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The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue, which contains selected papers from the 13th Annual European Learning Styles Information Network (ELSIN) conference held in Ghent, Belgium in June 2008. One of the key aims of ELSIN is to promote understanding of individual learning and cognitive differences through the dissemination of international multidisciplinary research about learning and cognitive styles and strategies of learning and thinking.

Three papers within this special issue consider how style differences can inform the development of e‐learning opportunities to enhance the learning of all (Vigentini; Kyprianidou, Demetriadis, Pombortsis and Karatasios; Zhu, Valcke and Schellens). The influence of culture on learning is also raised in the paper of Zhu et al. and those of Sulimma and Eaves which both focus more directly on cultural influences on style, learning and teaching.

A number of key themes permeate the studies included in this special edition such as: the nature of styles; the intrinsic difficulty of isolating style variables from other variables impacting on performance; inherent difficulties in choosing the most appropriate style measures; the potential of e‐learning to attend to individual learning differences; the role of culture in informing attitudes and access to learning; the development of constructivist learning environments to support learning through an understanding of individual differences and most importantly how one can apply such insights about individual differences to inform and enhance instruction.

The papers in this special issue contribute to enhanced knowledge about the value of style differences to design constructive learning environments in multicultural and e‐learning contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to present details of a study investigating learning styles differences of Thai students in England compared to local students in England and Thailand. It also discusses key issues in using learning styles in multicultural and international education, given their wide availability online.

A mixed methods design is used, including a psychometric approach using Vermunt's Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) with three postgraduate Business student samples – Thai (in England, n=26), European (in England, n=16) and Thai (in Thailand, n=122) and a qualitative approach using focus groups, interviews and open‐ended questionnaires with the Thai (in England, n=43) sample only.

One‐way independent analysis of variance analyses on ILS scores show that learning styles differ significantly between the three samples on each of the test occasions, particularly in meaning‐directed learning and undirected learning. The qualitative data analysis shows that Thai students in England perceive culturally‐determined differences in teaching and learning behaviour between Thai and English higher education environments that can cause difficulties for them.

The use of mixed methods gives data of greater breadth and depth than a single method; however, the sample sizes are somewhat limited.

Thai students in England require additional support from educators and educational institutions.

This paper provides a valuable insight into the learning styles and needs of Thai students in England, given the paucity of research in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of three different types of styles measure for students' learning in a large introductory university course in psychology, using information technology to enhance teaching. The paper examines the relationship between styles, the usage of learning technology, and academic performance in this course.

Styles are measured using approaches to learning, thinking styles, and cognitive styles. The usage of the online material is measured by considering both time spent on the resources and the amount of material viewed (pages and hits) as well as tools used.

The findings are that the academic performance of students who used the online resources is significantly higher than those who either choose to not use the online materials at all or choose to use to the materials to a lesser extent. It is determined that the measure of approaches to learning (approaches and study skills inventory for students) is the stronger predictor for successful use of the material.

Using a reasonably sized sample in an ecologically valid context offered the opportunity to put styles into context and to consider the practical use of styles. This research is limited by the context and the particular sample. It is also difficult to completely exclude the fact that students using the extra material are generally more motivated and would have obtained better grades even without the resources.

This paper offers further evidence for the relations between different measures of styles and evaluates the effects that styles might have on usage of online material and academic performance.

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and first results of the integration of a web‐based system person‐centred group‐activity support system (PEGASUS) in university instruction, as a means for advancing person‐centred learning by supporting group activity. The PEGASUS is expected to help students and teachers in two distinct objectives: enhancing metacognition (students and teachers are supported to identify their learning and teaching preferences, which in turn is used as a framework for reflection), and group formation (the system suggests homogeneous or heterogeneous workgroups, supporting also teacher‐students negotiations of the final group synthesis).

First, a theoretical framework is built to reflect the process of transforming the principles for learner‐centred learning into a pedagogical model which becomes the basis for defining the PEGASUS specifications. Then, qualitative field evidence is provided from the initial integration of the system into the teaching process to support students' group activity.

From the pilot testing of PEGASUS it is evident that learning style‐based group formation might not be acceptable to all students in the typical classroom setting where students already know each other. The early implementation data indicate that not every student might accept the theory‐based grouping suggestions of the instructor.

The research is limited to qualitative and preliminary results from undergraduate as well as postgraduate students.

Systems like PEGASUS can initiate fruitful discussions among students and teachers on the role of learning styles in learning. However, group activity is a complex socio‐cognitive phenomenon that cannot be approached simply on the basis of students' learning styles. Still, such a system can help identify how students' learning styles can be of significance under certain conditions.

The paper describes the development of a web‐based system for personalised learning and system integration in everyday teaching.

Epistemological beliefs, defined as individuals' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing, are assumed to serve an important function in regulating the application of individuals' learning behaviour. Previous research has mainly been shaped by the framework of results of white, well‐educated people from North America. More empirical work is needed to examine epistemological beliefs in a cross‐cultural context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using cultural classifications to indicate the development of epistemological beliefs in different countries.

A cross‐cultural pilot‐study is carried out in Germany and Australia with a total of 103 participants. A German and English version of the Schraw et al.'s epistemic beliefs inventory, based on Schommer's model, is employed for the study. The cultural comparison between Germany and Australia is carried out by using Hofstede and Hofstede's cultural classification.

