Learning preferences of dental students at Islamabad medical and dental College

The purpose of this study was to measure the distribution of learning preferences of 1[st] and 2[nd] year dental students at Islamabad Medical and Dental College. Each individual has learning styles in various combinations; as a teacher were need to use all four ourselves recognizing that each student may have a preference of acquiring information and skill in one style over another. As students progress it is important for us to match our teaching method to their task specific needs. To determine the learning style preferences, the VARK questionnaire was administered. Student questionnaires were scored and tabulated to determine the distribution of VARK preferences. 52% of respondents preferred a single mode of learning, 36% were bimodal, 8% tri modal and 4% were quad modal. Results clearly demonstrate that Dental students' preferred kinesthetic and aural learning at a higher percentage. Dental students may be more skilled at some tasks and less in others; it is important that our teaching/ coaching methods are matched to their learning preference and to each task