The impact of learning styles on student satisfaction, stress and overflow in e-learning environments

Rapid technological advancements, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have made the e-learning experience a crucial aspect of the value proposition provided by higher education institutions to their students. However, general perception of the e-learning experience may be influenced by the characteristics of the students. This study specifically addresses one such critical characteristic: the individual learning style. The main research question of this study examines how individual learning styles might affect students' perceptions of e-learning experiences, with focus on their reported stress levels, feelings of overflow, and overall satisfaction with e-learning. A survey was conducted with a sample of 532 students to investigate these dynamics. The study utilized k-means cluster analysis to segment respondents based on their preferred learning styles and employed ANOVA with the Bonferroni post-hoc test to identify differences between the resulting clusters. The findings reveal that students with deep and strategic learning styles reported significantly lower levels of stress and overflow during the pandemic, compared to their peers with a surface learning style. Additionally, they expressed greater satisfaction with their e-learning experience. These insights indicate that online learning is best utilized as a supplement to traditional face-to-face instruction, as exclusive reliance on online modalities may increase stress and overflow for many students.

References/Bibliografia

Akdemir, O., & Koszalka, T. A. (2008). Investigating the relationships among instructional strategies and learning styles in online environments. Computers and Education, 50(4), 1451–1461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.01.004

Allen, I., & Seaman, J. (2011). Going the distance: Online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group. https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/goingthedistance.pdf

Allinson, J., & Hayes, C. (1996). The cognitive style index: A measure of intuition-analysis for organizational research. Journal of Management Studies, 33(1), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1996.tb00801.x

Allport, G. (1937). Personality: A Psychological Interpretation. Holt & Co.

Alvarez-Risco, A., Del-Aguila-Arcentales, S., Yánez, J. A., Rosen, M. A., & Mejia, C. R. (2021). Influence of technostress on academic performance of university medicine students in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 13(16), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168949

Anderson, P., & Pulich, M. (2001). Managing workplace stress in a dynamic environment. The Healthcare Manager, 19(3), 509–521. https://doi.org/10.1097/00126450-200119030-00002

Asonitou, S., Mandilas, A., Chytis, E., & Latsou, D. (2018). A Greek evaluation of the course experience questionnaire: Students' conceptions of the teaching quality of higher education accounting studies. International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research, 11(2), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.25103/ijbesar.112.06

Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37(2), 122–147.

Bates, A. (2019). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning (2 ed.). Tony Bates Associates. https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage

Beaten, M., Dochy, F., & Struyven, K. (2008). Students' approaches to learning and assessment preferences in a portfolio-based learning environment. Instructional Science, 36(5), 359–374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-008-9060-y

Beck, C. R. (2001). Matching teaching strategies to learning style preferences. The Teacher Educator, 37(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730109555276

Besser, A., Flett, G. L., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2020). Adaptability to a sudden transition to online the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the challenges for students. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 8(2), 85–105. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000198

Bolliger, D. U., & Halupa, C. (2018). Online student perceptions of engagement, transactional distance, and outcomes. Distance Education, 39(3), 299–316. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1080/01587919.2018.1476845

Byrne, M., & Flood, B. (2003). Assessing the teaching quality of accounting programmes: An evaluation of the course experience questionnaire. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(2), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930301668

Cano, F. (2007). Approaches to learning and study orchestrations in high school students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 22(2), 131–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173518

Carol, C. (2015). Learning styles in Higher Education. A case study in History training. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 256–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.113

Cassidy, S. (2004). Learning styles: An overview of theories, models and measures. Educational Psychology, 24(4), 419–444. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341042000228834

Cassidy, S., & Eachus, P. (2000). Learning style, academic belief systems, self-report student proficiency and academic achievement in higher education. Educational Psychology, 20, 307–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/713663740

Chu, X., Li, Y., Wang, P., Zeng, P. & Lei, L. (2021). Social support and cyberbullying for university students: The mediating role of internet addiction and the moderating role of stress. Current Psychology, 42, 2014–2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01607-9

Cigdem, H., & Yildirim, O. (2014). Effects of students' characteristics on online learning readiness: A vocational college example. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 15(3), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.69439

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.2307/2136404

Cole, M. T., Shelley, D. J., & Swartz, L. B. (2014). Online instruction, e-learning, and student satisfaction: A three year study. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(6), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v15i6.1748

Conrad, C., Deng, Q., Caron, I., Shkurska, O., Skerrett, P., & Sundararajan, B. (2022). How student perceptions about online learning difficulty influenced their satisfaction during Canada's Covid-19 response. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(3), 534–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13206

Croxton, R. A. (2014). The role of interactivity in student satisfaction and persistence in online learning. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(2), 314–324.

Cutolo, A., & Rochford, E. (2007). An analysis of freshmen learning styles and their relationship to academic achievement. College Quarterly, 10(2).

