Improving a Database Management Systems Course Through Student Learning Styles: A Pilot Study

This is a pilot study, which aims to reorganize a course to better serve learners’ learning styles. In essence, this study is a case study to improve the performance of the Database Management Systems Course in the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies (CEIT) at Uludag University. Learning styles of students were analyzed through Felder-Soloman's Index of Learning Styles (ILS). A part of data was conducted during the Spring 2009. The participants were the students of the respective course. Findings showed that participants were mostly visual, active and sensory type learners. They were balanced on sequential-global dimensions. No significant relationship was found between the learning styles and achievement scores. This result forms appropriate pre-study conditions for the upcoming study. It was decided for the upcoming study that different learning materials that suits characteristics of participants be developed and blended learning is proposed as a delivery method.