internal assessment was a multimodal learner and who scored least was a kinesthetic learner, The P value for theory was 0.773 and for practicals was 0.26, ANOVA for theory is 0.33 and for practicals is 0.057.Conclusion:There was no statistic difference in theory performance, however with respect to practicals, the ANOVA value was 5%. Hence, the aforementioned results may be suggestive of correlation between learning style and academic performance.

Learning styles and vocabulary learning by Iranian undergraduate EFL learners

Each English as a foreign language (EFL) learner may have a particular learning style which may affect the mastering of new language skills and components, one of which is vocabulary. The current study aims to find out the preferred learning style(s) of Iranian undergraduate EFL learners and their achievement in the vocabulary test. Forty-four undergraduate students took part in the study. visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinaesthetic learning style questionnaires and the teacher developed test of vocabulary were used in this study. The validity and reliability of the learning style questionnaire and the teacher developed test of vocabulary were determined. The data were collected and analysed using appropriate statistical analyses including descriptive statistics and one way analysis of variance. The results indicated that the participants were mainly auditory learners. Moreover, it was found that visual and multimodal learners had the best performances on the vocabulary test. Keywords: Learning style, vocabulary learning, undergraduate EFL learners.

Assessing the relationship between student learning characteristics and academic performance in chemical pathology in an undergraduate medical curriculum

Background: Teaching and learning chemical pathology requires that medical trainees interpret biochemical test results correctly (against the background of clinical information) to solve clinical problems, while being aware of factors that could affect results. To meet these competencies, students must possess certain learning characteristics. This study explored the relationship between student learning characteristics and academic performance in chemical pathology. It is expected that a better understanding of the relationship between students' learning characteristics and academic performance will help formulate strategies to enhance teaching and learning of this subject. Methods: This study was designed as an exploratory survey. Self-administered, validated questionnaires were used to obtain data on learning mode, learning style and learning approach from 250 fourth-year undergraduate medical students at a medical university in South Africa. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlations were used to analyse the relationship between each learning characteristic and academic performance. Spearman’s rho was used to study the relationships between the three learning characteristics. Results: A response rate of 72% was obtained. The largest number of participants (35%; n = 63) were visual learners, pragmatists (25%; n = 45) and learned using a superficial approach (44%; n = 79). Multimodal learning mode, balanced learning style and deep learning approach were found to correlate significantly with better academic performance in chemical pathology (r = 0.262, 0.307 and 0.467, respectively; p ≤ 0.0001).Conclusions: Our findings reveal that multimodal learners with a balanced learning style who have a deep approach to learning performed well in chemical pathology. This concurs with findings by studies that report a positive association between these learning characteristics and academic performance in other subjects in medicine. We propose that to achieve effective student learning, chemical pathology educators explore alternative teaching and learning activities to move students towards these positive learning characteristics.

Learning Style Preference

Background: Understanding the differences in learning styles among medical students and their impact on the learning processes may enhance better learning and knowledge acquisition that is necessary for improving learning outcomes. This study aimed at the determination of the learning style preferences of the University of Nigeria preclinical medical students and the impact they have on their academic performance. Materials and Methods: The study involved 158 third-year medical students (102 males and 56 females). Each student completed the VARK questionnaire (Version 7) comprising 16 questions that identified four different learning style preferences, namely V – visual, A – aural, R – read–write, and K – kinesthetic. The academic performance of the students was obtained from the results of their second MBBS professional examination. Analysis of data was done using Statistical Package for the Social sciences (SPSS) version 21; the percentages and charts of distribution for each VARK component were determined. The presence/absence of significant interactions between academic performance and learning style preferences was determined using Chi-square test. Results: The results showed that 30.4% of the students were unimodal (V-2.5%, A-7%, R-17.1% and K-3.8%), while 69.6% were multimodal in learning. With respect to gender, the males (70.6%) and females (67.9%) preferred multimodal learning, and both genders showed similar patterns in their preferences (read–write, followed by aural, kinesthetic, and visual). Visual learners exhibited the highest scores among unimodal learners, followed by kinesthetic, aural, and read–write learners, although the mean performance of multimodal learners (65%) was higher than those of unimodal learners (54%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: A blend of V-A-R-K instructional techniques would benefit most students. Students who are strongly unimodal in learning need to be specifically targeted with their unique learning style.

MULTIMODAL LEARNER’S DICTIONARY WITH HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL COMPONENTS IN EFL CLASSROOM

This article studies the problem of making a multimodal computer dictionary with historical and cultural components for EFL classrooms. The relevance of the research topic is associated with the development of computer lexicography as a branch of applied linguistics at the intersection with digital humanities and digital pedagogy, as well as with the active development of new methods and tools in the practice of teaching foreign languages. The object of the research is a multimodal learners’ computer dictionary that visualizes semantic changes in lexicon of the English language, in particular, the key lexemes of the thematic field “еducation”. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the problems of creating an educational multimodal dictionary of a historical and cultural type in computer lexicography. One of the objectives of the research is to study the specific semantic features of the units in the thematic field “education” in the multimodal learner’s dictionary. The multimodal dictionary plays an important role in the interaction of the user with the virtual system, where the dictionary is not only an additional reference book but also a multifunctional means of teaching and obtaining information about the culture of the target language countries, including the dynamics of its development. The introduction of such dictionaries into teaching is the key to successful immersion in the culture of the target language country and mastering language competencies. This article presents the elements of typology and principles of building computer dictionaries, notes the role of a multimodal computer dictionary in teaching a foreign language, and proposes a model of a learner’s multimodal dictionary of historical and cultural type for EFL classroom, as well as outlines the stages of dynamic development in English vocabulary.

