The Left Brain Vs. the Right Brain: How Does This Impact Learning

The Left Brain vs. the Right Brain: How Does This Impact Learning

Over the years, schools have been teaching in the traditional way. This has proven to be successful for many students, but not all. By breaking down the brain and how each side of it processes information could make a more conducive learning environment. If both sides are maximized in the classroom, all of the students are able to excel. Which should be the goal of all schools. Before comparing the styles, knowing how the brain processes the information for different people needs to be looked at.

The brain processes information by the type of information that it is. Each side of the brain will process information differently. The left side of the brain will generally process information in a linear fashion. It will take the information and put it in a line and then draw the conclusion at the end. This is a sequential type of thinking. The left brain excels at information that comes in symbols, such as math formulas. It think of things in a logical sense. It can work through a problem in the logical sequence to come to the conclusion or answer. The left brained individual does not have any issues with expressing themselves verbally. They know what they want to say, and they can say it correctly. The left brained person is grounded in the world of reality. They are able to adjust to their surroundings (Templeton, 2012).

On the other hand, the right brained person is the opposite. Instead of being linear in their way of thinking, the right brained person likes to know what the result is before discussing the topic. They need to know what the "big picture" is first so that they know where they are going. The right brained individual will jump around from task to task, not doing them in a sequential order. They still complete the tasks, but they will not prioritize the tasks. Where the left brained person likes symbols, the right brained person likes to deal with things that they can touch, real objects. The left brain looks at things in a logical manner, the right brain does things that feel right. They will base choices off of how they feel about something. A right brained person will want to see things visually. They will make mental pictures of the things that are discussed. The right brained person may have difficulty in meeting deadlines because they want to change the things around them and are less attune to reality (Templeton, 2012).

Now that the aspects of each side of the brain has been described, are we able to only function with one side of the brain? To read some of the literature that is out there on the subject, you would assume that this is what people think. If this was the case, then we would only have that side of the brain. The brain was made to work with both sides in conjunction with each other. Yet, most people will be dominate one side more than the other. Radwan (2012) list ways that a person with either side brain dominant can use the other side. For example, a person that is left brained dominant should try to refrain from using only logic to make a decision. Radwan (2012) suggest listening to music while reading. that way the right side of the brain can be active in the process. For the person that is right brained, they should try to find out as much as they can about the issue or situation. Get more details about it. They should also try using more numbers, this way the left side of the brain is working, too, according to Radwan (2012).

How is the traditional way of teaching conducted? According to Novak (1998), the traditional way of teaching is where the teacher is the one with the power and responsibility, they play the role of the instructor. They teach through lectures. They will be the one that decides the curriculum and what they want the students to learn. Novak (1998) also states that the teachers are the reason that learning happens and that the students need to have the information that they are missing, given to them. The classroom is generally set up with the desks or tables in a row with the teacher in the front of the classroom. The most important part of this process is the content and delivery of the lesson. It is believed that the student gets their knowledge through practice, which could include the note taking. This type of teaching will be competitive. (Johnson, 1991).

Traditional style teaching can cause learning issues for some students. Not every person has the ability to learn this way. In a competitive arena, those that do not excel, may get left behind because they feel insignificant to the others. If they are wrong in the front of the class, they may not want to answer questions, due to the