LEARNING STYLES AMONGST FIRST YEAR MEDICAL STUENTS AT S.R. T. R. GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE, AMBAJOGAI, INDIA

Learning style is defined as the manner and the conditions under which learners most efficiently and effectively perceives, process, store and recall what they are attempting to learn. We are interested in developing teaching approaches to address the learning needs of all of our medical students. To better understand our learners and their learning style characteristics, we administered Fleming’s VAK questionnaire for assessing sensory modality. Participants in this study consisted of 1st year Medical students at S.R.T.R. Government Medical College, Ambajogai, India. A total of 133 students completed the questionnaire. The VAK questionnaire was used to identify one facet of student learning styles, the sensory modality by which they prefer to take information. Most of the students 58.64 % of the students preferred a single mode of information presentation. Among these students, 10.52 %preferred visual (learning from graphs, charts, and flow diagrams), 19.54 %preferred auditory (learning from speech), and 28.57%preferred kinesthetic (learning from touch, smell, and taste.). In contrast, 41.35 % students preferred multiple modes [two modes (39.84%), three modes (1.5%)] of information presentation. As teachers, we need to assess and understand how to reach all students by understanding how to present the information in multiple modes. We can help students more effectively; both in and out of the classroom, if we are aware of their learning style.