Learning styles of students and faculty in selected health care professions.

The purposes of this study were to determine if students and faculty in nursing and allied health demonstrate a predominant learning style, if there is an association between a specific learning style (converger, diverger, accommodator, or assimilator) and self-directed learning readiness for these groups, if these learning characteristics can predict academic success, and if a discipline-specific learning style can be identified. Marshall and Merritt's (1986) Learning Style Questionnaire and Guglielmino's (1978) Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) were administered to 301 generic BSN students, 188 RN-BSN students, 110 allied health students, and 30 nursing faculty from one southwestern university. There were no significant differences in learning style between students and faculty; the converger style was the predominant learning style for all subjects. Faculty were more self-directed than students; although, overall, students scored high on the SDLRS. Self-directed learning readiness appears to affect learning style. Convergers were significantly more self-directed than either the accommodators, assimilators, or divergers. Academic success, as determined by program completion, could not be predicted on the basis of learning style or self-direction.

Burn prevention: the need for a comprehensive approach.

Traditionally, burn prevention efforts have been directed at public education and numerous burn prevention campaigns have been undertaken during the past 30 years. How successful have these campaigns been? Contrary to burn mortality, statistical data on burn morbidity are extremely difficult to obtain because little national or international data is available. An analysis of the absolute death rates caused by fire and flames for various countries from 1975 through 1986 seems to indicate that world-wide burn mortality has not decreased. On the contrary, in many countries the rates have increased, whereas in countries like the USA, UK, France and FR Germany, the decrease has been disappointingly low. Furthermore, one wonders if the decrease in mortality rates experienced by these countries is the result of effective prevention programmes or if these could be attributed to advances in technology and improved medical care. Burn prevention campaigns aimed at public education have failed to provide the expected decrease in burn injuries. Education may increase knowledge but does not necessarily lead to behavioural and/or lifestyle change. A restructuring of our burn prevention programmes is needed. Modern techniques of motivational theory must be used to promote public concern and action for individual behaviour change, pertinent legislation and product safety.

A comparative study of learning characteristics of RN and generic students.

The constructs of locus of control, self-directed learning readiness, and learning style preference are related components of an individual's learning characteristics. If group differences between registered nurse and generic students on these constructs could be documented, then the educational process could be directed toward facilitating educational goal attainment for these two distinct groups of students. Three instruments were used for this study: the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale (ANS-IE), Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), and Rezler's Learning Preference Inventory (LPI). The sample consisted of 175 generic and 170 RN students enrolled in two BSN programs. No significant group differences were found for the three constructs except for the interpersonal mode of learning, a subscale of the LPI. Although no group differences were found, the data showed an ethnic and age effect involving all subjects. Although there are no wide differences in learning characteristics between generic and RN students, the individual variations support the use of teaching strategies that incorporate independent study and self-paced methodologies.