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All the mental processes, which occur in human organism, are the most popular themes in many popular scientific reports. There are a lot of theories some of them are mythic, some anatomically proved, but there is no doubt, that learning takes place in the brain cortex. There is great number of neurons, which are joining together with the use of synapses. The groups of these cells with a same function form areas which are responsible for all the various kinds of learning. For instance, there are specific places for reasoning, analyzing, logical thinking. Other parts of the brain provide linguistic creativity, sensory input and motor memory.( Rogers, 2013)
Brain consists of two sides that are called right and left hemispheres. They are connected together by the thick nerve fibers (the corpus callosum). Each part of the brain can act as a substrate of learning, but they use different mechanism to solve this problem and achieve the positive result. Usually in the condition of stress the program of acting is creating by the dominant hemisphere. Although, the both sides of the brain take part almost in every human action, we do aware that left brain is the site of decision-making and logical processes.
Let’s discuss the mental features of the right and left brained learners.
The main characteristics of the left brained learners are sequence, logical thinking, verbal analyzing, reality based. (Morris, 2006) They divide the assignment into small pieces and then solve it step by step, for instance, when making a scientific experiment or working with math equation. The left brain acts in order, in sequence. They make decisions, which are proved, by inferences and logical conclusions. Left brain mechanisms are based on reasoning, analyzing. It processes in a linear way, serve the information into line, then handling and formatting it by making logical connections. So, it works from part to whole. The people with the dominant left part of the brain deal with things, the way they exist in reality. They operate with facts, with relevant data. Also, the left brained learners are strictly following the rules and instructions, when studying the material or mastering a new skill. In the process of reporting the news or dealing with the problem, they will not show a lot of emotions. While coping with the task, they are abstract processors, which come to an appropriate solution by thinking, reasoning and analyzing. They perceive the world by observation and making conclusions, without marked emotional component. It is not complicated for the left brain dominant people to express their thoughts in words, make correct sentences and write proper spelling. The verbal communication is not a problem for them. This kind of people easily work with symbols such as physical formulas, words or letters. (Cherry, n. d.)An educational system is usually focused on the left brained students. Punctuality, order, sequence, clarity of thoughts – all these criteria are prevalent in the student rating.
Right brained learners are quite different from these standards. There are more intuitive than abstract thinkers. Their decisions are based on inner feeling and emotions, not on the logical conclusions. The right brain serves information by looking at the full picture, then analyzing the pieces of it, how they create and build the whole, just moving from whole to the part. Right brain dominated people may solve mathematical task and come to right decision without sequential steps and using an algorithms. These learners often rely on the gut feeling and don’t wonder when the solution is right. They have an ability to visualize the information for better understanding, using the wonderfully developed imagination for better memorizing. (Dunning, n. d.) Children and adults are innovators, creators of the new. They are painters, singers, musicians, designers. Such people look at the events and discuss them in the light of their personal experience, avoid logically based structures of thinking. Their ideas, views, judgments, estimations and opinions can be subjective. (Morris, 2006). We can characterize them as the emotional perceivers, not the logical processors. The right brain learners need the concretion in the information, they should be aware with, put the formula in the context for better understanding, provide it with visual support, such as table graphic, picture or presentation. They will better learned by doing the practical works, scientific experiments or chemical labs, than solving it in the symbols, discovering what may occur in the result of not real manipulations.
All in all, each individual uses left and right hemispheres for learning. The left brained learner may deal with the information by the right brain strategies for learning and vice versa. But to achieve the significant results and be more successful, each one should found which side of the brain is dominant for him and use appropriate methods and suitable mechanisms of learning. You can a text only or just provide a presentation. Maybe you should combine the textual and graphical material. Just explore your preferences and enlarge unit studies, use the tendencies of the whole brain to succeed.
References:
- Chery, K. (n. d.) Understanding the Myth of Left Brain and Right Brain Dominance Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/left-brain-right-brain.htm
- Dunning, B. (n. d.) Left Brained, Right Brained, or Hare Brained? Retrieved from http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4418
- Morris, M. (2006). The Differences Between Left and Right Brained Learners Retrieved from http://spdsupport.org/articles/19-learning-styles-both-hemispheres.shtml
- Rogers, M. (2013). Researchers debunk myth of "right brain" and "left-brain" personality traits. University of Utah, Office of Public Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0071275
