Transitions in students' learning styles

This paper reports on some results of a survey about students' learning styles. There were 672 valid responses from a sample of students in the three Brisbane universities. The valid response rate was 31 %. The students surveyed were studying one of four selected principal disciplines. Findings indicated that students in the first third of their studies adopted learning styles that were similar to each other irrespective of main discipline. However, the learning styles of students in the final third of their studies tended to be related to the discipline which had formed the primary focus of their studies, These results are explained in terms of behavioural adaptation with reference to Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle. The implications of the results for enhancing students' learning experiences are discussed. Some general applications for teachers, students, course designers and administrators are proposed.