Learning styles, academic performance and mental health among medical students in King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of various learning styles and their correlation with academic performance and mental health of medical students. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the King Faisal University, Houfof, Saudi Arabia, from January to June 2019, and comprised medical students regardless of gender or the academic year. Data was collected using the Visual Aural Read/write Kinesthetic questionnaire. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 was used to assess mental health. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 315 students, 179(57%) were males and 136(43%) were females. Overall, 152(48.3%) subjects preferred multimodal, while 163(51.7%) preferred unimodal style; 93(29%) aural, 53(16.8%) visual, 11(3.5%) read/write and 6(1.9%) kinesthetic. Males preferred visual and quardimodal styles of learning, while females preferred aural learning (p<0.05). Academic achievement was associated with learning style (p<0.05), but no relationship was observed between depression scores and learning styles (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The most preferred learning styles among medical students were found to be aural and bimodal.

Emergency Department Discharge Teaching Interventions: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency department discharge education is intended to provide patients with information to self-manage their condition or injury, identify potential complications, and follow-up or referral. However, most patients cannot recall the discharge information provided, leading to adverse clinical outcomes, return visits, and higher costs. A scoping review was undertaken to explore discharge education interventions that have been studied in the emergency department setting and outcomes that have been used to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using the databases PubMed/Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Education Resources Information Center, with search terms focused on emergency nursing and patient discharge education interventions. RESULTS: Of the publications identified, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. There was variation among studies on the conditions/injuries and populations of focus for the intervention. The interventions were categorized by learning styles, including auditory (n=10), kinesthetic (n=1), visual (n=15), reading/writing (n=1), and multimodal (n=7). Outcomes evaluated included those that were patient-specific (education, self-management, clinical, and adherence) and metrics of the health system and public health. DISCUSSION: Multimodal discharge education that addresses various learning styles and levels of health literacy improved patient education, self-management, and clinical outcomes. Additional support and reminders improved patient adherence. Identified gaps included limited kinesthetic interventions and culturally tailored education. Translational science for advancing sustainable interventions in clinical practice is needed to enhance the emergency department discharge process and patient, system, and public health outcomes.

Mapping the learning styles of medical students in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Medical education has evolved based on the application of pedagogical actions that place the student as the protagonist of the learning process through the use of active teaching methodologies. Within this context, higher education teachers should use strategies that focus on the student and his/her context and avoid traditional teaching methods. Specifically in medical schools, there is an even greater challenge since the teaching methods of medical curricula differ from those used in previous schooling. Consequently, students acquire their own style of processing information that is often incompatible with the profile of medical schools. This may be one of the factors responsible for the lack of motivation among undergraduates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize the learning styles of students enrolled in a Brazilian medical school using the Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study that included students from the 1st to the 6th year of a Brazilian medical school. The students participating in this study voluntarily answered 44 questions about learning styles of the Felder-Silverman instrument validated in Brazil. The instrument was divided so that each domain consisted of 11 questions with two response options in which only one could be selected. For each domain, a score (1 point) was assigned to the selected option (a, b) of the question and the learning style category was determined as the difference between these values. For data collection and tabulation, we used the Learning Syle Platform (EdA Platform) developed based on Felder's studies since this system processes information about the dimension analyzed, the preferred style, and the most striking characteristics of each style. RESULTS: The results showed that sensing was the preferred learning style of the students, followed by the sequential and visual styles. It was not possible to determine whether gender or age influences the choice of learning methods because of the homogeneity of the results. CONCLUSIONS: The present data will enable teachers of the institution involved in this study to plan pedagogical actions that improve the students' self-awareness, as well as their teaching-learning skills, by choosing the most adequate active methodologies for the medical education programs considering the individuality of each student and class.

How people learn: insights for medical faculty.

To increase medical students' and residents' understanding and retention, faculty need to teach from a knowledge standpoint and understanding of how individuals learn. We know from cognitive information processing that learners remember only a small portion of what they read or hear but remember up to 90% of information when strong active learning modalities are included. Faculty also need to be aware of different learning styles-kinesthetic, visual, and auditory-and ensure that they are including methods that can reach all learners. The cognitive and information processing theories of learning provide insights to educators related to building on prior knowledge from learning and limiting the number of points taught so learners can process and retain the information. Strategies such as a flipped classroom model and question clicker technology can assist in reaching learning goals. Fundamental conditions for learning include awareness, interest, motivation, relevance, engagement, reinforcement, and support.

Learning in the Metaverse: Are University Students Willing to Learn in Immersive Virtual Reality?

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology provides several educational affordances that make it a valuable tool for learning, especially from a constructivist learning perspective. Combined with the increasing availability of Metaverse social platforms, such as ENGAGE and AltSpace VR, where students and teachers can meet and work together, IVR may transform how students learn and interact with educational content. However, little is known about students' attitudes toward IVR in education. To address this gap, we surveyed 329 undergraduate students from different universities in Italy. We used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to predict students' intention to adopt IVR for learning. We further explored the role that different individual factors, including students' learning styles, affordances perceptions, and personal innovativeness, have on their attitudes toward IVR. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the four constructs of the UTAUT, namely performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions were the strongest predictors of students' intention to use IVR in education and that individual factors only had little impact on it. Based on these results, this study provides helpful indications for researchers and educators who wish to introduce IVR effectively in educational contexts. Given the new possibilities provided by Metaverse applications based on IVR technology for learning, it is indeed crucial to fully understand the attitudes different stakeholders in education have toward adopting this technology in educational contexts.

Moderators of short- and long-term outcomes in panic control treatment and panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to test the hypothesis that externalizing and internalizing helpfulness beliefs and learning styles at baseline moderate panic severity and overall mental illness as short-term and long-term outcomes of two panic-focused psychotherapies, Panic Control Treatment (PCT) and Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PFPP). METHOD: Participants were 108 adults with DSM-IV Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia (PD/A) who were randomized to treatment in a trial of PCT and PFPP. Piece-wise/segmented multilevel modeling was used to test three-way interactions (Treatments × Moderator × Time), with participants and therapists as random factors. Outcome variables were clinician-rated panic severity and self-rated mental illness post-treatment and during follow-up. RESULTS: Patients' externalizing (but not internalizing) helpfulness beliefs moderated mental illness outcomes during follow-up (but not during treatment); low levels of Externalization were facilitative for PFPP but not PCT. Internalizing and externalizing helpfulness beliefs and learning style did not moderate clinician-rated panic severity, whether short- or long-term. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that helpfulness beliefs and learning style have limited use in assignment to either PCT or PFPP for PD/A. Although further research is needed, low levels of helpfulness beliefs about externalizing coping may play a role in mental illness outcomes for PFPP.

Utilizing decision tree machine model to map dental students' preferred learning styles with suitable instructional strategies.

BACKGROUND: Growing demand for student-centered learning (SCL) has been observed in higher education settings including dentistry. However, application of SCL in dental education is limited. Hence, this study aimed to facilitate SCL application in dentistry utilising a decision tree machine learning (ML) technique to map dental students' preferred learning styles (LS) with suitable instructional strategies (IS) as a promising approach to develop an IS recommender tool for dental students. METHODS: A total of 255 dental students in Universiti Malaya completed the modified Index of Learning Styles (m-ILS) questionnaire containing 44 items which classified them into their respective LS. The collected data, referred to as dataset, was used in a decision tree supervised learning to automate the mapping of students' learning styles with the most suitable IS. The accuracy of the ML-empowered IS recommender tool was then evaluated. RESULTS: The application of a decision tree model in the automation process of the mapping between LS (input) and IS (target output) was able to instantly generate the list of suitable instructional strategies for each dental student. The IS recommender tool demonstrated perfect precision and recall for overall model accuracy, suggesting a good sensitivity and specificity in mapping LS with IS. CONCLUSION: The decision tree ML empowered IS recommender tool was proven to be accurate at matching dental students' learning styles with the relevant instructional strategies. This tool provides a workable path to planning student-centered lessons or modules that potentially will enhance the learning experience of the students.

Leveraging different learning styles for improved knowledge distillation in biomedical imaging.

