Self-Reported Learning Strategies and Preferences in Health Informatics.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Limited understanding of student preferences and learning strategies in Health Informatics (HI) programs.
• Growing global proliferation of HI educational programs necessitates tailored pedagogical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate student learning preferences and strategies in Health Informatics courses.
• To identify effective teaching methods and areas for curriculum enhancement in HI education.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) adapted for HI.
• Collected and analyzed data from students across three distinct Health Informatics courses.
• Applied deep and surface learning theories to interpret student learning behaviors.

Main Results:

• Machine learning identified as a highly engaging topic; genomics data wrangling presented challenges.
• Students favored sequential learning pathways and multimodal resources, particularly those with visual content.
• Deep learning strategies were predominantly reported, yet challenges persisted in organization, elaboration, and peer learning tactics.

Conclusions:

• Health Informatics students prefer structured, visually-rich learning experiences.
• Educators should address identified challenges in specific HI topics and learning tactics like organization and peer collaboration.
• Findings offer actionable recommendations for enhancing HI education for students, educators, and researchers.