Learning styles of first-year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students: a cross-sectional survey utilising the Kolb Learning Style Inventory

The effect of learning styles on the academic achievement of nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Learning in the academic setting is influenced by the dynamic interaction between students and teachers. Recognizing and adapting to diverse learning styles is essential for improving instruction, gaining knowledge, and drawing informed conclusions. Therefore, this study investigated learning styles and their effects on students' academic achievement.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study in Iran's Mazandaran province, 238 nursing students were surveyed between October and December 2021 using random sampling. The questionnaire included socio-demographic data, Kolb's Experiential Learning Model, and students' academic performance (EPT). Statistical analysis with SPSS version 22 involved descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, chi-square tests, and linear regression with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of the nursing students was 20.95 ± 1.71 years. The most common student learning styles were convergent (75.2%) and accommodator (12.2%). According to the results, convergent (148.62 ± 16.28) and accommodator learning styles (147.72 ± 8.79) with the highest average played a role in students' academic achievement. The mean score of EPT was 147. 13 ± 15.48 (out of 240). A significant difference between the academic performance and different dimensions of learning style was found (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Findings indicated that adopting a convergent and accommodator learning style can affect students' academic achievement. Therefore, learning environments appropriate to this style, such as simulation and laboratory activities, are suggested to emphasize practical work and make students think an scrutinize.

Exploring the learning needs of clinicians in Belgium and Sweden regarding prone positioning and skin damage prevention: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

During the coronavirus pandemic (COVID -19), the use of prone positioning in critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) increased substantially. As a result, clinicians had to (re)learn how to treat the patient in the prone position while preventing adverse events such as pressure ulcers, skin tears and moisture-associated skin damage.

AIM

The purpose of the study was to determine participants' learning needs related to patients in the prone position and the prevention of skin damage, such as pressure ulcers, and what they perceived as a positive or negative learning experience.

DESIGN

This study used a qualitative methodological framework and employed an exploratory design.

PARTICIPANTS

A purposive sample of clinicians (n = 20) with direct or indirect work experience with prone ventilated patients was recruited in Belgium and Sweden.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted in Belgium and Sweden between February and August 2022. Data were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. The COREQ guideline was utilised to comprehensively report on the study.

FINDINGS

Two themes were identified: 'Adapting to a crisis' and 'How to learn', with the latter having two subthemes: 'balancing theory and practice' and 'co-creating knowledge'. Unexpected circumstances necessitated a personal adaption, a change in learning methods and a pragmatic adaptation of protocols, equipment and working procedures. Participants recognised a multifaceted educational approach which would contribute to a positive learning experience regarding prone positioning and skin damage prevention. The importance of poising theoretical teaching with practical hands-on training was highlighted with an emphasis on interaction, discussion, and networking between peers.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings highlight learning approaches which may help inform the development of befitting educational resources for clinicians. Prone therapy for ARDS patients is not limited to the pandemic. Therefore, educational efforts should continue to ensure patient safety in this important area.

Development of a Dutch Training/Education Program for a Healthy Lifestyle of People With Intellectual Disability

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) need support from direct support professionals (DSPs) to engage in a healthy lifestyle. However, literature shows DSPs feel insufficiently equipped to support a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a theory-based program for DSPs to support physical activity and healthy nutrition for people with moderate to profound levels of ID, and to design its evaluation. The Intervention Mapping Protocol (IM) was followed to develop a theory-based program for DSPs. The program evaluation consists of process and feasibility evaluations. This study provided a theory-based program consisting of a training and education section with online and face-to-face components to support DSPs in promoting health for people with ID.

Instruments to evaluate undergraduate healthcare student learning styles globally: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Recognizing learning styles is important to maximizing learning outcomes and many instruments are available to investigate learning styles.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate instruments with evidence of validity and reliability most commonly used to evaluate undergraduate healthcare student learning styles globally.

