Student characteristics and the crossword puzzle as a teaching/examination tool

A single study was conducted to determine if one or more individual characteristics, or personality traits, influenced the student's ability to successfully answer questions presented in the form of a "crossword puzzle" (XWP), relative to the same questions presented in the traditional "fill in the blank" (FIB) format. The study involved 41 undergraduate students enrolled in an upper level Anatomy/Physiology course. Students were identified according to age, sex, major, class rank and the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. The data presented supports the conclusion that exams presented in the XWP format, relative to the FIB, enhance the student's success rate at acquiring the correct answers. Furthermore, XWP appear to reduce the variability in performance relative student personality type and/or learning style.