Learning style refers to a type of training mechanism adopted by an individual to gain new knowledge. As suggested by the VARK model, humans have different learning preferences, like Visual (V), Auditory (A), Read/Write (R), and Kinesthetic (K), for acquiring and effectively processing information. Our work endeavors to leverage this concept of knowledge diversification to improve the performance of model compression techniques like Knowledge Distillation (KD) and Mutual Learning (ML). Consequently, we use a single-teacher and two-student network in a unified framework that not only allows for the transfer of knowledge from teacher to students (KD) but also encourages collaborative learning between students (ML). Unlike the conventional approach, where the teacher shares the same knowledge in the form of predictions or feature representations with the student network, our proposed approach employs a more diversified strategy by training one student with predictions and the other with feature maps from the teacher. We further extend this knowledge diversification by facilitating the exchange of predictions and feature maps between the two student networks, enriching their learning experiences. We have conducted comprehensive experiments with three benchmark datasets for both classification and segmentation tasks using two different network architecture combinations. These experimental results demonstrate that knowledge diversification in a combined KD and ML framework outperforms conventional KD or ML techniques (with similar network configuration) that only use predictions with an average improvement of 2%. Furthermore, consistent improvement in performance across different tasks, with various network architectures, and over state-of-the-art techniques establishes the robustness and generalizability of the proposed model.

Cuestionario Honey-Alonso de estilos de aprendizaje (CHAEA). Propiedades psicométricas en estudiantes universitarios colombianos

Introducción: El objetivo de este artículo resultado de investigación es presentar los resultados del proceso de análisis psicométrico del Cuestionario Honey-Alonso de Estilos de Aprendizaje (CHAEA) en universitarios en Colombia. Método: La metodología está inserta en los estudios instrumentales, busca identificar las propiedades psicométricas de un instrumento. La muestra fue de 2230 estudiantes en el Análisis Factorial Exploratorio y de 661 para el Análisis Confirmatorio, ambas muestras no aleatorias. Se utilizaron los Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales (SEM) para la etapa confirmatoria. Resultado: El resultado fue un instrumento de 25 ítems, 4 factores, compuestos de reactivos organizados diferente al constructo original, más cercano al modelo de Kolb, propiedades psicométricas aceptables de acuerdo con los planteamientos teóricos utilizados, dirigida a valorar los estilos de aprendizaje confirmados y etiquetados -Investigador, Práctico, Experimentador y Activo- en el ámbito educativo. Conclusión: El proceso de validación realizado permite que el uso del instrumento sea considerado como válido y confiable para Estudiantes Universitarios del contexto educativo colombiano. De todas maneras, hay que tener en cuenta las condiciones de aplicación y siempre es importante realizar nuevos estudios en diferentes niveles educativos que puedan dar cuenta de información psicométrica más sólida.

Introduction: The objective of this research result article is to present the results of the psychometric analysis process of the Honey-Alonso Learning Styles Questionnaire (CHAEA) in university students in Colombia. Method: The methodology is inserted in instrumental studies; it seeks to identify the psychometric properties of an instrument. The sample consisted of 2.230 students in the Exploratory Factor Analysis and 661 for the Confirmatory Analysis, both non-random samples. Structural Equation Models (SEM) were used for the confirmatory stage. Result: The result was an instrument of 25 items, 4 factors, composed of reagents organized differently from the original construct, closer to the Kolb model, acceptable psychometric properties according to the theoretical approaches used, aimed at assessing confirmed and labeled learning styles -Investigator, Practitioner, Experimenter and Active- in the educational field. Conclusion: The validation process carried out allows the use of the instrument to be considered valid and reliable for University Students in the Colombian educational context. In any case, the application conditions must be taken into account, and it is always important to carry out new studies at different educational levels that can account for more solid psychometric information.

The influence of learning styles on academic procrastination among students in mathematics.