METHOD

This scoping review of literature was guided by The Joanna Briggs Institute's recommendations for conducting scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR (extension for scoping reviews). The protocol is available for access.

DATA SOURCES

Databases searched included Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were: fully accessible; written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; and used reliable and/or validated instruments to describe healthcare student learning styles. Articles were excluded if the sample included healthcare professionals, there was no report of the instrument validity and reliability, or was not fully accessible. Data were extracted from each article and entered into Microsoft Office Excel documents for analysis.

RESULTS

Forty-seven articles were selected for full review, including cross-sectional, interventional, and longitudinal studies. Eleven instruments were identified with evidence of reliability and validity for assessing undergraduate healthcare student learning styles globally. The most frequently used instruments were Visual, Aural, Read-Write, and Kinesthetic; Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory; and the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire. Most instruments were developed based on a theoretical framework and/or model.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review adds to the literature an overview of available instruments which measure healthcare student learning styles with evidence of both reliability and validity. The results indicate the need for further studies to improve learning style instruments for use in intervention studies aimed at improving the teaching-learning process for healthcare students.

TSMG: A Deep Learning Framework for Recognizing Human Learning Style Using EEG Signals

Educational theory claims that integrating learning style into learning-related activities can improve academic performance. Traditional methods to recognize learning styles are mostly based on questionnaires and online behavior analyses. These methods are highly subjective and inaccurate in terms of recognition. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals have significant potential for use in the measurement of learning style. This study uses EEG signals to design a deep-learning-based model of recognition to recognize people's learning styles with EEG features by using a non-overlapping sliding window, one-dimensional spatio-temporal convolutions, multi-scale feature extraction, global average pooling, and the group voting mechanism; this model is named the TSMG model (Temporal-Spatial-Multiscale-Global model). It solves the problem of processing EEG data of variable length, and improves the accuracy of recognition of the learning style by nearly 5% compared with prevalent methods, while reducing the cost of calculation by 41.93%. The proposed TSMG model can also recognize variable-length data in other fields. The authors also formulated a dataset of EEG signals (called the LSEEG dataset) containing features of the learning style processing dimension that can be used to test and compare models of recognition. This dataset is also conducive to the application and further development of EEG technology to recognize people's learning styles.

Self-directed learning readiness and learning styles among Omani nursing students: Implications for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled many academic institutions to resort to distance learning and online education, requiring a higher degree of student self-direction and motivation to learn. This study explored self-directed learning (SDL) readiness among nursing students in Oman, their learning styles (LS), and the association of demographic variables and LS with SDL.

METHODS

The study, which followed a descriptive, cross-sectional design, surveyed 236 Omani nursing students via an online questionnaire containing two standardized scales: the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education and the Learning Style Scales.

RESULTS

Nursing students were identified as having a low level of SDL (mean = 149.58). Probation status (β = -0.165; p = 0.021) was negatively associated with SDL. In terms of LS, solitary (β = 0.217; p = 0.001), competitive (β = 0.201; p = 0.005), imaginative (β = 0.19; p = 0.012), and perceptive LS (β = 0.437; p = 0.0) were positively associated with SDL. An analytical LS was negatively associated with SDL (β = -0.155; p = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

Academic probation status and an analytical LS both yielded lower SDL scores. Perceptive, solitary, competitive, or imaginative learners tended to have higher SDL scores. Deliberate planning and strategies are necessary to help probation students cope with academic demands, especially with the advent of intensified digital education. Because no single learning environment can fulfill the needs of every LS, nurse educators must implement SDL-aimed teaching and learning strategies that appeal to a variety of learners.

A multi-centre study of learning styles of new nursing students

AIMS

To describe beginning nursing student learning styles and to determine whether there are relationships between learning style and sociodemographic or educational background. We also aim to compare these data with the normative values of the 3.1 version of the Kolb learning style inventory and verify its reliability.

