Evaluation of student learning styles of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences based on VARK model

Identifying and monitoring appropriate learning styles play an important role to choose the methods of learning and transferring knowledge and concepts to learners and eventually in the promotion of educational levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the freshmen learning styles in North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences based on VARK model. This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional one. The sample size was determined through census sampling method and 178 freshmen were studied. The data was collected through VARK questionnaire. The data was analyzed with SPSS 19 and the chi-squared test. The results of this study show that the learning styles in males are 18/9% visual, 26/4 % aural, 17% read-write, and 37/7 % kinesthetic and in females are 12% visual, 22/4% aural,36/8% read-write, and 28/8 % kinesthetic. The freshmen learning styles are 13/7% visual, 23/1% aural, 31/9% read-write, and 31/3% kinesthetic. The dominant learning style of dental, laboratory sciences, health, nursing,, midwifery medical students are kinesthetic, aural, kinesthetic, read- write, kinesthetic and Aural- Write respectively. Instructor's awareness of different learning styles and choosing an appropriate one has a great impact on improving the teaching-learning process and increasing the effectiveness of the training.