Introduction: Procrastination is a complex psychological and behavioral construct that is strongly influenced by certain personality traits. In mathematics learning, students find it difficult to master the concepts because of less exposure to learning styles. Poor knowledge of mathematical concepts leads to academic procrastination in the subject of Mathematics among students. Therefore, this study aims to identify students' learning styles in Mathematics, identify the stages of students' academic procrastination in Mathematics, and determine whether there is a significant influence of learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) on academic procrastination among secondary school students in Mathematics. Methods: A quantitative approach with a survey was applied. A total of 500 Form Two and Form Four students in five national secondary schools in the Kota Bharu district, Kelantan, were selected using simple random sampling. The duration of data gathering started from 4 October 2022 until 31 January 2023. The Learning Styles Questionnaire and the Academic Procrastination Questionnaire were adapted and verified by eight experts in psychology and counseling. Descriptive and multiple regression tests were carried out using IBM SPSS version 26.0. Results: The results revealed that the visual learning style was the most dominant learning style among students in the subject of Mathematics, followed by auditory and kinesthetic. The level of students' academic procrastination in Mathematics was low. Besides, multiple regression showed that visual and kinesthetic learning styles were significant contributors or predictors, which amounted to 14.1% of the variation in students' academic procrastination in Mathematics. Discussion: The implications of this study highlight the possibility to improve programs in schools by exposing students to suitable learning styles so that they can practice effective learning styles in Mathematics and consequently overcome academic procrastination. Further research can be carried out by identifying other factors that encourage academic procrastination in the subject of Mathematics in order to increase students' motivation and self-efficacy.

What Happens to the Principles of Evidence-Based Practice When Clinicians Become Educators? A Case Study of the Learning Styles Neuromyth.

Introduction: The approach of matching teaching practice to individual student "Learning Styles" has been repeatedly shown to be ineffective, even harmful. Yet, it appears a majority of educators believe it to be an effective approach. The status of Learning Styles theory in health professions education is unclear. Method: We surveyed health professions educators to determine whether they believed that Learning Styles theory is effective and whether this belief translates to action. We also test knowledge of Learning Styles theory. Results: 87.4% of participants are familiar with Learning Styles, but knowledge about specific models varies. 69.9% of participants believed that Learning Styles theory is effective, but only one-third of them were actually using it. Discussion: More effort is required to emphasise the importance of evidence-based educational awareness and practice in the healthcare community. As is the case with clinical practice, a culture of promoting pedagogy validated by the scientific method should be the norm. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01849-1.

A Comparison of Generation Z and Millennial Dental Hygiene Students' Preferred Learning Styles.

Purpose Learning styles have been studied in dental and generational research, but research has been limited with Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a difference between Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles.Methods First- and second-year dental hygiene students attending three programs located in Southern California were invited to participate in the study. Additional participants were recruited through dental hygiene social media sites. The 44 item Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered via an online survey platform. Millennial and Generation Z participants were compared on the four dimensions of the ILS: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test.Results A total of 150 dental hygiene students agreed to participate; Millennials (n=61), Generation Z (n=89). There was no significant difference between Millennial and Generation Z students in the active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, or sequential/global dimensions (p>0.05); both cohorts preferred the active, sensing, and sequential learning styles. There was a statistically significant difference in the visual/verbal dimension with Millennials indicating a significantly greater preference for the visual learning style than Generation Z (p=0.04).Conclusion There may be differences between the learning styles of Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The finding that Generation Z students differ significantly from Millennials on the visual-verbal dimension may indicate a shift toward the verbal dimension learning style that needs further study.

A comparison of Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles.

OBJECTIVES: Learning styles have been studied in dental and generational research, but research has been limited with Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a difference between Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles. METHODS: First- and second-year dental hygiene students attending three programs located in Southern California were invited to participate in the study. Additional participants were recruited through dental hygiene social media sites. The 44 item Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered via an online survey platform. Millennial and Generation Z participants were compared on the four dimensions of the ILS: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test. RESULTS: A total of 150 dental hygiene students agreed to participate; Millennials (n = 61), Generation Z (n = 89). There was no significant difference between Millennial and Generation Z students in the active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, or sequential/global dimensions (p > 0.05); both cohorts preferred the active, sensing, and sequential learning styles. There was a statistically significant difference in the visual/verbal dimension with Millennials indicating a significantly greater preference for the visual learning style than Generation Z (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: There may be differences between the learning styles of Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The finding that Generation Z students differ significantly from Millennials on the visual-verbal dimension may indicate a shift toward the verbal dimension learning style that needs further study.

