%0 Journal Article
%T Personality preference influences medical student use of specific computer-aided instruction (CAI)
%A John A McNulty
%A Baltazar Espiritu
%A Martha Halsey
%A Michelle Mendez
%J BMC Medical Education
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6920-6-7
%X Personality preferences of students were obtained using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. CAI utilization for individual students was collected from entry logs for two different web-based applications (a discussion forum and a tutorial) used in the basic science course on human anatomy. Individual login data were sorted by personality preference and the data statistically analyzed by 2-way mixed ANOVA and correlation.There was a wide discrepancy in the level and pattern of student use of both CAI. Although individual use of both CAI was positively correlated irrespective of MBTI preference, students with a "Sensing" preference tended to use both CAI applications more than the "iNtuitives". Differences in the level of use of these CAI applications (i.e., higher use of discussion forum vs. a tutorial) were also found for the "Perceiving/Judging" dimension.We conclude that personality/learning preferences of individual students influence their use of CAI in the medical curriculum.Computer-aided instruction (CAI) has become an increasingly important component of the medical curriculum due in large part to the development of Internet applications and the ease with which curricular content is distributed through networks [1-4]. The rapid increase in development of educational software and the more recent explosion in information databases available through the Internet have provided easy access to educational materials that have enhanced a student's abilities to learn either in small groups or individually with increased efficiency, better outcomes, and at reduced costs [5].However, our data indicate that students are not uniformly making use of computer resources. Recent studies have revealed a wide disparity in utilization by individual students [6,7], which was attributed to differences in student attitudes toward computer technology [7]. Evidence in favor of this hypothesis was provided by a follow-up study showing that the degree to which individual medica
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/6/7