VARK: Linking Teaching Strategies to Preferred Learning Styles

Abstract

Background: Nursing education is constantly changing in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the nursing profession. Long gone are the days of lengthy lectures and rote memorization. In order to adequately meet the demands of the profession, new and innovative teaching strategies are imperative. Students must be engaged, interested, and motivated. Unfortunately, not all teaching styles work for all students. Hallin (2014) asserts that students are more motivated and engaged when lessons are consistent with their learning style. Methods: Nursing students at a small Midwestern university were surveyed regarding various teaching strategies used by faculty within the program. Demographic data were collected, and students were asked to self-report their learning style as determined by the VARK questionnaire. Students were then asked to rate a variety of different teaching strategies and activities on a five-point Likert-type scale, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Researchers plan to use SPSS software to analyze the data to determine what strategies are most helpful to students with different learning styles.Data collection was completed in December 2019. Analysis will take place in January 2020; the data will be available for dissemination by March 2020.Implications for Nursing Educational Practice: Nursing faculty face the challenge of meeting the individual learning needs of all students. This research will help faculty to identify those methods that are most helpful to students. Different strategies can be utilized to ensure all learning styles are being addressed. Furthermore, those strategies that appeal to more than one learning style can be emphasized.Nursing faculty face the challenge of meeting the individual learning needs of all students. This presentation will review research designed to link teaching strategies to learning styles. This information will help faculty to identify those methods that are most helpful to students. Different strategies can be utilized to ensure all learning styles are being addressed. Furthermore, those strategies that appeal to more than one learning style can be emphasized.