Right Brain versus Left Brain
One of the other cognitive concepts I’ve been exposed to recently is that of right-brain learners versus left-brain learners. Growing up I came to know them as messy-desk people and clean-desk people, but as I’m beginning to discover there is much more to the hemispheric differences than cleanliness (My Right-Brain learning partner would almost certainly argue that there is in fact order in a messy-desk person’s domain. I just don’t recognise it.).
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Gateway to Science (”Left Brain, Right Brain“, 24 June 2004):
“‘When someone says they are right or left-brain it’s really just a metaphor for a cognitive style’, says neuropsychologist Associate Professor Michael Saling from the University Melbourne and Austin Health’s Epilepsy Research Centre.”
While Saling notes that “we know with confidence that basic language processes are predominantly controlled by the left hemisphere, and spatial cognition like navigation or face recognition are coordinated by the right hemisphere”, he argues the notion that people are either right-brained thinkers or left-brained thinkers is an over-simplification and that in reality the two lobes of the brain work together.
Expanding on Saling’s reference to language processes and spatial cognition being controlled by the left and right hemispheres respectively, the Herald Sun added the following list of Left Brain versus Right Brain functions (”Right Brain vs Left Brain“, 9 October 2007″).
LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
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RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
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In terms of how this relates to education, individuals who favour one hemisphere over the other (if this can truly be said), will undoubtedly favour different learning styles as well - be they auditory, kinesthetic, or visual. Therefore the challenge for instructors seems to be how to accommodate a potentially diverse range of cognitive styles when developing their course curriculum and learning materials.
For example a students who favour visual or kinesthetic activities may face a great deal of difficulty with the same subject matter presented via traditional oral lecture. Likewise an auditory learner may struggle with a kinesthetic or tactile activity.
Undoubtedly there will be resources online that depict holistic approaches that bridge multiple styles in practice. The next order of business is to locate and evaluate them.
References:
- “Left Brain, Right Brain“, Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Gateway to Science
- “Right Brain vs Left Brain Creativity Test“, Art Institute of Vancouver
- “Right Brain vs Left Brain“, Herald Sun.com.au, 9 October 2007