BACKGROUND/LITERATURE

Learning style is related to the way in which an individual interacts with learning conditions, involving cognitive, affective, physical and environmental aspects. In nursing education, few studies have focused on knowing the learning styles of beginning nursing students, despite the need for students to develop critical thinking skills required of nurses.

DESIGN

Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational, multi-site study.

METHOD

The study took place at five universities in Brazil and one university in the United States. Data were collected from a sample of beginning nursing students (n = 176) in 2019, using the Portuguese and English 3.1 versions of Kolb's learning style inventory.

RESULTS

Most students' learning styles were classified as divergers (34.10%), while 28.41% were assimilators, 23.86% were accommodators and 13.63% were convergers. Kolb describes learning as a four-stage cyclical process grounded in experience. The mean score of one learning stage, the concrete experience, showed those who attended public high schools compared with private high schools was higher (mean = 26.22; p = .0019), and there were different results between Brazilian state universities, Brazilian federal universities and the American university (p = .0149).

CONCLUSION

The diverger style was the most common among beginning nursing students in Brazil and the United States. There was a significant relationship between learning style, the educational background of students, the type of institution they attend and their previous experience with some active learning methodologies.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Aligned with Kolb's experiential learning theory, nurse educators must be aware of student learning styles so they may use teaching strategies to meet their students' needs.

Design and Implementation of an EEG-Based Learning-Style Recognition Mechanism

Existing methods for learning-style recognition are highly subjective and difficult to implement. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a learning-style recognition mechanism based on EEG features. The process for the mechanism included labeling learners’ actual learning styles, designing a method to effectively stimulate different learners’ internal state differences regarding learning styles, designing the data-collection method, designing the preprocessing procedure, and constructing the recognition model. In this way, we designed and verified an experimental method that can effectively stimulate learning-style differences in the information-processing dimension. In addition, we verified the effectiveness of using EEG signals to recognize learning style. The recognition accuracy of the learning-style processing dimension was 71.2%. This result is highly significant for the further exploration of using EEG signals for effective learning-style recognition.

The Relationship between Learning Styles and Academic Performance: Consistency among Multiple Assessment Methods in Psychology and Education Students

Universities strive to ensure quality education focused on the diversity of the student body. According to experiential learning theory, students display different learning preferences. This study has a three-fold objective: to compare learning styles based on personal and educational variables, to analyze the association between learning styles, the level of academic performance, and consistency of performance in four assessment methods, and to examine the influence of learning dimensions in students with medium-high performance in the assessment methods. An interdisciplinary approach was designed involving 289 psychology, early childhood education and primary education students at two universities in Spain. The Learning Style Inventory was used to assess learning styles and dimensions. The assessment methods used in the developmental psychology course included the following question formats: multiple-choice, short answer, creation-elaboration and an elaboration question on the relationship between theory and practice. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and binomial logistic models were computed. The results reveal Psychology students to be more assimilative (theoretical and abstract), while early childhood and primary education students were evenly distributed among styles and were more divergent and convergent (practical) in absolute terms. In addition, high scores in perception (abstract conceptualization) were associated with a high level of performance on the multiple-choice tests and the elaboration question on the relationship between theory and practice. Abstract conceptualization was also associated with medium-high performance in all assessment methods and this variable predicted consistent high performance, independent of the assessment method. This study highlights the importance of promoting abstract conceptualization. Recommendations for enhancing this learning dimension are presented.

Learning styles in the digital library and their application in academic communities in the biomedical and health areas

Purpose

This paper aims to confirm the importance of developing knowledge, skills and attitudes in the permanent use of digital scientific information, which complements the training of professionals in the biomedical and health areas, considering that this type of user communities require up-to-date and truthful information for future decision-making which will directly affect the health of patients.

Design/methodology/approach

The study started from the elaboration of a diagnosis on learning styles in a student community at the undergraduate level in the area of biomedical and health sciences of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí (Mexico) (UASLP), through the application of the Honey-Alonso Learning Styles questionnaire (CHAEA), and by using such results it was possible to derive learning strategies for the achievement of digital information competencies that were effective in practice.

