Learning Styles/Preferences Among Medical Students: Kinesthetic Learner's Multimodal Approach to Learning Anatomy

Numerous learning styles, schemes, and models are described in the literature. Most common are VARK (visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic) model of learning style and Kolb's experiential learning. Since the concept of learning style was first described, educational psychologists and medical educators have debated its validity. Notwithstanding these disagreements, VARK model is the one most utilized by teachers and students. This article describes how medical students with different learning styles learn anatomy and integrate multiple learning styles (multimodal) to achieve the learning goals and focuses on the approach taken by kinesthetic learners. In addition to clay modeling, drawing, and sketching, kinesthetic learners adopted "crochet" to create a three-dimensional (3-D) conceptual model that helped them mentally visualize the structures in situ. From the lectures and cadaveric dissection, a kinesthetic learner could create a 3-D mental model. However, by "crochet" and clay modeling, kinesthetic learners are able to gain broader visuospatial understanding.