Influence of learning styles and academic achievement on performance and preference in different learning modes: An adaptive hypermedia approach

This paper examines the efficacy of Felder-Silverman's learning styles and Mayer's generative theory of multimedia learning for adaptive hypermedia using three different modes of presentations-verbal, visual, and multimedia- in history and engineering disciplines. Six modules in history and engineering were designed in verbal, visual and multimedia modes. Hundred and four undergraduate students of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur participated and completed the six modules. The performance in each module was assessed on the basis of recall, recognition, comprehension, and transfer of learning. Based on Inventory of Learning Styles, learners were categorized in visual-verbal and sequential-global dimensions. The verbal, neutral, and visual learners and the sequential, neutral, and global learners did not differ in performance across disciplines. Learners' performance in visual mode for history and in multimedia mode for engineering was found to be superior to other modes. High academic achievers performed better for recognition and comprehension dimensions in history, and recognition dimension in engineering than low academic achievers. Irrespective of learning styles or academic achievements students preferred and found more appropriate visual and multimedia modes over verbal mode of learning. We believe that the null results for learning styles suggest their limited usability for adaptive hypermedia. Similarly, Mayer's multimedia learning cannot be recommended as the most effective mode of learning for all disciplines. We suggest that adaptivity according to disciplines is an important area that needs to be explored.