Findings

According to the diagnostic results, the learning styles with the greatest presence in students in the area of Biomedical and Health Sciences were identified and from this, precise didactic strategies were derived to enhance information skills in the use of digital sources. For this case, the Big6 Model was used and its implementation was combined (face-to-face and virtual) in the academic community studied, integrating an information skills development program in the digital library of the Center for Information in Biomedical Sciences (CICBI) from the university itself.

Originality/value

A practical experience is presented, which also offered concrete solutions, based on particular characteristics of the users. There is a low presence of studies of digital libraries’ users that consider aspects related to learning styles, especially applied from the perspective of information sciences and the digital library.

Students' experiences of clinical immersion in operating room and emergency department

Specialty areas, such as the operating room and emergency department, are being hit especially hard by the nursing shortage in the United States. Recruitment and retention is a challenge in these specialty units and may, in part, be due to limited or no exposure in nursing school. Kolb's theory of experiential learning was used to guide this project. The purpose was to investigate students' experiences and intent to pursue employment after a clinical immersion course in either the operating room or emergency department. Six Bachelor of Science in Nursing students participated in a five-week course that included 10 h of web-based education and 80 h of clinical practicum. The objectives of the course were to identify the role and responsibilities of the nurse in the specialty area, explore the standards and recommended practices established by the specialty professional organization, and collaborate with the healthcare team in the specialty area to provide safe, quality care. A thematic analysis of focus group transcripts and students' weekly reflections was conducted. The results of this project suggest immersing students in a specialty area may be a first step in alleviating the shortage in these areas.

Improving students' learning environment by DREEM: an educational experiment in an Iranian medical sciences university (2011-2016)

BACKGROUND

Students' perception of the educational setting is an important source for improving and applying changes to the educational environment. In this study, we reassessed undergraduate students' perception of the educational environment at two colleges of RUMS-Iran in the academic years of 2011 and 2016.

METHODS

In the present prospective study, the DREEM inventory consisted of seven courses for undergraduate paramedical and nursing-midwifery students (n = 982). After the first stage, educational seminars and workshops were set up for academic members and faculty staff on deficiencies and the ideal climate for optimizing the educational environment. The results of students' responses in 2011 were compared with those assessed in 2016. For the data analysis, the independent t-test and the one-way ANOVA were utilized.

RESULTS

In the academic year of 2010-2011, the DREEM inventory scored 115.33/200 (57.66%); it also scored 123.47/200 (60.7%) in the academic year of 2015-2016 (p ≤ 0.01). There was an interesting feeling about the first-year education, and female students felt a more positively perceived learning environment during all courses than male students at both stages of the study. There were significant positive differences (2 to 7%) in all domains of the components of DREEM in all courses between the academic year of 2010-2011 and the academic year of 2015-2016, showing that the DREEM score had changed and increased (p < 0.05), in the latter case.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive differences were observed in DREEM scores between the two stages of the study. DREEM helped reduce the areas of deficiencies in students' perception of many aspects of the educational environment. It also helped identify problematic areas in the improvement. In addition, DREEM could be used to optimize and make modifications to the educational environment.

The Nursing Knowledge Pyramid: A Theory of the Structure of Nursing Knowledge

A theory of the structure of nursing knowledge is proposed. Using retroductive reasoning to build upon an existing theory, the goal of the Nursing Knowledge Pyramid is to integrate disparate forms of nursing knowledge into a comprehensive, coherent, and useful structure to enhance the learning, development, automation, and accessibility of nursing knowledge. Education uses are discussed.

Self-directed learning readiness of Indian medical students: a mixed method study

BACKGROUND

Self-directed learning (SDL) is defined as learning on one's own initiative, with the learner having primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and evaluating the effort. Medical education institutions promote SDL, since physicians need to be self-directed learners to maintain lifelong learning in the ever-changing world of medicine and to obtain essential knowledge for professional growth. The purpose of the study was to measure the self-directed learning readiness of medical students across the training years, to determine the perceptions of students and faculty on factors that promote and deter SDL and to identify the role of culture and curriculum on SDL at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.