Visual or Auditory: The Effective Learning Modality in Multimodal Learners

Background: One of the principle debates in the field of individual differences in ‘learning style’ has centredaround the proliferation of constructs and measures irrespective of extensive theories and instruments. Inthe current digital world, audio-visual aids have grown exponentially with several multimedia such aseducational DVDs, Power Point, YouTube and other online portals. With recent advances in Kinaesthetic/tactile learning styles that help the students to have hands on experience, it is easier to understand, analyse& reproduce the concept. This research intends to use VARK Questionnaire to study the learning styles andtheir preferences and determine the effective learning modality.Objective: To study the effective sensory modality of learning using cognitive learning tests in multimodallearners.Materials and Method: Study was conducted on 250 undergraduate medical students of BMCRI,Bengaluru. Informed written consent was taken. Subjects with visual and auditory abnormalities, motordisorders,diseases of upper limb were excluded. Using VARK questionnaire, Version 7.0, students weregrouped into unimodal and multimodal learners based on the VARK scores. Design Learning test andAuditory Verbal Learning tests were used to assess learning ability. Statistical analysis was done withdescriptive statistics and Student’s t-test, p value <0.05 statistically significant.Results: Majority of students were unimodal learners. Design learning test scores were significantly higherin multimodal learning group, with statistically significant p value of 0.032.Conclusion: Among multimodal learners, visual modality of learning is found to be the best sensory modeof learning. This may help the educators to effectively design and tailor the teaching strategies, as per thelearning needs of students.

Preferred learning styles of medical students in an Indian medical school: Implications for learner-centered pedagogy in competency-based medical education

Background: One of the crucial elements in any medical science teaching–learning is identification of students’ learning styles to meet the learner needs. This knowledge can help in reinforcing learning and foster self-directed learning. On the other hand, this information can be utilized by medical teachers to incorporate various instructional modes so as to enhance the learning process and outcomes of students within the given curriculum. Aim and Objective: Identification of learning styles in 2nd-year medical students. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey to assess learning styles utilized by medical students using visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) inventory 7.1. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the percentage of students in each category. Results: About 75% of students participated in the study, with age ranging between 18 and 22 years and a gender predominance of 51% females. VARK analysis showed 64.0% multi-modal (VARK) learners consisting of 38.7% quadri-modal, 17.3% bimodal, and 8% trimodal. In the bimodal category, 9.3% preferred auditory and reading component, 4% favored reading and kinesthetic, and 2.7% preferred visual and auditory component while only 1.3% chose visual and reading component. In the tri-modal category, 5.3% favored visual, auditory, and reading style while 1.3% chose auditory, reading, and kinesthetic components, and the remaining 1.3% opted for visual, reading, and kinesthetic style of learning. The highest unimodal learning modality was auditory 25.3%, then Read/Write 9.3%, followed by kinesthetic and visual (both 2.7%). Conclusions: Considering that most of the participants were multimodal learners, designing educational activities that cater to various learning styles can support the learning process. In addition, in long-term it will encourage competency-based medical education.

Learning style preferences of physiology undergraduate students of rural medical college of Maharashtra

Background: A learning style is the process by which a learner takes in, focuses on, understands, and retains information. This concept of learning style has got great interest among educators to recognize learning abilities of their student. It is essential to have knowledge of learning method preferred by students and identify them as, visual learner, kinesthetic learner, or aural or read-write type learner. If the information is delivered to student according to their preferred learning style, their learning would be much enhanced. Thus, as a medical educator, it is our task to assess and teach knowledge, attitudes, and skills considering the student interests. Aim and Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine preferred learning styles of physiology undergraduate students of a rural medical college of Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: Visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire was given to 100 undergraduate medical students. The distributions of VARK preferences were calculated, and the learning style of each student was determined. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variables. Results: About 76% of students showed multiple learning styles. Among multimodal learners, bimodal learners 56% were highest, trimodal 19%, and then quadmodal learners. The most preferred combination of learning style among bimodal students were auditory kinesthetic (33%). Conclusion: Physiology undergraduate student prefers multimodal learning styles.

Stories for Multimodal Learners: Picturebooks, Audiobooks, and Apps to Engage K–8 Students

This children’s literature review column features quality picturebooks, audiobooks, and apps that appeal to a variety of modalities for storytelling.

Preferred Learning Styles among Ophthalmology Residents: An Iranian Sample.

PurposeThis study was performed to assess the learning styles of a sample of Iranian residents through Kolb's and VARK questionnaires.MethodsIn this descriptive-analytical study, 45 ophthalmology residents of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were enrolled. Kolb's and VARK questionnaires were provided, and residents were oriented and guided on how to complete them.ResultsForty-three out of the forty-five ophthalmology residents completed the questionnaire (95.5% response rate). The preferred learning style among ophthalmology residents was assimilative (51.2%), followed by convergent (37.2%), accommodative (7.7%), and divergent (4.7%), based on Kolb's questionnaire. According to the results of the VARK questionnaire, most ophthalmology residents were auditory learners (34.9%), followed by multimodal learners (30.2%). In addition, there was no significant relation between genders, stage of residency, and Kolb's and VARK learning styles (P 0.05 for all).ConclusionThe most preferred learning styles of ophthalmology residents were assimilative and auditory. Considering the dominant learning styles of learners and incorporating various teaching methods are recommended to enhance the learning among residents.