15 research outputs found
Exam success at undergraduate and graduate-entry medical schools : is learning style or learning approach more important? : A critical review exploring links between academic success, learning styles, and learning approaches among school-leaver entry (âtraditionalâ) and graduate-entry (ânontraditionalâ) medical students
Phenomenon:
The literature on learning styles over many years has been replete with debate and disagreement. Researchers have yet to elucidate exactly which underlying constructs are measured by the many learning styles questionnaires available. Some academics question whether learning styles exist at all. When it comes to establishing the value of learning styles for medical students, a further issue emerges. The demographics of medical students in the United Kingdom have changed in recent years, so past studies may not be applicable to students today. We wanted to answer a very simple, practical question: what can the literature on learning styles tell us that we can use to help today's medical students succeed academically at medical school?
Approach:
We conducted a literature review to synthesise the available evidence on how two different aspects of learningâthe way in which students like to receive information in a learning environment (termed learning âstylesâ) and the motivations that drive their learning (termed learning âapproachesâ)âcan impact on medical students' academic achievement.
Findings:
Our review confirms that although learning âstylesâ do not correlate with exam performance, learning âapproachesâ do: those with âstrategicâ and âdeepâ approaches to learning (i.e., motivated to do well and motivated to learn deeply respectively) perform consistently better in medical school examinations. Changes in medical school entrant demographics in the past decade have not altered these correlations. Optimistically, our review reveals that students' learning approaches can change and more adaptive approaches may be learned.
Insights:
For educators wishing to help medical students succeed academically, current evidence demonstrates that helping students develop their own positive learning approach using âgrowth mind-setâ is a more effective (and more feasible) than attempting to alter students' learning styles. This conclusion holds true for both âtraditionalâ and graduate-entry medical students
A História da Alimentação: balizas historiogråficas
Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da HistĂłria da Alimentação, nĂŁo como um novo ramo epistemolĂłgico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de prĂĄticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicaçÔes, associaçÔes, encontros acadĂȘmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condiçÔes em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biolĂłgica, a econĂŽmica, a social, a cultural e a filosĂłfica!, assim como da identificação das contribuiçÔes mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histĂłrica, foi ela organizada segundo critĂ©rios morfolĂłgicos. A seguir, alguns tĂłpicos importantes mereceram tratamento Ă parte: a fome, o alimento e o domĂnio religioso, as descobertas europĂ©ias e a difusĂŁo mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rĂĄpido balanço crĂtico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema