Visual or Auditory: The Effective Learning Modality in Multimodal Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijop.v8i2.1269Keywords:
Learning styles, VARK,learning tests.Abstract
Background: One of the principle debates in the field of individual differences in ‘learning style’ has centred
around the proliferation of constructs and measures irrespective of extensive theories and instruments. In
the current digital world, audio-visual aids have grown exponentially with several multimedia such as
educational 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 and
their preferences and determine the effective learning modality.
Objective: To study the effective sensory modality of learning using cognitive learning tests in multimodal
learners.
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, motor
disorders,diseases of upper limb were excluded. Using VARK questionnaire, Version 7.0, students were
grouped into unimodal and multimodal learners based on the VARK scores. Design Learning test and
Auditory Verbal Learning tests were used to assess learning ability. Statistical analysis was done with
descriptive 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 higher
in 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 mode
of learning. This may help the educators to effectively design and tailor the teaching strategies, as per the
learning needs of students.
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