Multicentric Survey on Learning Styles Between Members of the Veterinary Field.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Learning Styles Assessment

Background:

• Medical science education requires continuous adaptation for students and teachers.
• The Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) framework identifies preferred learning modalities.
• Assessing learning styles is crucial for optimizing educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the VARK learning styles among a diverse group of veterinary students and educators.
• To analyze learning style variations across different age groups, languages, and institutions.
• To provide data-driven recommendations for tailoring veterinary education.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 873 veterinary students and professionals across multiple countries.
• Respondents completed versions of the VARK questionnaire in French, English, Italian, and Spanish.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare learning styles across demographic groups and generations.

Main Results:

• Over half of respondents (52.6%) were unimodal learners, while 47.4% were multimodal.
• Significant generational differences were observed; Baby Boomers and Millennials showed less preference for visual and aural styles, respectively, compared to Generation Z.
• Baby Boomers were significantly less likely to be multimodal learners than Generation Z.

Conclusions:

• The current veterinary student population largely comprises multimodal learners, with a strong preference for visual and auditory information acquisition.
• Learning style preferences show variations influenced by country and generational cohort.
• Implementing initial VARK assessments can help educators understand and adapt to their specific student populations, leading to more effective teaching strategies.