Ibrahim Farooque1, Shoeb Mustafa2, Fateh Mohammad3
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Students have different preferences in the way they receive and process information. The VARK learning style model classifies students into four different learning modes; visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), and kinesthetic (K). This model includes a questionnaire that identifies a person's learning preference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VARK questionnaire version 7.3, having 16 multiple choice questions, was distributed to first year undergraduate medical students who gave consent. RESULTS: Majority of students (60.2%) were multimodal in their learning preference. Among the multimodal students, the commonest learning preference was the bimodal category (64%), of which the highest number was seen in the AK category (24 students). The highest unimodal preference was auditory (57% of unimodal learners). There were no visual unimodal learners. The most common trimodal preferences were ARK and VAK. The total individual scores in each category were V-326, A-635, R/W-393, and K-629; auditory having the highest preference followed by kinesthetic mode. Visual mode had the lowest overall score. There was no significant difference in learning preference between the sexes. CONCLUSION: Different students have different learning styles. The teachers should use combination of teaching strategies to cater to all types of learners.
