Exploring the Learning Styles of Postgraduates in a Public-Sector University at Karachi

Abstract

Introduction: Learning styles is a term used to refer to the methods of gathering, processing, interpreting, organizing and thinking about information. Knowledge of the learning styles can be helpful in making teaching and learning process more efficient. Little is mentioned in medical education literature in Pakistan about the learning styles knowledge in deciphering the teaching and learning process.

Objective: To identify the distribution of the learning styles among the postgraduate students and to find ways to improve the way the courses, the practical hours and training are performed.

Methodology: The current study analyses the learning styles of post graduate students of Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi to guide facilitator as well as students in organizing their teaching sessions more efficiently and maximize the utility of educational resources with subsequent improvement in educational process. During Jan 2016 to Dec 2016, this cross-sectional study using Kolb’s learning inventory as the instrument to find out the learning styles was conducted among post-graduates’ students of a public-sector university by using English language versions of Learning Style Inventory (LSI)of 216 post-graduates ‘students.

Results: According to observation and data analysis by Kolb’s learning Styles Inventory most of the postgraduates had their learning style reflector (Diverger). However, some were Theorist (Assimilators) and then very few were Activist (Accommodator) and Pragmatist (Converser) respectively.

Conclusions: Differences in the learning styles and learning approaches have important implications in development of effective medical curricula in post graduate medical education.

 Key words: Learning style, Postgraduate students, medical education