Estilos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes de medicina veterinaria de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the main learning-styles profiles of the students of veterinary medicine, as well as to determine if differences in cognitive preferences between students of basic or superior training cycle of the career exist. Seventy-six students of the School of Veterinary Sciences of the National University of Rosario (Argentina) were polled using the index of learning styles developed by Felder and Silverman. This index assess the preference toward active or reflective (processing dimension), sensing or intuitive (perception dimension), visual or verbal (representation dimension) and sequential or global (understanding dimension) styles. The cognitive preferences of polled students were orientated to active, sensing, visual and sequential styles. However, there were statistically significant differences in processing and perception dimension in the basic training cycle depending on the date of beginning of the course. Thus, students with two or more years in the career showed higher preference levels to active and sensing styles than the new students. These results support the hypothesis of cognitive differences in learning. In this study, it was confirmed that most of assessed students preferred to learn by means of active, sensing, visual and sequential styles. Moreover, these preferences were deeper as students remain more years in the career. The assessment of the psychological profile of the student body would allow the design of suitable lessons making easier the knowledge building in the university.