Do Learning Styles Enhance the Academic Performance of University Students? A Case Study

Higher education models appear to be not entirely designed to support students in facing severe challenges, such as failure in exams and dropping out of school. To solve these challenges, several models of learning styles have been proposed, under the premise that these studies contribute to improving the student's learning experience. This research aims at quantifying the impact of learning styles (learning preferences/dimensions) on students' academic performance from a higher education institution. Ninety-six undergraduate students were surveyed during the 2018-2019 school year and randomly divided into two groups: control (CG) and experimental (EG). The learning preferences of the students were identified using the Unified Learning Style Model (ULSM) instrument. Subsequently, the level of students' knowledge concerning the course was determined employing a pre-test exam. As a following step, the students of the EG consulted the learning objects designed considering different learning styles. The CG attend their lessons in a face-to-face environment; both groups answered a post-test exam to assess their learning. The learning styles' effect -learning objects were designed to cover several learning styles- on academic performance is quantified employing an ANOVA analysis. The results differ from those postulated in previous researches based on the ULSM since there is no statistical evidence that learning styles influence students' academic performance. Therefore, it is necessary to explore other cognitive and affective factors that make the student's learning experience efficient and effective.