METHODS

Guglielmino's SDL Readiness Scale (SDLRS) was administered in 2015 to six student cohorts (452 students) at admission, end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of training, and at the beginning of internship in the undergraduate medicine (MBBS) program. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare SDL scores between years of training. 5 student focus groups and 7 interviews with instructors captured perceptions of self-direction. Transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

The overall mean SDLRS score was 212.91. There was no significant effect of gender and age on SDLR scores. There was a significant drop in SDLRS scores on comparing students at admission with students at subsequent years of training. Qualitative analysis showed the prominent role of culture and curriculum on SDL readiness.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the importance of SDL in medicine, the current curriculum may require an increase in learning activities that promote SDL. Strategies to change the learning environment that facilitates SDL have to be considered.

Learning style preferences of Australian accelerated postgraduate pre-registration nursing students: A cross-sectional survey

Graduate entry programs leading to registration are gaining momentum in nursing. These programs attract student cohorts with professional, cultural, gender and age diversity. As a consequence of this diversity, such accelerated programs challenge traditional pedagogical methods used in nursing and require different approaches. To date, however, there has been limited research on the learning styles of students undertaking these programs to inform academics involved in their delivery. Kolb's Experiential Learning model has been used widely in a variety of educational settings because it is based on the theory of experiential learning. More recently VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/write and Kinaesthetic) model has become popular. The aim of this study was to investigate the learning styles of two cohorts of graduate entry nursing students undertaking an accelerated masters-level program. This was a cross-sectional survey of two cohorts of Master of Nursing Practice students enrolled at a large Australian university. The students were more inclined toward converging (practical) and least toward concrete experience (experiencing) learning styles. The majority of students were more inclined toward kinaesthetic and least toward aural learning style. Findings have implications for academics engaged in teaching graduate entry nursing students.

A study of the relationship between the study process, motivation resources, and motivation problems of nursing students in different educational systems

BACKGROUND

The study process is related to students' learning approaches and styles. Motivation resources and problems determine students' internal, external, and negative motivation. Analyzing the study process and motivation of students yields important indications about the nature of educational systems in higher education.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to analyze the relationship between the study process, and motivation resources and problems with regard to nursing students in different educational systems in Turkey and to reveal their effects according to a set of variables.

DESIGN

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study.

SETTINGS

Traditional, integrated and problem-based learning (PBL) educational programs for nurses involving students from three nursing schools in Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students (n=330).

METHODS

The data were collected using the Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and the Motivation Resources and Problems (MRP) Scale.

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was found between the scores on the study process scale, and motivation resources and problems scale among the educational systems. This study determined that the mean scores of students in the PBL system on learning approaches, intrinsic motivation and negative motivation were higher. A positive significant correlation was found between the scales.

CONCLUSIONS

The study process, and motivation resources and problems were found to be affected by the educational system. This study determined that the PBL educational system more effectively increases students' intrinsic motivation and helps them to acquire learning skills.

Assessing Learning Styles of Graduate Entry Nursing Students as a Classroom Research Activity: A quantitative research study

BACKGROUND

A number of studies across different disciplines have investigated students' learning styles. Differences are known to exist between graduate and baccalaureate nursing students. However, few studies have investigated the learning styles of students in graduate entry nursing programs. .

OBJECTIVES

Study objective was to describe graduate entry nursing students' learning styles.

DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/METHODS

A descriptive design was used for this study. The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered to 202 graduate entry nursing student volunteers at a southwestern university. Descriptive statistics, tests of association, reliability, and validity were performed. Graduate nursing students and faculty participated in data collection, analysis, and dissemination of the results.