The cultural comparison between both countries leads to the hypothesis that the development of the epistemological beliefs is different. Although factor analysis indicates the same three dimensions of epistemological beliefs for both countries (structure, source, and control), the development for each dimension is different.

It might be possible to indicate epistemological beliefs in various countries due to cultural classification.

The paper provides a new perspective of epistemological beliefs within cross‐cultural research and might lay the path for cross‐field research projects.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a cultural gap in student perceptions of online collaborative learning and to investigate to what extent student perceptions, motivation, and learning strategies change over time due to the actual involvement in a collaborative e‐learning environment (ELE).

A parallel e‐learning environment for a first‐year university course is implemented for a Flemish group (n = 217) at Ghent University and a Chinese group (n = 165) at Beijing Normal University. Student perceptions of the online collaborative learning environment and their motivation and learning strategies before and after the ELE are measured.

The findings show that the Flemish group perceive the online collaborative learning environment more positively compared to the Chinese group. However, Chinese students' motivation, and learning strategies change significantly towards a way that is more in line with a social‐constructivist learning approach after the online collaborative learning experience.

The current results indicate that students from different cultural contexts perceive online collaborative learning environments differently. Specific cultural adaptations in e‐learning design could be considered when an ELE is to be implemented cross‐culturally.

This study can help both Chinese and Western instructors to become aware of different perceptions of online collaborative learning and to be more supportive to the students.

Recent research into consumer responses to sponsorships has examined the role of sponsor‐event fit on cognitive and affective responses. However, influences on sponsor‐event fit have received little consideration. In this study, a sponsor’s brand equity is evaluated as a facilitator of sponsor‐event fit. Six sponsors (three high equity/three low equity) were paired with six events. Results of hypothesis testing indicated that sponsors with high brand equity were perceived as more congruent sponsors than sponsors with low brand equity even though the events sponsored were identical. Also, a positive relationship was found between sponsor‐event congruence and favorable attitudes toward the sponsor. Results of this study suggest that consumers’ attitudes toward sponsors are comprised of associations other than the sponsor‐event association. While lesser known brands can use sponsorship as a brand‐building vehicle, they may not attain the same level of results as their high equity counterparts.

This study aims to evaluate the color accuracy of HP Jet Fusion 580 3D printing, comparing 3D-printed outcomes against original digital input colors.

A custom cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) and red, green, blue (RGB) color chart was applied to the top, bottom and side surfaces of a 3D model. Four of each model were 3D-printed on a HP Jet Fusion 580, and half the samples were finished with a cyanoacrylate gloss surface finish, while half were left in raw form. A spectrophotometer was used to document CIELAB (L*a*b*) data, and comparisons made to the original input colors, including calculation of ΔE.

The CMYK samples were significantly more accurate than RGB samples, and grayscale samples in both color spaces were the most accurate of all. Typically, CMYK swatches were darker than the input values, and gloss samples were consistently darker than raw samples. The chromaticity (a*b*) range was found to be significantly smaller than what can be achieved digitally, with highly saturated colors unable to be produced by the printer.

This is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to characterize the full color spectrum possible with the HP Jet Fusion 580, recommending that designers use the CMYK color space when applying colors and textures to 3D models. A quick-reference color chart has been provided; however, it is recommended that future research focus on developing a color management profile to better map digital colors to the capabilities of the printer.

The authors review the small but growing literature linking cognitive biases to food safety problems and foodborne illness outbreaks.

The authors conducted a search of peer-reviewed articles utilizing empirical methods published since the year 2000 focusing on food safety or foodborne illnesses/outbreaks and cognitive biases.

The authors find that most research is conducted at the consumer side of the food system, with few studies examining the potential problems that can arise in the production and processing of food. The authors also observe that most research tends to focus on a few cognitive biases.

This is the most comprehensive study to date examining insights from the literature on cognitive biases and the related discipline of behavioral economics to the specific problem of foodborne illness outbreaks and food safety problems.

Three-dimensional (3D)printed skulls for neurosurgical training are increasingly being used due to the widespread access to 3D printing technology, their low cost and accuracy, as well as limitations and ethical concerns associated with using human cadavers. However, little is known about the risks of airborne particles or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released while drilling into 3D-printed plastic models. The aim of this study is to assess the level of exposure to airborne contaminants while burr hole drilling.

3D-printed skull samples were produced using three different materials (polyethylene terephthalate glycol [PETG], white resin and Bone^STN) across three different 3D print processes (fused filament fabrication, stereolithography [SLA] and material jetting). A neurosurgeon performed extended burr hole drilling for 10 min on each sample. Spot measurements of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) were recorded, and air samples were analysed for approximately 90 VOCs.

The particulate matter for PETG was found to be below the threshold value for respirable particles. However, the particulate matter for white resin and Bone^STN was found to be above the threshold value at PM10, which could be harmful for long periods of exposure without personal protective equipment (PPE). The VOC measurements for all materials were found to be below safety thresholds, and therefore not harmful.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the safety of 3D-printed materials for burr hole surgical drilling. It recommends PETG as a safe material requiring minimal respiratory control measures, whereas resin-based materials will require safety controls to deal with airborne particles.