Ćwiertniak, R., Stach, P., Kowalska-Jarnot, K., Worytkiewicz-Raś, K. & Wachułka-Kościuszko, B. (2022). Addressing students' perceived value with the virtual university concept. e-Mentor, 2(94), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.15219/em94.1565

Duff, A. (2004). The Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI) and its use in management education. Active Learning in Higher Education, 5(1), 56–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787404040461

Dunn, R. (1984). Learning style: State of the science. Theory into Practice, 23(1), 10–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405848409543084

Dziewanowska, K. (2017). Value types in higher education – students' perspective. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 39(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2017.1299981

Dziewanowska, K. (2018). Współtworzenie wartości w marketingu. Przykład szkolnictwa wyższego. C.H.Beck.

Entwistle, N., & Ramsden, P. (1983). Understanding Student Learning. Croom Helm.

Entwistle, N., & Tait, H. (1995). The Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory. University of Edinburgh Centre for Research on Learning and Instruction.

Entwistle, N., Hanley, M., & Hounsell, D. (1979). Identifying distinctive approaches to studying. Higher Education, 8, 365–380.

ETL. (2001–2005). Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments in Undergraduate Courses. https://www.etl.tla.ed.ac.uk

Evans, C., Cools, E., & Charlesworth, Z. M. (2010). Learning in higher education how cognitive and learning styles matter. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(4), 467–478.

Felder, R. (1993). Reaching the second tier: Learning and teaching styles in college science education. Journal of College Science Teaching, 23(5), 286–290.

Felix, F., Prihanto, Y. J. N., & Annas, M. (2023). Analysis of the influence of e-learning service quality factors on student perceived value and student satisfaction, with implication to student loyalty. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organizations, 48(2), 81–110.

Ghislandi, P., & Raffaghelli, J. (2014). Scholarship of teaching and learning for quality teaching and learning in higher education. European Journal of Research on Education and Teaching, 7(1), 107–128.

Gillis, A., & Krull, L. (2020). COVID-19 remote learning transition in spring 2020: Class structures, student perceptions, and inequality in college courses. Teaching Sociology, 48(4), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X20954263

Gurbisz, D. (2021). Edukacja zdalna oczami studentów kształcących się w Krakowie w dobie pandemii. Zarządzanie Publiczne, 54(2), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.4467/20843968ZP.21.005.15743

Hartley, J. (1998). Learning and Studying: A Research Perspective. Routledge.

Hilliger, I., Astudillo, G., & Baier, J. (2023). Lacking time: A case study of student and faculty perceptions of academic workload in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Engineering Education, 112(3), 796–815. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20525

Honey, P., & Mumford, A. (1992). The manual of learning styles. Peter Honey Publications.

Horzum, M. B., Kaymak, Z. D., & Gungoren, O. C. (2015). Structural equation modeling towards online learning readiness, academic motivations, and perceived learning. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(3), 759–770. https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2015.3.2410

Hunt, D., Butler, L., Noy, J., & Rosser, M. (1978). Assessing Conceptual Level by the Paragraph Completion Method. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Judson, K., Black, H., & Beggs, J. (2017). Online learning in higher education: Seeking value co-creation in the flipped classroom. In: Marketing Management Association Annual Conference Proceedings.

Kacprzak, A., & Pawłowska, A. (2017) Work and shopping overflow – Consequences and differentiation among selected psychological and demographic characteristics. European Management Journal, 35(6), 755–765.

Kolb, D. (1976). The Learning Styles Inventory: Technical Manual. McBer & Company.

Kowoser, E., & Berman, N. (1996). Comparison of paediatric resident and faculty learning styles: Implications for medical education. American Journal of Medical Science, 312(5), 214–218.

Kulawska, E. (2021). Kształcenie zdalne, poziom stresu i dobrostan psychiczny studentów pedagogiki w pierwszej fazie pandemii choroby COVID-19. Forum Pedagogiczne, 11(2), 149–166.

Kuo, Y. C., Walker, A., Belland, B. R., & & Schroder, K. E. (2013). A predictive study of student satisfaction in online education programs. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 14(1), 16–39. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v14i1.1338

Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress Appraisal, and Coping. Springer.

Löfgren, O. & Czarniawska, B. (2012). The inherited theories of overflow and their challengers. In: B. Czarniawska & O. Löfgren (Eds.), Managing Overflow in Affluent Societies. Vol. 1. (1–13). Routledge.

Löfgren, O. (2007). Excessive living. Culture & Organization, 13(2), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759550701299867

Lyon, P. M., & Hendry, G. D. (2002). The use of the course experience questionnaire as a monitoring evaluation tool in a problem-based medical programme. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(4), 339–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293022000001355

Marsh, H., Ginns, P., Morin, A., & Nagengast, B. (2011). Use of response ratings to benchmark universities: Multilevel modeling of responses to the Australian course experience questionnaire (CEQ). Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 733–748. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024221

Marton, F., & Saljo, R. (1976). On qualitative differences in learning – outcomes and processes. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 46, 4–11.

McCloud, T., & Bann, D. (2019). Financial stress and mental health among higher education students in the UK up to 2018: Rapid review of evidence. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 73(10), 977–984. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-212154

McKeachie, W. J. (1995). Learning styles can become learning strategies. The National Teaching & Learning Forum, 4(6), 1–2.

