We all learn in different ways. Whether you prefer visual aids, or you excel with auditory lessons, it is important to play to your strengths during test preparation. When you are ready to choose the right online test banks, make the right decision by selecting a bank that fits your learning style.
Matching Your Learning Style
If you do research on learning styles, you will find a wide array of experts begging people to stop “perpetuating the myth”. While it used to be believed that learning styles directed the manner in which a person could learn and study, research in the last decade has said that those “facts” are actually myths.
A study in the British Journal of Educational Technology found that learning styles are alive and well in online teaching environments. The study explored the relationships between “learning styles, online participation, learning achievement and course satisfaction”. It found that students’ learning styles were “significantly related to online participation” and that in turn was “significantly related to their learning achievement and course satisfaction”. The online classroom is far different from the face-to-face class environment.
When it comes to medical students, it appears that learning styles still play a central role in academic achievement. Advances in Health Professions Education published a study that refutes earlier findings. It looked specifically at the learning style preferences of 194 medical and dental students. The cross-sectional study began by categorizing learning preferences in the following categories:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Read and write
- Kinesthetic (hands-on)
The study found that some students have one learning preference, but the majority like to learn through more than one modality. Students had the following preferred teaching methods:
- 36% preferred one learning style, primarily kinesthetic
- 44% preferred two methods of learning
- 15% preferred three methods
- 5% preferred four methods of learning
The conclusion was that multiple modes of instruction should be provided to cater to the needs of the majority of students. Researchers concluded, “Matching the learning styles with modes of instruction may ensure an effective learning environment for learners.”
That is precisely why online question banks provide multiple modes of learning: visual, auditory and read/write. Because the majority of board certification, MOC and recertification testing can now be completed online in the comfort of one’s home or office, accommodating learning styles is essential to success.
When you are ready to choose the right online test banks, look for one that offers different learning modalities. Check to make sure the question bank you select offers:
- Videos to demonstrate cases
- Written materials and questions
- Auditory learning modules
- Doctors on staff to field questions and offer feedback
These different modalities will support your personal learning/study style and support the highest rate of success.
Recreating the Testing Environment
Knowing how you respond to testing is another important factor to success. Many individuals know the material cold, but freeze in a testing environment. Sitting for boards is one of the most stressful testing environments there is. Some board certification exams take all day. Many physicians believe their ability to practice is riding on the certification itself. When it comes to board certification, recertification and MOC, the fact is that stress is part of the study/exam equation.
Knowing how you react to the testing itself can eliminate one variable and give you more confidence going into the exam. The right online question bank will replicate the testing environment so you can experience how you respond in real time. Finding personal relaxation strategies can improve testing success.
Choose the Right Test Bank
Online question banks should fit the needs of the user. They should be comprehensive, written with expert input and review, and provide feedback and support. They should help the user build confidence in the material and the ability to successfully sit for the exam. When it comes to learning complex materials for career certification, only the best online question banks provide adequate preparation in a variety of learning styles.
