Student enrollment in nutrition and dietetics programs has increased dramatically over the past few years. Diversity of students in nutrition and dietetics degree programs presents a challenge for faculty in attempting to meet the educational needs and preferred learning styles of those students. The purpose of this study was to determine the primary way nutrition and dietetics students prefer to learn and compare differences in preferred learning styles between majors and program types. A convenience sample of 131 students in an upper-level undergraduate nutrition course and dietetic interns were surveyed for learning preferences. Preferred learning styles were determined using the 16 question VARK questionnaire; a tool defining preferred learning modes for individuals. Areas include visual (V), aural/hearing (A), read-write (R) and kinesthetic (K). Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were determined using SAS 9.1 with a significance level of 0.05. Most students preferred kinesthetic learning (39%), with dietetics majors and dietetic interns having stronger preferences for kinesthetic and multimodal learning. Students’ preferred learning modes changed with grade levels. Our findings concluded that determining preferred learning styles of students may enable faculty in dietetics and nutrition programs to tailor teaching methods to meet the learning needs of their students.

learning modes, nutrition education, health professions.