The Learning Style Inventory challenge: teaching about teaching by learning about learning.

The purposees of this study were (1) to describe a model that educators can use to meet the needs of students with diverse learning styles and (2) to report participants' responses about the usefulness and applicability of the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) challenge. Over 3 years, 77 clinician/educators completed the LSI challenge (30 physicians, 10 nurses, 13 physical therapists, 12 physician assistants, 4 occupational therapists, and 8 educators). All four LSI groups were represented in the sample. Participants were given questionnaires at the end of the session and 6 months after the course. The data were reported and analyzed descriptively. Differences in the participants' ratings of observed learning sessions were compared with their individual learning styles. The response rate was 94% (73/77). At 6-month follow-up, 63 of the participants reported the strategies to be highly effective, while 10 reported them to be effective. Participants' ratings of the educational sessions directly reflected their learning styles. The LSI challenge provides educators with a method to move beyond recognition and understanding to "action" that empowers students.