Dr. Anita Byrne (Dundalk Institute of Technology

Author: Dr. Anita Byrne, Midwife Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Early Years, Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Contact Details: anita.byrne@dkit.ie

Theme: Authentic Student Experience: Showcasing UDL Teaching Approaches

Title of Poster: Accommodating and Responding to Students’ Learning Preferences through Enquiry Based Learning (EBL)

Abstract: The demographic profile of students entering and qualifying from higher education is changing. Students from traditionally under-represented groups e.g. those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, mature students, migrant populations, and students living with disabilities, are entering and graduating from third level in increasing numbers (AHEAD, 2020, HEA, 2020). In order to ensure that the learning needs of all students are accommodated, innovative and inclusive learning, teaching and assessment methods are required at curricular level.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) is one such innovative and inclusive pedagogy. EBL describes an educational approach where the learner acquires knowledge and skills through authentic group enquiry rather than direct instruction. A fundamental feature of EBL is enabling students to become life-long learners through the use of inclusive learning modalities such as self-discovery, peer teaching, self and peer assessment, team work and ‘real-world’ application of knowledge and skills. In adopting these inclusive learning practices, EBL embraces individual student learning preferences and has the potential to support a wider diversity of learning needs.

This poster will report on how EBL may better accommodate individual learning preferences/needs in higher education. Fourteen students in one undergraduate midwifery education programme in the south of Ireland consented to participate in a mixed methods research study that evaluated learning through EBL.

This poster will focus on how students evaluated EBL in terms of its coherence with their VARK learning preferences. The VARK inventory was first described by Fleming and Mills (1992) who proposed four modalities of learning preference. These are Visual (V) Read/Write (R), Aural (A) and Kinaesthetic (K). Students were asked to identify their VARK learning preference(s) and were then interviewed to appraise their opinion of EBL in light of this.

Findings revealed students acknowledged the supportive and inclusive nature of a more flexible approach to learning and teaching offered by EBL.