RESULTS

Predominant learning styles were: sensing - 82.7%, visual - 78.7%, sequential - 65.8%, and active - 59.9%. Inter-item reliabilities for the postulated subscales were: sensing/intuitive (α=0.70), visual/verbal (α=0.694), sequential/global (α=0.599), and active/reflective (α=0.572). Confirmatory factor analysis for results of validity were: χ²(896)=1110.25, p<0.001, CFI=0.779, TLI=0.766, WRMR=1.14, and RMSEA =0.034.

CONCLUSIONS

Predominant learning styles described students as being concrete thinkers oriented toward facts (sensing); preferring pictures, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations (visual); being linear thinkers (sequencing); and enjoying working in groups and trying things out (active),. The predominant learning styles suggest educators teach concepts through simulation, discussion, and application of knowledge. Multiple studies, including this one, provided similar psychometric results. Similar reliability and validity results for the ILS have been noted in previous studies and therefore provide sufficient evidence to use the ILS with graduate entry nursing students. This study provided faculty with numerous opportunities for actively engaging students in data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results.

Medical laboratory science and nursing students' perception of academic learning environment in a Philippine university using Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM)

PURPOSE

This study aimed to compare the perception of the academic learning environment between medical laboratory science students and nursing students at Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey research design was used to measure the perceptions of the participants. A total of 341 students from the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Nursing answered the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) instrument from April to May 2016. Responses were compared according to course of study, gender, and year level.

RESULTS

The total mean DREEM scores of the medical laboratory science students and nursing students did not differ significantly when grouped according to course of study, gender, or year level. Medical laboratory science students had significantly lower mean scores in the sub-domains 'perception of learning' and 'perception of teaching.' Male medical laboratory science students had significantly lower mean scores in the sub-domain 'perception of learning' among second year students. Medical laboratory science students had significantly lower mean scores in the sub-domain 'perception of learning.' Nursing students identified 7 problem areas, most of which were related to their instructors.

CONCLUSION

Medical laboratory science and nursing students viewed their academic learning environment as 'more positive than negative.' However, the relationship of the nursing instructors to their students needs improvement.

Educators' expectations of roles, employability and career pathways of registered and enrolled nurses in Australia

In Australia, like other countries, two levels of nurse are registered for entry to practice. Educational changes for second level nurses in Australia have led to questions regarding roles and career options. This paper reports on interviews with nursing course coordinators to examine educator expectations of roles and career pathways of registered and enrolled nurses. Coordinators of eight degree (registered) and diploma (enrolled) nursing programs were interviewed to determine their opinions on roles and careers that students were prepared for. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Educators reported similar graduate roles, although high acuity care was primarily the role of registered nurses. Career expectations differed with enrolled nurses having limited advancement opportunity, and registered nurses greater career options. Health organisations were unprepared to accommodate increased practice scope of enrolled nurses and limited work practice through policies stipulating who could perform procedures. Organisational health policies need to accommodate increased enrolled nurse skill base. Education of practising nurses is necessary regarding increased scope of enrolled nurse practice to ensure they are used to their full potential. Increasing patient acuity requires more registered nurses, as enrolled nurses are unprepared to care for complex or deteriorating patients.

Midwifery students first encounter with the maternity ward

Considerable research has been made in order to find what promotes students' learning in general, but few studies have included midwifery students and their learning in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of the midwifery students' first encounter with the maternity ward and of what was essential to them in the learning environment. A qualitative study, based on in-depth interviews with six students during their first clinical practice at a maternity ward, was conducted. The findings show that the students needed to feel their presence desired and to be included in the activities in the ward. Learning needed to be based on the students' expectations, understanding and previous experiences. The most important factor influencing the students' well-being and learning was their relationships with their mentor. In conclusion, learning in a clinical setting required more than just motivated students. Engaged mentors, who linked the students' previous experiences and expectations to the clinical practice, were crucial to learning outcomes. Mutual engagement, shared understanding and common goals were imperative for the students' experiences of a good learning environment.

