The Left Brain vs. the Right Brain: How does this Impact Learning

Each hemisphere of the brain operates in its own unique way. The question that remains when knowing this fact is how does this impact learning? Are there things students and even teachers need to consider when trying to incorporate something new? Researchers have spent countless hours studying the differences in the left and the right hemisphere, and have successfully found these answers.

The left side of the brain is known to learn verbally. It uses details and fine-grain analyses (Robbins, 1985) primarily to learn. Researchers found that the left hemisphere of the brain understands better with speaking, writing words, using symbols, organizing sequentially, using logic from facts to come to conclusions, and relying heavily on numbers to measure or count (Schiferl, 2008). Some other qualities the left side of the brain is more popularly associated with are language, critical thinking and reasoning (Cherry, n.d.). It is believed that the left brain is the dominant hemisphere, because it learns verbally and it picks up basic instructions a lot easier. For example, I being left brain dominant, in High School I exceled in subjects such as math and debate. Being left brain dominate helped in math, because we rely heavily on numbers and using logic from facts to come to conclusions. Debate was easy, because of the left brains ability to strategically organize events in a sequential time line. My creativity side was hindered by not being right brain dominant.

The right brain is known to learn non-verbally. It is better at manipulating whole images and shapes (Robbins, 1985). In contrast to the left side of the brain, the right hemisphere of the brain learns without words, focuses on this moment in time, understands based on...

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...rained: Which is the better for learning? Retrieved from https://eee.uci.edu/news/articles/0505brain.php.

Robbins, S. B. (1985). Left-right brain Research and its premature generalization to the counseling setting. Journal of Counseling & Development. 64 (4). 325-330. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/ehost/resultsadvanced?sid=efef3bd3-7780-4098-8bda-08c916e26da9%40sessionmgr4004&vid=2&hid=4209&bquery=Left-right+brain+Research+AND+its+premature+generalization+%22to%22+the+counseling+setting&bdata=JmRiPWVoaCZ0eXBlPTEmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl.

Schiferl, E. I. (2008). Both sides now: Visualizing and drawing with the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Studies in Art Education, 50 (1) 67-82. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=423ab8ca-7c62-4896-bd56-fd51095df9fe%40sessionmgr111&hid=112.