title: Does tailoring instructional style to a medical student's self-perceived learning style improve performance when teaching intravenous catheter placement? A randomized controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Students may have different learning styles. It is unclear, however, whether tailoring instructional methods for a student's preferred learning style improves educational outcomes when teaching procedures. The authors sought to examine whether teaching to a student's self-perceived learning style improved the acquisition of intravenous (IV) catheter placement skills. The authors hypothesized that matching a medical student's preferred learning style with the instructor's teaching style would increase the success of placing an IV catheter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the VARK model (i.e., visual [V], auditory [A], read/write [R] and kinesthetic [K]), third-year medical students reported their self-perceived learning style and were subsequently randomized to instructors who were trained to teach according to a specific learning format (i.e., visual, auditory). Success was gauged by: 1) the placement of an IV on the first attempt and 2) the number of attempts made until an IV line was successfully placed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of attempts in the matched learning style group was 1.53, compared to 1.64 in the unmatched learning style group; however, results were not statistically significant. Both matched and unmatched groups achieved a similar success rate (57 and 58 %, respectively). Additionally, a comparison of success between the unmatched and matched students within each learning style modality yielded no statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that providing procedural instruction that is congruent with a student's self-perceived learning style does not appear to improve outcomes when instructing students on IV catheter placement.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. dimitrios.papanagnou@jefferson.edu.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Papanagnou
authors: Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Serrano
authors: Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Kaitlyn
authors: K
authors: Barkley
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Shruti
authors: S
authors: Chandra
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Governatori
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Piela
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Sansom Street, 1651 Thompson Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
authors: Gregory K
authors: GK
authors: Wanner
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Shin
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous / Q000379:methods*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods*; D032882:Comprehension; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D012649:Self Concept; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching