Visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic Research Articles

Learning preferences of students studying Physiology in South India.

Teachers of Physiology facilitate the learning of students belonging to different courses and each student has different sensory modality preferences while assimilating information. Students with a visual learning preference prefer learning with graphs and diagrams; students with an auditory preference learn by listening to information; those with a read/write preference prefer textual matter and those with a kinesthetic preference prefer to learn by physical experiences like touching and manipulating material. This study was done to determine the sensory modality learning preferences of first year dental students studying Physiology in South India. The VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthetic) questionnaire was administered to 89 first year dental students in a Medical College in South India. Results revealed that the majority of first year dental students (55%) preferred to use a single sensory modality while learning ie., they had unimodal learning preferences. Out of the students who had a unimodal preference, it was found that 47% had a preference for the aural modality and 41% had a preference for the kinesthetic modality. This knowledge of the sensory modality learning preferences of students studying Physiology can act as a catalyst to initiate reflection and subsequent appropriate action by teachers of Physiology. Keywords - Dental students, learning preferences, Physiology, unimodal, VARK

Educational Card Games to Teach Pharmacotherapeutics in an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

To implement and assess the effectiveness of card games to teach pharmacotherapeutic topics to pharmacy students and to determine the relationship between students' assessment scores and their learning styles. Two card games, Cardiology Go Fish and Infectious Diseases Gin Rummy, were created and taught to pharmacy students enrolled in an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Students were required to play each game for 1 hour, 3 times over a 6-week period. Forty-five students completed a 90-question assessment administered prior to and after the 6-week period in which the games were played. Students' cardiology and infectious diseases assessment scores improved significantly as compared with scores on pharmacy practice questions, 19.2% vs. 5.1%, (p < 0.001) and 10.3% vs. 5.1% (p = 0.006), respectively. Students learned from participating in the games regardless of their learning preference as determined by the VARK (visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic) questionnaire; however, the cardiology assessment scores of students with a preference for kinetic learning improved the most. Incorporating innovative learning tools such as card games into the curriculum of APPEs can enhance the educational experience of pharmacy students.

Do pediatric residents prefer interactive learning? Educational challenges in the duty hours era

Background: The volume of information that physicians must learn is increasing; yet, trainee educational time is limited. Many experts propose using trainees’ learning preferences to guide teaching. However, data regarding predominant learning preferences within pediatrics are limited.Aim: Identify predominant learning preferences among pediatric residents in a Residency Training Program.Methods: The Visual–Aural–Read/Write–Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire and Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) were administered anonymously to 50 pediatric residents.Results: Learning style assessments were completed by 50 pediatric residents. Residents were significantly more likely to be accommodating on the Kolb LSI, which is consistent with an interactive learning preference (p < 0.01); 30% demonstrated a multimodal preference on the Kolb LSI (). VARK assessments demonstrated that 45 (90%) respondents were kinesthetic, which is also consistent with a significant preference for interactive learning (p < 0.01). Forty (80%) were found to be multimodal on the VARK (). There was no association between learning preference and the residents’ anticipated career choice or level of training.Conclusions: The predominant learning preferences among a cohort of pediatric residents from a single training program were consistent with a preference for interactive learning, suggesting that some trainees may benefit from supplementation of educational curricula with additional interactive experiences. Continued investigation is needed in this area to assess the effectiveness of adapting teaching techniques to individual learning preferences.

Learning Preferences of Caregivers of Asthmatic Children

Purpose of the Study. To determine the learning styles of the caregivers of asthmatic children seen in a pediatric allergy and immunology clinic. Study Population. Parents of asthmatic children seen in a tertiary care pediatric allergy and immunology clinic. Methods. Caregivers completed the Visual-Aural-Read/Write-Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire anonymously, and the responses were evaluated on the basis of previously validated scoring instructions. Results. Analysis of 98 respondents showed that 42% had a single learning-modality preference, and the remaining 58% were multimodal learners. Of those who reported a single mode of learning, 61% preferred kinesthetic, 27% preferred reading/writing, and &amp;lt;1% each preferred aural or visual stimuli. Of all 98 caregivers, 82% included kinesthetic as a learning preference, 59% included reading/writing, 50% included aural stimuli, and 41% included visual stimuli. Conclusions. The majority of caregivers preferred the kinesthetic learning method, whether as a single learning preference or in combination with other approaches. Incorporating kinesthetic methods of learning, such as role playing and problem-solving case scenarios, into standardized asthma education curricula may be beneficial to patients and families in terms of understanding and using their regimen. Reviewer Comments. This is a novel study that attempted to improve asthma care by identifying the learning preferences of the caretakers of asthmatic children. Asthma regimens can be complex, and simplification and understanding of these regimens can improve overall adherence. Individual caretakers demonstrate multiple modes of learning preference, and the current educational modules should focus on role playing and other visual modalities to enhance the understanding of the caretakers’ asthma knowledge. Streamlining and improving these educational methods could result in significant improvement in medication adherence, symptom recognition, and appropriate utilization of medical care.

Learning Preferences of Caregivers of Asthmatic Children

Background. People learn in different ways: visually, aurally, by reading/writing, and kinesthetically. In our clinic, we use color-coded Asthma Action Cards to educate our patients and their caregivers on asthma management. Our teaching is largely aural based, with the cards providing reading and visual stimulation and hands-on practice with devices offering kinesthetic stimulation. Objective. We sought to determine the learning styles of the caregivers of our asthmatic children. Methods. Caregivers in our Asthma/Allergy Clinic completed the Visual-Aural-Read/Write-Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire anonymously, and the responses were evaluated on the basis of previously validated scoring instructions. Results. Analysis of 98 respondents showed that 42% had a single learning modality preference, and the remaining 58% were multimodal learners. Of those who reported a single mode of learning, 61% preferred kinesthetic, 27% preferred reading/writing, and less than 1% each preferred aural or visual stimuli. Of all 98 caregivers, 82% included kinesthetic as a learning preference, 59% included read/write, 50% included aural, and 41% included visual. Conclusion. The majority of caregivers preferred the kinesthetic learning method, whether as a single learning preference or in combination with other approaches. Incorporating kinesthetic methods of learning, such as role plays and problem-solving case scenarios, into standardized asthma education curricula may be beneficial to patients and families in terms of understanding and using their regimen.

Learning preferences of caretakers of asthmatic children

Rationale People learn in different ways, such as visually, aurally, by reading/writing, and kinesthetically (hands-on). In our clinic, we use color-coded Asthma Action Cards to educate our patients on the pathophysiology, triggers and management of asthma. Our teaching is largely aural-based with the cards providing visual stimulation. We wanted to determine whether this form of teaching coincided with the learning preferences of the caretakers of our asthmatic children. Methods In our Asthma/Allergy clinic, caretakers of asthmatics answered the Visual-Aural-Read/Write-Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire anonymously. The questionnaires were evaluated based on previously validated scoring instructions and chart. IRB approval was obtained. Results Analysis of the first 25 of planned 100 (this is an ongoing survey) respondents showed that 10/25 (40%) had a single learning preference and the remaining (60%) were multimodal. Of the 10 who preferred a single mode of learning, 7 preferred kinesthetic, 2 preferred aural, and 1 preferred read/write. Of all 25 caretakers, 21/25 (84%) included kinesthetic as a learning preference, 14/25 (56%) included read/write, 13/25 (52%) included aural, and 7/25 (28%) included visual. Conclusions Of the 25 caretakers surveyed, the majority preferred the kinesthetic learning method, whether as a single learning preference or in combination with other methods. Incorporating kinesthetic methods of learning into standardized asthma education curricula may be beneficial to patients and families.