Michie, F., Glachan, M., & Bray, D. (2001). An evaluation of factors influencing the academic self-concept, self-esteem and academic stress for direct and re-entry students in higher education. Educational Psychology, 21(4), 455–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410120090830

Mishra, A., Sharma, D., Derashri, G., Mishra, A., & Tripathi, G. (2020). Awareness towards COVID-19 among medical students: A cross-sectional questionnaire based study. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 14(10), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2020/45160.14140

Moschis, G. (2007). Stress and consumer behavior. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35, 430–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0035-3

Moss, S., & Lawrence, K. (1997). The effects of priming on the self-reporting of perceived stressors and strains. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(4), 393–403.

Olszyńska, P., Kozłowska, J. & Dragun, Ł. (2021). Kształcenie zdalne na Politechnice Białostockiej w ocenie studentów – zastosowanie narzędzi segmentacji rynku do analizy danych ankietowych. Akademia Zarządzania, 5(1), 135–152.

Omura, K. (2007). Situation-related changes of causal structures and the stress model in Japanese college students. Social Behaviour and Personality, 35(7), 943–960. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2007.35.7.943

Parahoo, S., Santally, M., Rajabalee, Y., & Harvey, H. (2016). Designing a predictive model of student satisfaction in online learning. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 26(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2015.1083511

Parker, K., Lenhart, A., & Moore, K. (2011). The digital revolution and higher education: college presidents, differ on value of online learning. Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends. www.pewsocialtrends.org

Pashler, H., McDaniel, H., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 33(1), 103–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

Pask, G., & Scott, B. (1972). Learning strategies and individual competence. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 4, 217–253.

Pearlin, L. I. (1989). The sociological study of stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 30, 241–256.

Pitt, A., Oprescu, F., Tapia, G., & Gray, M. (2018). An exploratory study of students' weekly stress levels and sources of stress during the semester. Active Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417731194

Prieto-Rodriguez, E., Gore, J., & Holmes, K. (2016). Exploring quality teaching in the online environment using an evidence-based approach. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(8), 22–39. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n8.2

Ramsden P. (1991). A performance indicator of teaching quality in higher education: The Course Experience Questionnaire. Studies in Higher Education, 16(2), 129–150.

Riding, R., & Cheema, I. (1991). Cognitive styles: An overview and integration. Educational Psychology, 11(3–4), 193–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341910110301

Robotham, D. (2008). Stress among higher education students: Towards a research agenda. Higher Education, 56(6), 735–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-008-9137-1

Robotham, D., & Julian, C. (2006). Stress and the higher education student: A critical review of the literature. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 30(2), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098770600617513

Rodek, V. (2020). Uczenie się w czasie pandemii – obsszary trudności i próby optymalizacji procesu na podstawie autorefleksji studentów. Edukacja Dorosłych, 82(1), 99–112.

Rogers, K. M. (2009). A preliminary investigation and analysis of student learning style preferences in further and higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 33(1), 13–21.

Rogowska, A., Pavlova, I., Kuśnierz, C., Ochnik, D., Bodnar, I., & Petrytsa, P. (2020). Does physical activity matter for the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic? Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(11), 3494. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9113494

Seidel, E., Mohlman, J., Basch, C., Fera, J., Cosgrove, A., & Ethan, D. (2020). Communicating mental health support to college students during COVID-19: An exploration of website messaging. Journal of Community Health, 45, 1259–1262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00905-w

Shelton, B. E., Hung, J. L., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2017). Predicting student success by modeling student interaction in asynchronous online courses. Distance Education, 38(1), 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2017.1299562

Tulbure, C. (2012). Learning styles, teaching strategies and academic achievement in higher education: A cross-sectional investigations. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 33, 398–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.01.151

Vermunt, J. (1992). Learning Styles and Guidance of Learning Process in Higher Education. Lisse Swets and Zeitlinger.

Wedel, M., & Kamakura, W. (2003). Market segmentation. Conceptual and Methodological Foundations. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Wheathon, B. (1990). Life transitions, role histories, and mental health. American Sociological Review, 55(2), 209–223.

Wilson K., Lizzio A., & Ramsden P. (1997). The development, validation and application of the course experience questionnaire, Studies in Higher Education, 22(1), 33–53.

Xu, Y. Li, Y. Zhang, Q. F., Yue X. H., & Ye, Y. (2022) Effect of social media overload on college students' academic performance under the COVID-19 quarantine. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.890317

Yang, N., Ghrislandi, P., & Dellantonio, S. (2018). Online collaboration in a large university class supports quality teaching. Education Technology Research Development, 66, 671–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9564-8

Yin, H., & Ke, Z. (2017). Students' course experience and engagement: An attempt to bridge two lines of research on the quality of undergraduate education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(7), 1145–1158. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1235679

Yin, H., Lu, G., & Wang, W. (2014). Unmasking the teaching quality of higher education: Sudents' course experience and approaches to learning in China. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(8), 949–970. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.880107

Zhang, L. F. (2006). Does student-teacher thinking style match/mismatch matter in students' achievement? Educational Psychology, 26(3), 395–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410500341262