Caracterización de estilos de aprendizaje, satisfacción y acceso a residencia médica en participantes de un programa de educación médica continuada bimodal/virtual en Medellín, Colombia, 2017

Introducción: los estilos de aprendizaje son rasgos del estudiante que pueden ayudar a la planificación curricular en educación médica. No se conoce con certeza si algún estilo de aprendizaje específico se relaciona con la satisfacción en educación médica continuada o si aumenta las probabilidades de acceder a una residencia médica. Objetivo: este trabajo buscó categorizar los estilos de aprendizaje en una cohorte de médicos, describir su satisfacción según cada estilo de aprendizaje y el acceso a una residencia médica. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal en médicos cursando un diplomado de actualización médica. Se categorizaron estilos de aprendizaje y sus combinaciones (activo, reflexivo, teórico y pragmático). Se calculó la diferencia de medias de satisfacción del curso. Posteriormente, se evaluó la asociación entre el estilo de aprendizaje y el acceso a un cupo de residencia médica. Resultados: trescientos once médicos (n=311) aceptaron participar. El 75 % tenían entre uno y dos estilos dominantes, siendo el más frecuente el reflexivo/teórico (n=108; 34,7%). No se encontró una mayor satisfacción global asociada a un estilo en particular. Conclusión: el estilo de aprendizaje dominante es el reflexivo/teórico. La satisfacción global es mayor en la modalidad bimodal. No se encontró asociación con ningún estilo de aprendizaje y el acceso a residencia médica.

Introduction: learning styles are student traits that can aid in curriculum planning in medical education. It is not known for certain if any specific learning style is related to satisfaction in continuing medical education or if it increases the chances of accessing a medical residency. Objective: the learning styles are student traits that can aid in curriculum planning in medical education. This study aimed to categorize learning styles within a cohort of physicians, describe their satisfaction according to each learning style, and assess access to a medical residency program. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted with physicians attending a diploma in clinical and surgical areas. Learning styles were categorized according to the CAMEA40 questionnaire. The median differences of course satisfaction was calculated. Subsequently, the association between each learning styles and access to a medical residency post was evaluated. Results: three hundred eleven (n = 311) agreed to participate. A total of 75 % had between one and two dominant learning style, the most frequent being the reflective/theoretical (n = 108; 34,7 %). No greater overall satisfaction associated with a particular learning style was found. Conclusion: one-third of the doctors had a reflective/theoretical profile. The overall satisfaction and access to a medical residency were no associated with any learning style.

An analysis of the learning styles and attitudes of foreign students in a post-baccalaureate medical education program.

In a scenario of ongoing changes in the theory and methodology of teaching, student-centered practices are crucial in improving teaching and learning outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate whether the learning styles and attitudes (connected and separate knowing) associated with the curriculum differ among medical students. The research subjects consisted of 43 first- and second-year medical students attending a post-baccalaureate medical education program exclusively for foreign students at a comprehensive university in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A self-administered Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey (ATTLS) was used to assess the differences in learning styles and attitudes among grades, gender, and nationality of these post-baccalaureate medical students. The reliability value of Cronbach Alpha coefficients for all items of ATTLS was 0.93. These medical students reported significantly higher connected knowing styles than separate knowing. The average score of the connected knowing for first-year students taking the "International Health" course is significantly higher than that of second-year students taking the "Population Health and Sustainable Development" course. There is no difference in the separate knowing between these two curricula. The learning styles and attitudes of students participating in the teaching process showed no difference in grade, gender, and nationality. The evidence that there is a significant interaction effect of grade, gender, and nationality examined with the separate knowing, rather than the connected knowing, suggests that this heterogenicity of learning methodology needs to be considered and integrated into future teaching methods.

