116) Medical Student¡¯s Learning Preferences: Zaragoza (Spain), Chile (Chile) & Sucre (Bolivia). AMEE 2010.

TER¨¢N, C. ; GORENA, D. ; ARCE, J. ; D¨ªAZ-V¨¦LIZ, G. ; MORA, S. ; GARGIULO, P.A. ; BIANCHI, R. ; LAFUENTE, J.V. ; ESCANERO, J.F.

Glasgow

Conferencia; Association for Medical Educacion in Europe (AMEE) 2010 Conference.; 2010

Association for Medical Educacion in Europe (AMEE).

116) Ter¨¢n, C.; Gorena, D.; Arce, J.; D¨ªaz-V¨¦liz, G.; Mora, S.; Gargiulo, P.A.; Bianchi, R.; Lafuente, J.V.; Escanero, J.F. (2010). Medical Student¡¯s Learning Preferences: Zaragoza (Spain), Chile (Chile) & Sucre (Bolivia). AMEE 2010. Background: The research quality in medical education requires the characterization of medical¡¯s students learning preferences and styles. Objetives: To identify and characterize the learning preference of students and describe their types of learners in three medical schools, with traditional curricula in different geographical areas. Methods: A cross sectional study was developed in three Faculties of Medicine, two from Latinamerica and one from Europe: University of San Francisco Xavier of Chuquisaca (USFX), from Sucre, Bolivia; University of Chile (UCH), from Santiago, Chile, and University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR) from Zaragoza, Spain. The Canfield Learning Styles Inventory-CLSI was applied to a sample of 587 students during the academic year of 2008-2009. Students from USFX-Bolivia (n=205), from UCH-Chile (n=216) and from UNIZAR-Spain (n=166), randomized selected by year first/209, third/177 and fifth/201. The CLSI includes 30 questions, which the students answer ranking on a preference scale (1=most preferred, 2=preferred, 3=nota as preferred, 4=least preferred). Questions constitutes four categories. Conditions of learning, Area of interest, Mode of Learning and Expecation for Course Grade. The lower score indicates a grater preference. In addition the CLSI allows identify global Expectations and the Learner Typology. It was calculated the sample mean (¦Ì) and standard deviation (SD) for domains of categories. Results/Discussion: The results obtained in the different categories revealed that students from the three medical schools preferred as condition of learning the ¡°detail¡± (USFX ¦Ì=12.5, UCH ¦Ì=11.9 and UZ=9.0) and the ¡°organization¡± of classes and courses (USFX ¦Ì=12.9, UCH ¦Ì=10.5 and UZ=11.8). In the category ¡°Area of Interest¡±, all of the students show most interest of working with ¡°people¡±, being this preference on average higher in Zaragoza. The least preferred area of interest is the ¡°numeric¡±, and the students from USFX-Bolivia have less interest in working with the management of numbers than those from the other Faculties of Medicine. IN the category of ¡°learning mode¡±, which refers to basic cognitive and sensory modality through which new information is available, the students of USFX-Bolivia and UZ-Spain preferred ¡°the direct experience¡±, clearly indicating a preference for manual activities such as practical or laboratory work, those from UCH-Chile preferred the ¡°iconic¡±. The least preferred learning mode in all of the is through the ¡°reading¡±. They had a high expectation to pass the current course, the preference scale for all of them is ¡°B¡± (Average/Good), with some greater expectations in the students from UZ-Spain. The ¡°Global Expectations¡± is the B for all of them. In learner typology, more than 50% of the students from the three Faculties of Medicine preferred ¡°neutral¡± type.  Conclusions and Take-home messages The profile of these students should encourage to lecturers to carry out their teaching and to students to develop their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. Task force in medical education in different geographical areas: AECID 2008.