A study of individual learning styles and e-learning preferences among community health aides/practitioners in rural Alaska

Although technology use in education has grown exponentially in the past twenty years, educational research in e-learning has primarily investigated differences between e-learning and traditional classroom settings. Only a handful of researchers have conducted studies where two or more e-learning modalities were compared. This study analyzed both learner performance outcomes and learner perceptions/satisfaction with regards to two e-learning modalities (synchronous webinar and asynchronous computer-based training) and individual learning styles.;The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in performance outcomes and learner perceptions/satisfaction with regards to asynchronous and synchronous e-learning modalities and individual learning styles. This study reported on the training of rural Alaska health care providers who participated in either synchronous webinar or asynchronous computer-based training for telehealth imaging between May 2011 and February 2012. A study sample (n = 154) of 349 Community Health Aids/Practitioners from eight Alaska Tribal Health organizations participated in the research study. Learning styles were measured using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI), Version 3.1, learner performance outcomes were measured using a pretest/posttest study design with both knowledge tests and student-submitted telemedicine cases, and learner satisfaction was measured using the Distance Education Learning Environment Survey (DELES).;Study results indicated no significant differences in learner performance outcomes or learner preferences/satisfaction with regards to e-learning modality or individual learning style. The lack of significant findings in regards to performance outcomes and satisfaction indicated both asynchronous computer-based training and synchronous webinar e-learning modalities suitable distance education tools in rural Alaska.