Nursing Students Achieving Community Health Competencies through Undergraduate Clinical Experiences: A Gap Analysis

In Canada, it is widely believed that nursing practice and health care will move from acute care into the community. At the same time, increasing numbers of nursing students are engaged in non-traditional clinical experiences for their community health rotation. These clinical experiences occur at agencies not organizationally affiliated with the health care system and typically do not employ registered nurses (RNs). What has yet to be established is the degree to which nursing students are actually being prepared for community health nursing roles through their community health clinical rotations. In this paper we report the findings of a mixed method study that explored the gap between desired and observed levels of competence in community health of senior nursing students and new graduates. The gap was quantified and then the nature of the gap further explored through focus groups.

The learning type makes the difference - the interrelation of Kolb's learning styles and psychological status of preclinical medical students at the University of Erlangen

Theories on learning styles and types have been integral to discussions on the basics of teaching for nearly 40 years. The learning style typology of Kolb divides learners into four groups (Diverger, Assimilator, Converger and Accomodator), which differ both in terms of their learning behaviour as well as personality and preferences. We studied the sense of coherence and burnout symptoms in medical students of the preclinical semesters (1^st to 4^th semester) at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen within the context of the observed learning styles. A total of 530 students were interviewed in winter semester 2012/13 using standardized psychometric questionnaires. Our students showed a significant correlation between the respective learning styles and expression of a sense of coherence, as well as cognitive and emotional burnout symptoms. The learning styles of the students differed significantly within these same parameters. We also demonstrated that learning styles and types not only influence study performance, but that there are also relationships to sense of coherence and psychological ailments. A more forward-looking integration of the theory of learning types in the medical education curriculum could positively influence both the performance and psychological well-being of the students.

Educational environment and approaches to learning of undergraduate nursing students in an Indonesian school of nursing

The aims of this study were to assess students' perceptions of their educational environment and approaches to learning, and determine if perceptions of learning environment associates with approaches to learning. A survey was conducted to collect data from a regional private university in Indonesia. A total of 232 nursing students completed two questionnaires that measured their perceptions of educational environment and approaches to learning. The measurement was based on Dundee Ready Education Environment Measurement (DREEM) and Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). Five learning environments dimensions and three learning approaches dimensions from two measures were measured. The overall score of DREEM was 131.03/200 (SD 17.04), it was in the range considered to be favourable. The overall score is different significantly between years of study (p value = 0.01). This study indicated that the majority of undergraduate nursing students' adopt strategic approach (n = 139. 59.9%). The finding showed that perceived educational environment significantly associated with approaches to learning. This study implicated the need to maintain conducive learning environment. There is also a need to improve the management of learning activities that reflect the use of student-centered learning.

The diversity of Iranian nursing students' clinical learning styles: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Numerous factors, including learning styles, affect the learning process of nursing students. Having insights about students' learning styles helps promoting the quality of education. The aim of this study was to explore the Iranian baccalaureate nursing students' learning styles in clinical settings.

METHODS

A qualitative design using a content analysis approach was used to collect and analyze data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen Iranian baccalaureate nursing students selected using a purposive sample method.

FINDINGS

During data analysis, it was found that nursing students employed different clinical learning styles such as 'thoughtful observation,' 'learning by thinking,' and 'learning by doing'.

CONCLUSION

Students adopt different learning strategies in clinical practice. Designing teaching strategies based on students' learning styles can promote students' learning and maximize their academic and clinical practice success. Nursing educators, curriculum designers, and students can use the findings of this study to improve the quality of nursing education in both the classroom and clinical settings.

Learning styles and critical thinking relationship in baccalaureate nursing education: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Critical thinking is a desirable competency for contemporary nurses although there are growing concerns supporting a disturbing paucity in its achievement. Learning styles reflect habitual behaviors which determine distinct preferences within learning situations. Evidence suggests that critical thinking could evolve through learning processes. Variances in critical thinking achievement by nursing students might therefore be influenced by individual learning preferences. The concepts "learning styles" and "critical thinking" have been independently examined in the nursing literature. No reviews were found however exploring their association in nursing education.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the potential relationships between learning styles and critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Eleven electronic databases were utilized without geographical and time publishing filters. Hand-searching journals and scanning references from retrieved studies were also performed.

