Analysis of learning styles in a laparoscopic technical skills course. Implications for surgical training.

Introduction: Learning surgical techniques is a dynamic process. In the 1980s David Kolb described developed a learning model that enabled teaching styles to adapt for better learner outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify the Kolb learning styles of the participants in a laparoscopic technical skills course and to check see if there was any relationship with performance.

Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted with 64 participants in an intensive course in which they performed laparoscopic manual intestinal anastomoses. All completed Kolb's inventory of learning styles. For each anastomosis, join quality was assessed and the performing time recorded. After that, they were analyzed through statistical studies.

Results: The most frequent learning style was assimilating type (39.1%). No significant differences were observed between different learning styles and gender, professional category, the time taken or the quality of the anastomoses.

Conclusions: Assimilating type was the most frequent Kolb learning style, with no differences observed between categories, age or gender. There is no relationship between the learning style of the participants and the results obtained in the course.