Understanding interactions between instructional design, student learning styles, and student motivation and achievement in an introductory materials science course

The goal of this ongoing classroom research effort is to better understand how students with different learning styles experience and perform in an introductory materials course. Analysis of student grades and questionnaire responses as a function of students' preferred sensory modality and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) type has helped to identify effective aspects of instructional design. However, it was discovered that some types of learners seem to struggle in the course. This knowledge will be used to inform subsequent changes in instructional design.