Analysis of learning style.

Analysis of learning style, a relatively new technique in the field of education, is being used in grade school and college, as well as in graduate and postgraduate training programs. The trend in the health professions to emphasize continuing education has created a need for individual practitioners to understand the principles of self-education. Analysis of learning style is useful in this regard. It also provides a basis for teaching task-specific cognitive skills to those in residency training. In this article we review the conceptual evolution of learning style analysis, especially its use in the health professions, and describe the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI), which we use to study 205 anesthesia personnel.