Individual learning preferences based on personality traits in an E-learning scenario

摘要

Differences in styles of learning have become important considerations at all levels of education over the last several years. Examining college students' preferred style of learning is useful for course design and effective instructional methods. Using the Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles (ILS), and MBTT Inventories we investigate the relationship between personality traits and learning styles among millennial students in an e-learning scenario. Personality evaluation may serve as a valuable apparatus in counseling and guiding the students. This study will help the instructors to understand the personality of students and hence the courses offered can be designed with keeping in mind personality traits of students that help students to engage more in learning. The participants of the study were tested on the Personality dimensions of extrovert/introvert, sensing/intuitive, thinking/feeling, judging/ perceiving using MBTI and learning dimensions of whether a person has active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, verbal/visual, sequential/global learning style using Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles. The empirical analysis reveals that all the variables of MBTI i.e. Extrovert/Introvert, Sensing/ Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving are positively correlated with Active /Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Verbal/Visual, Sequential /Global respectively. The paper identifies teaching strategies for e-leaming courses while recognizing the four learning styles based on personality traits. From the study it can be concluded that the effectiveness of e-learning courses can be improved by providing instruction in a manner consistent with each student's learning style according to their personality traits. The findings have implications for both full-time educators and practitioners because firms also provide considerable amounts of continuing education for their professionals in an online setting through training modules.