A survey on learning styles of life sciences graduate students

Xiaofan Li2014-06-03

Which one is you?

• Solving maths problems: are you good at applying the old principle to solve new problems or coming up with creative alternative methods?

• Putting together a model plane: do you like to follow the instruction sheet or experiment with the pieces yourself?

• Finding your way in a new place: do you ask people, try out different routes, or prefer to study maps?

The Dunn and Dunn Model

Learning style: just a fanciful metaphor?

Kolb’s Learning Styles

What’s the more important purpose for education?

Individual differences

Common humanity

Major questions of this project

• How often is learning style taken into account in graduate level teaching and learning?

• Would matching of teaching style and learning style improve learning?

• Subjects (in life sciences): – 5~10 faculty members who mentor grad students– 10~20 Graduate students (2nd year and above)– Questionnaires (with reference to Kolb’s learning

style model)

Questions for faculty

• Do you observe different learning styles among your mentees? Is it something easy to identify or is it ambiguous?

• For specific learning tasks, how much do you correlate your mentees’ learning styles to their achievements?

• Have you tried to use different teaching approaches to match their learning styles? Did it make any difference?

Questions for grad students• Do you have a preferred learning style? What is it and when

was it formed?• Have you been able to use your preferred learning style in

your graduate study, or did you have to learn in alternative ways?

• Do you feel you would learn more effectively if you could use your preferred learning style?

• Has there been changes to your learning styles as a result of working with your advisor?

• Has your advisor tried to adjust his mentoring style to your learning style? Did it work out?