P-04 A Qualitative Exploration of the Learning Styles of Second Year Medical Sciences Students at the UWI Cave Hill Campus pre-COVID-19

Methods: This qualitative arm of a mixed-methods study was conducted between November 2018 and February 2019. Focus group discussions (FGDs) elicited the views and lived experiences of a heterogeneous sample of purposively selected Year 2 students who had completed the VARK Learning Styles inventory within the preceding semester. FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to inductive coding with rapid thematic analysis.

Results: Six participants (F:M= 5:1) between the ages of 18 and 24 years, with a range of learning styles were recruited. Coding, rapid analysis and data reduction yielded four basic themes (“Student preference”, “Lecturing limitations”, “Adaptability”, and “LS theory awareness”). Participants described various methods of taking in information during class and gave perspectives on the types and perceived effectiveness of lecturers’ pedagogical methods. In managing information received in class, regardless of LS students used textbooks mainly to augment perceived gaps in the combination of lecture delivery, slides and their personal notes; interestingly, YouTube videos were used universally. Regarding future application of LS, multimodal participants because they already employed all four learning modes, anticipated little change as they progressed through medical school.

Conclusion: LS theory and testing appears to be useful for student and teacher awareness but in practice honing students’ adaptability to varying learning settings may be more relevant in helping students achieve desired learning outcomes.