Learning Preference Profiles and Visual Narratives in Higher Education: Relevance to Human Intelligence Research
Abstract
University students differ in how they approach unfamiliar information, yet learning-style labels provide a weak basis for matching instruction to individuals. This study examined learning preference profiles and visual narratives in higher education, considering their relevance and limits for human intelligence research. A convergent mixed-methods secondary analysis included 144 complete questionnaire records and 12 interpretable drawings at a Colombian public university. The adapted 80-item instrument used five response categories, with Frequently and Always counted as endorsements. Reflective scores were highest, followed by Theoretical, Pragmatic, and Active scores (χ2(3)=158.27, p<0.001; Kendall’s W=0.366). The analytic composite exceeded the action-oriented composite (rrb=0.891, p<0.001). This ordering persisted across four scoring representations, although effect sizes and tied maxima varied. Drawings mainly represented learning through direction, staged progress, obstacles, and internal processing. Missing participant explanations, incomplete coding records, and absent participant-level linkage restricted integration to exploratory descriptive comparison. The study offers methodological considerations for human intelligence research by distinguishing descriptive patterns from claims about cognitive capacities. Neither intelligence nor metacognitive performance was assessed, and instructional implications remain hypotheses requiring prospective evaluation.