![]() Individuals with this dominant learning style read body language, assess emotional states, and empathize. Abstract random learners are more affective and imaginative and value relationship building. Abstract sequential learners prefer more intellectual, analytical, and theoretical learning styles and are inclined toward learning techniques that are sequential, substantive, logical, rational, and structured. They prefer actual rather than contrived or simulated experiences. 7 Concrete sequential learners tend to desire clear objectives and concrete examples rather than theories and abstractions. The GSD uses 4 descriptors to categorize dominant perspectives, although learners may have orientations toward other learning styles. 7 The GSD is designed for self-assessment of 2 learning dimensions: perception (abstract concrete, which refers to abilities in comprehending intangible vs tangible information) and ordering (random, ie, simultaneous or unstructured information processing, or sequential, ie, systematic or stepwise information processing). The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) analyzes seemingly fixed learning-style preferences in situational classroom experiences. 3 Two commercially available learning-style instruments and 1 freely available pharmacy-specific instrument are briefly described, as they are germane to this study, either through direct application or background. 1,4,6-8 While additional research is warranted, the potential benefits of assessing learning styles are generally well accepted, including enhanced student awareness of a variety of techniques for learning and faculty cognizance of the utility of different teaching strategies. 1,4,6 Despite widespread use of learning-style constructs and assessments, some scholars have suggested that insufficient or equivocal evidence exists regarding the theoretical underpinnings, psychometric properties, and efficacy of models. Comparative summaries and evaluative comments provide succinct descriptions of some of the major or popular learning-assessment instruments, details of which are published elsewhere. Numerous tools have been developed to assess learning-style preferences. Typologies are helpful in characterizing how people respond to various learning stimuli. 2-4 Consideration of the diversity of student learning styles may take on greater importance in pharmacy education considering the larger class sizes, disparate backgrounds of entry-level students, increased cultural interactions, technological advances, and growing use of distance education. Cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and situational learning preferences can impact successful outcomes of the student’s learning experience. 1 Although learning styles have been addressed in a variety of disciplines and domains, the specific definitions, models, and construct measures vary. Learning styles are defined as the “… manner in which individuals choose to or are inclined to approach a learning situation,” ie, the behaviors and processes people use to acquire new knowledge. Learning styles differed among respondents based on gender and faculty track.įaculty members in colleges and schools of pharmacy engage in a myriad of methods to help students develop into knowledgeable practitioners, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and better communicators. Learning styles differed between men and women across both instruments ( p<0.01), and between faculty members in tenure and clinical tracks for the GSD styles ( p=0.01).Ĭonclusion. ![]() There were no significant differences between faculty members and student learning styles nor across pharmacy student class years ( p>0.05). ![]() With PILS, dominant styles were assimilator (47%) and converger (30%). Based on responses from 299 students (classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010) and 59 faculty members, GSD styles were concrete sequential (48%), abstract sequential (18%), abstract random (13%), concrete random (13%), and multimodal (8%). Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) and Zubin’s Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) were administered to students and faculty members at an urban, Midwestern college of pharmacy. To compare dominant learning styles of pharmacy students and faculty members and between faculty members in different tracks.
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