Learning style preferences of undergraduate paramedic students: A pilot study

Background: It has been identified that health science students, and in particular, undergraduate paramedic students may have distinct learning needs. By educators being conscious of the unique learning styles of undergraduate paramedic students they will have the ability to organise learning activities for paramedic students that will optimise their educational experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of undergraduate paramedic students. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a paper-based version of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (K-LSI) was administered to a cohort of students enrolled in an undergraduate paramedic degree at an Australian university. There were 170 paramedic students eligible for inclusion in the study. Results: There were 57 students (response rate of 33.5%) that participated in the study, of which 70% (n=40) were female. The results indicated that undergraduate paramedic students have a preference for two learning styles: the Diverger style of learning (31%) and the Accommodator style of learning (26.5%). Conclusions: It is recommended that educators take into consideration the learning style preferences of undergraduate paramedic students when developing curriculum and evaluating teaching approaches, especially when planning, implementing and evaluating education initiatives in order to create an effective learning environment for their students.