Canales dominantes de percepción del conocimiento. Influencia en la evaluación del aprendizaje de la inmunología / Knowledge Perception Dominant Channels. Influence of the Evaluation of Immunology Learning

Introducción: Los estilos de aprendizaje según canales de percepción dominante del conocimiento de los estudiantes influyen en su aprendizaje. Su uso por los docentes puede favorecer o no a estudiantes con un canal específico. Objetivo: Describir la ubicación según los canales de percepción dominante del conocimiento de los estudiantes de medicina y la relación de estos con el resultado de las evaluaciones frecuentes en la asignatura Sangre y Sistema Inmune. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación en 234 estudiantes y 30 profesores de la carrera de medicina en los cursos 2020-2021 y 2022. Los estudiantes se clasificaron según los resultados de un cuestionario para identificar el predominio del canal de percepción (visuales-auditivos-kinestésicos) y a los profesores se les realizó una encuesta para determinar su percepción sobre el uso de estrategias de enseñanza diferenciales para cada canal. El procesamiento se realizó en programa SPSS 25, a través de números, porcentaje y prueba de ji al cuadrado. Resultados: Predominó el canal visual con el 48 por ciento. Existió asociación con el sexo con p = 0,0016; en varones prevaleció el canal auditivo y en hembras el visual. La relación entre los canales de percepción dominante y el rendimiento académico fue significativa con p = 0,000. Conclusiones: Prevaleció el canal de percepción dominante visual. La distribución de cada canal se asoció con el sexo y el rendimiento académico; así se lograron mejores resultados por los estudiantes con percepción dominante visual. Esto último estuvo relacionado con el predominio de acciones por parte de los docentes que potencian este canal de percepción(AU)

Introduction: Learning styles according to dominant perception channels of students' knowledge influence their learning. Their use by professors may or may not favor students with a specific channel. Objective: To describe the location according to the dominant knowledge perception channels of medical students and their relationship with the results of frequent evaluations in the subject Blood and Immune System. Methods: A research was conducted with 234 students and 30 professors of the Medicine major during the academic years 2020-2021 and 2022. The students were classified according to the results of a questionnaire to identify the perception channel predominance (visual-auditory-kinesthetic), while the professors were surveyed to determine their perception on the use of differential teaching strategies for each channel. Processing was performed in SPSS 25, using numbers, percentages and the chi-squared test. Results: The visual channel predominated, accounting for 48 percent. There was an association with sex (p=0.0016); the auditory channel prevailed among males, while the visual channel prevailed among females. The relationship between dominant perception channels and academic performance was significant (p=0.000). Conclusions: The visual dominant perception channel prevailed. The distribution of each channel was associated with sex and academic performance; thus, better results were achieved by students with visual dominant perception. The latter was related to the predominance of actions by professors that enhance this perception channel(AU)

Medical Faculty Perspectives Toward Cadaveric Dissection as a Learning Tool for Anatomy Education: A Survey Study in India.

Cadaveric dissection, as a learning tool, has been a part of Indian medical education. Worldwide, with reforms in medical education and the introduction of new learning modalities, cadaveric dissection has been complemented with other modalities such as living anatomy and virtual anatomy. This study aims to collect the feedback of faculty members regarding the role of dissection in the present context of medical education. The method of the study involved a 32-item questionnaire to collect responses; they were collected using the 5-point Likert scale along with two open-ended questions. In general, the closed questions covered these sections: learning styles, interpersonal skills, teaching and learning, dissection, and other learning modes. The principal component analysis was used to explore the multivariate relationships among the items' perceptions. The multivariate regression analysis was conducted between the construct and the latent variable to develop the structural equation model. Four themes, PC1 (learning ability with structural orientation), PC2 (interpersonal skill), PC3 (multimedia-virtual tool), and PC5 (associated factors) had positive relation and were treated as a latent variable motivation for dissection, and theme 4 (PC4, safety) had a negative correlation and was treated as a latent variable repulsion for dissection. It was found that the dissection room is an important place for learning clinical and personal skills, along with empathy, in anatomy education. Safety issues and implementation of stress-coping activities during the induction phase are required. There is also a need to use mixed-method approaches that integrate technology-enhanced learning such as virtual anatomy, living anatomy, and radiological anatomy with cadaveric dissection.

