The effect of prompting to students with different learning styles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of question prompts on student learning in relation to their learning styles. The context of the study is technology-enhanced learning in an ill-structured domain. Design/methodology/approach – The study conditions were the same for all the students in the four learning style groups. Student learning style was the independent variable, while students’ attitudes and task performance were the dependent variables of the study. Pre-test treatment post-test method was used. Students studied in a web-based learning environment during treatment. Findings – The integration of question prompts as student supporting tool in technology-enhanced learning environments might not improve learning for all students alike independent of their learning styles. Research limitations/implications – Small uneven groups because the researcher has no control over the student distribution across the different learning style profiles. Practical implications – The suggestion for designers is to consider combining prompting with other scaffolding methods, in order to effectively support all students independent of their learning styles. Originality/value – The paper combines learning in ill-structured domains through cases and a scaffolding method based on question prompts focusing on contextual elements. The results of the study inform the designers of TELEs that although prompting can be generally helpful, parameters such as the students’ learning style are able to limit the cognitive benefit emerging from the prompting intervention.