METHODS

Databases were searched for descriptive correlational studies which considered the relationship between learning styles and critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students. The authors independently progressed three stage screening. Retrieved articles were reviewed at title, abstract and full text levels according to predetermined criteria. All included studies were quality appraised using a rating tool for descriptive studies.

RESULTS

Six studies were finally included. Findings were grouped under four key themes: predominant learning styles, critical thinking scoring, critical thinking evolution across academic progress and learning styles-critical thinking correlations. Learning styles' diversities, weak critical thinking and inconsistent evolution through academic progress were revealed across studies. Critical thinking differed significantly between learning styles.

CONCLUSIONS

Commonly accepted models in nursing education were lacking in both learning styles and critical thinking. Within studies identical learning styles were found to be positively or negatively related to critical thinking. However comparative findings across studies revealed that all learning styles might be positive determinants toward critical thinking evolution, suggesting that there is a relationship between learning styles and critical thinking. Certain links between learning styles and critical thinking were supported in given settings and given nursing student populations. Further field exploration is required.

A prospective cohort study examining the preferred learning styles of acute care registered nurses

OBJECTIVES

This paper reports on the preferred learning styles of Registered Nurses practicing in acute care environments and relationships between gender, age, post-graduate experience and the identified preferred learning styles.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study design was used. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire to determine preferred learning styles.

RESULTS

Most of the Registered Nurse participants were balanced across the Active-Reflective (n = 77, 54%), and Sequential-Global (n = 96, 68%) scales. Across the other scales, sensing (n = 97, 68%) and visual (n = 76, 53%) were the most common preferred learning style. There were only a small proportion who had a preferred learning style of reflective (n = 21, 15%), intuitive (n = 5, 4%), verbal (n = 11, 8%) or global learning (n = 15, 11%). Results indicated that gender, age and years since undergraduate education were not related to the identified preferred learning styles.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of Registered Nurses' learning style provides information that nurse educators and others can use to make informed choices about modification, development and strengthening of professional hospital-based educational programs. The use of the Index of Learning Styles questionnaire and its ability to identify 'balanced' learning style preferences may potentially yield additional preferred learning style information for other health-related disciplines.

Learning styles and approaches to learning among medical undergraduates and postgraduates

BACKGROUND

The challenge of imparting a large amount of knowledge within a limited time period in a way it is retained, remembered and effectively interpreted by a student is considerable. This has resulted in crucial changes in the field of medical education, with a shift from didactic teacher centered and subject based teaching to the use of interactive, problem based, student centered learning. This study tested the hypothesis that learning styles (visual, auditory, read/write and kinesthetic) and approaches to learning (deep, strategic and superficial) differ among first and final year undergraduate medical students, and postgraduates medical trainees.

METHODS

We used self administered VARK and ASSIST questionnaires to assess the differences in learning styles and approaches to learning among medical undergraduates of the University of Colombo and postgraduate trainees of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo.

RESULTS

A total of 147 participated: 73 (49.7%) first year students, 40 (27.2%) final year students and 34(23.1%) postgraduate students. The majority (69.9%) of first year students had multimodal learning styles. Among final year students, the majority (67.5%) had multimodal learning styles, and among postgraduates, the majority were unimodal (52.9%) learners.Among all three groups, the predominant approach to learning was strategic. Postgraduates had significant higher mean scores for deep and strategic approaches than first years or final years (p < 0.05). Mean scores for the superficial approach did not differ significantly between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The learning approaches suggest a positive shift towards deep and strategic learning in postgraduate students. However a similar difference was not observed in undergraduate students from first year to final year, suggesting that their curriculum may not have influenced learning methodology over a five year period.