Faculty development strategies to empower university teachers by their educational role: A qualitative study on the faculty members and students' experiences at Iranian universities of medical sciences.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify and explain the strategies of faculty development based on their role at Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative content analysis study in 2021 using purposive, snowball sampling, with a maximum variation in the faculty members' age and experience level. Twenty four participants were enrolled in this study (eighteen faculty members and six medical sciences students); data collection consisted of two phases of semi-structured interviews and a brainstorming group technique. Data were categorized into two themes and six related subthemes, based on their similarities and differences after frequent summarization. RESULTS: The data analysis yielded two themes and eight categories. The first theme was to explain competencies based on role and task with two sub-themes: Tasks and capabilities and development and excellence of personal qualities. The second theme was the best strategies for empowering the teachers with four sub-themes, including problem-based learning, integration of methods, evaluation-based education, and scholarship in education (PIES), which explains the strategies that can support the development of teachers in medical sciences universities, and all the concepts were interrelated to each other. CONCLUSION: From the experiences of faculty members, the importance of some strategies in education and empowering the teachers' professional competence dimensions should be emphasized. PIES could explain the practical strategies that can support the development of teachers in medical sciences universities.

The Relationship Among Students' Learning Styles, Health Sciences Colleges, and Grade Point Average (GPA).

Introduction: Learning styles are an increasingly important area in education, affecting different aspects of the learning arena. They can predict how students might process information and solve learning problems differently even when engaged in the same learning activities. Purpose: This study aimed to investigated the relationship among health sciences students' learning styles, college majors, and grade point averages (GPAs). A total of 247 male students belonging to King Saud bin Abdulaziz University at Riyadh were chosen intentionally for this study, which employed a quantitative procedure for collecting and analysing data. Methods: The study used a survey research design, and data were obtained from the Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ), which the students had to answer online. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 16). Descriptive analysis methods - such as means, standard deviations, frequency counts, and correlations - were employed. Results: The results indicated that the students demonstrated a range of learning style preferences. The most frequently preferred style was the auditory learning style, followed by the kinaesthetic and individual learning styles. The least preferred style was group learning. The results also showed significant differences in the students' learning styles across colleges - with preferences towards the auditory, individual, and group learning styles - and insignificant differences for the visual preference, kinaesthetic, and tactile preference learning styles. Finally, the relationship between learning style and GPA was only positive with the individual learning style and negative with the group learning style. Conclusion: These findings support the notion that the total learning environment affects students' learning styles and suggest several courses of action for students, teachers, and policymakers.

The impact of learning styles on attitudes to interprofessional learning among nursing students: a longitudinal mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: A functional interprofessional teamwork improves collaborative patient-centred care. Participation in interprofessional education promotes cooperation after graduation. Individuals tend to use different approaches to learning depending on their individual preferences. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences of professional development with a focus on the relationship between attitudes to interprofessional learning and learning styles. METHODS: A longitudinal parallel mixed-methods design. The study was carried out at a Swedish three-year nursing program from August 2015 to January 2020. On enrolment, thirty-four students self-assessed their attitudes to interprofessional learning according to the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale, and their learning style according to Kolbs' Learning Style Inventory. In the final semester the students participated in an interview focusing on their experiences and perceptions of teamwork and they self-assessed their attitudes to interprofessional learning again. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that 64.7% had a predominantly concrete learning style and 35.3% had a predominantly reflective learning style. No significant relationship with internal consistency reliability was identified among the participants between attitudes to interprofessional learning and learning styles. The content analysis resulted in four main categories: Amazing when it's functional; Deepened insight of care; Increased quality of care; Understanding own profession which were summarized in the theme: Well-functioning teams improve patients' outcome and working environment. CONCLUSION: The students' attitudes to interprofessional learning were positive and it was considered as an opportunity to participate in interprofessional cooperation during internship. Transformative learning is a useful strategy in fostering interprofessional relationships due to the interdependence of various professions in interprofessional teams. When students are guided to use reflection to develop new perspectives and meaning structures, they acquire emotional and rational skills beneficial for interprofessional cooperation.