Learning styles and perceptions of the value of various learning modalities before and after a 2nd-year course in microbiology and infectious diseases

Background: The authors' 4-week course in microbiology and infectious disea ses consists of lectures, small-group sessions, interactive computer-assist ed learning (CAL), and textbook readings. Purpose: To determine how individual learning style influenced learners' va lue assessment of these teaching modalities. Methods: A Kolb Learning Style Inventory and questionnaire to assess enthus iasm for each teaching modality were administered before the course. At cou rse end, a 2nd questionnaire assessed the perceived usefulness of each teac hing modality. Results: Learners with a relative preference for experiential learning rath er than abstraction initially favored small groups (R-2 = .06, p = .004) an d CAL (R-2 = .06, p = .005). Similarly, learners with a preference for refl ective observation rather than active experimentation favored lectures (R-2 = .05, p = .01), However at course end, Kolb learning style did not predic t the value assessment of any modality. Conclusions: Kolb learning style influenced the initial attractiveness but not the retrospective assessment of learning modalities; hence, quality and content superseded learning style as determinants of value after course co mpletion.