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Diversity and Cognitive Styles:
Implications for Organizing,
Teaching and Learning
Thomas J. Craney, Ed.D.
School Psychologist, Frederick Co. Public Schools Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Psycho-Educational Consultant
Field Associate, Nova Southeastern UniversityAdjunct Faculty, Nova Southeastern University
Adjunct Faculty, Hood College
103 Prospect St.
PO Box 555
Middletown, MD 21769
240-236-1250
ASSUMPTIONS• We all develop personal paradigms/mental models
for understanding these differences• All paradigms have strengths and limitations• Self-understanding BEFORE other-understanding• The cognitive styles paradigm may be used as a
tool for understanding motives and behavior• This tool may be used systematically to expand
your communication skills
The BRAIN-BEHAVIOR CONNECTION
• Neuro-psychological connections and historical perspectives– Functional localization
– Split-brain research
– Hemispheric dominance
• Current brain- investigating technologies
CORPUS CALLOSUM
The nerve structure which bridges the two
hemispheres, fostering the collaborative efforts of
both hemispheres in their specialized information processing and problem
solving functioning.
Motor CortexSensory Cortex
Frontal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Visual Cortex
Wernicke’s Area
Broca’s Area
Parietal Lobe
PREFERENCES & DOMINANCE
• Physical Symmetry vs. Functional Asymmetry
• Why preferences and/or dominance?
• Brain-preferences/dominance
– Habits of the mind
• No RIGHT or WRONG, but
– Situational appropriateness & consequences
• Preferences, style, competence and potential
The HERRMANN BRAINDOMINANCE MODEL:A Brain-Based Metaphorical Model
• The brain’s physiology and architecture
• The quadrant (A-B-C-D) organizing principle
• The metaphorical cognitive styles model
• The assessment instrument
• The application
Brain Physiology
Left Hemisphere
Limbic System
Right Hemisphere
Cerebral Cortex
Brain Architecture as the Organizing Principle
A D
CB
Cerebral Left Cerebral Right
Limbic RightLimbic Left
The Metaphor for the Cognitive Styles Model
A
CB
D
The MINDS’ I Visual Profile Application
A
CB
DPREFERENCE
LOWER/LIMBIC LEFT LOWER/LIMBIC RIGHT
B
100
9080
70
60
50
40
30
20
100 100
100
90 90
90
80 80
80
7070
70
6060
60
5050
50
4040
40
3030
30
2020
20
UPPER/CEREBRAL LEFT UPPER/CEREBRAL RIGHT
LogicalRational
CriticalAnalytical
CreativeInnovative
ArtisticConceptual
DetailedConservative
PlanfulOrganized
EmotionalInterpersonal
FriendlyExpressive
A
B C
A D
C
AVOIDANCE
COMFORT
AVOIDANCE
COMFORT
PREFERENCE
D
A
B C
DLOGICAL FACTUAL CRITICAL
RATIONAL ANALYTICAL
INTERPERSONAL EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIVE FRIENDLY TEACHER
ARTISTIC CREATIVE INNOVATIVE INTEGRATIVE CONCEPTUAL
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSERVATIVE
ORGANIZED DETAILED PLANFUL
Upper or Cerebral Left
Lower or Limbic Left
Upper or Cerebral Right
Lower or Limbic Right
I’ve got Good News & Bad News
Your strength is an asset!
However, your strength may also be a liability!
PREFERENCE
LOWER/LIMBIC LEFT LOWER/LIMBIC RIGHT
B
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
100 100
100
90 90
90
80 80
80
7070
70
6060
60
5050
50
4040
40
3030
30
2020
20
UPPER/CEREBRAL LEFT UPPER/CEREBRAL RIGHT
LogicalRational
CriticalAnalytical
CreativeInnovative
ArtisticConceptual
DetailedConservative
PlanfulOrganized
EmotionalInterpersonal
FriendlyExpressive
A
B C
A D
C
AVOIDANCE
COMFORT
AVOIDANCE
COMFORT
PREFERENCE
D
Men
Women
A
CB
D
EDUCATIONAL andORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
• “Traditional” approaches
• The left-brain emphasis in our institutions
• Cognitive style-centrism
• Personal vs. professional orientations
• Teaching and communicating the way you learn and communicate
• “Expectcentrism”
PERSPECTIVES ON PREFERENCES IN EDUCATION
The majority of public and private schools in the “West” teach through linguistic and logical-mathematical approaches
“Traditional” classrooms limit what the brain can do due to the reliance on the sequential instructional approach
Low achieving students are predominantly global, tactile, and kinesthetic learners
Edmonds stated we often teach in ways that keep our children from learning almost anything
Students spend most of their class time either doing seat work or listening to teachers lecture, and not from experiential or peer interaction
Students who demonstrate poor verbal and/or logical skills often fail in school despite their talents in other areas
The curriculum is accommodated by systematically sorting students
Students are not systematically exposed to instructional methodologies that accommodate or are responsive to individual and/or collective learning/cognitive styles
Why a Styles Approach?
PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHER PREPARATION AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES
Pre-service teacher preparation programs continue to be content/subject focused often at the expense of a focus on instructional and learning processes
Until recently very few teach preparation programs offered applied neuro-educational research courses
Lacking conceptual knowledge, the accommodations and adjustments made in the instructional processes tend to be non-systematic
Teachers tend to teach the way they learn
School systems often lack a systematic means of incorporating teaching technology into their staff development programs
Why a Styles Approach?
PERSPECTIVES ON INSTRUCTION PRACTICES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Good teachers have always been aware of their need to adjust their methods of instruction in order to accommodate individual learner characteristics, and the learning/cognitive styles model has provided a conceptual foundation from which to operate systematically
When a variety of teaching approaches are employed, and students are given adequate time, educational tasks are mastered
An awareness on one’s own learning/cognitive style is a necessary prerequisite to understanding the style of others
Teachers who are aware of their own learning style show improved understanding of the style of others, which leads to more systematic adjustments in the teaching/learning process
Teachers who systematically demonstrate a wide range of teaching styles are potentially more capable instructionally than repertoire-limited teachers
Educationally disabled students are often best treated with appropriate instruction
Forcing students to learn through their style weaknesses can produce failure, boredom and loss of self-esteem
Despite preferences, an effort should be made by teachers and students to broaden their competencies, and allow teaching/learning approaches to be determined situationally
A learning/cognitive styles approach can help lead to:
Professional discretion NOT standardized teaching
Educational standards NOT standardized testing
Curriculum reform NOT teacher-proof curriculum
Why a Styles Approach?
LEARNERSRESPOND TO:
WHY QUESTIONSDATA-BASED CONTENT
FORMALIZED LECTUREPROGRAMMED LEARNING
TECHNICAL CASE DISCUSSIONSTEXTBOOKS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES
A Quadrant
Upper/Cerebral Left
LEARNERSLEARN BY:
BUILDING CASESFORMING THEORIES
THINKING THROUGH IDEASAPPLYING ANALYSIS AND LOGIC
ACQUIRING AND QUANTIFYING FACTS
A Quadrant
Upper/Cerebral Left
LEARNERS RESPOND TO:
ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVECASE DISCUSSIONS
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATIONPROGRAMMED LEARNING
THROUGH PLANNINGSEQUENTIAL ORDER
STRUCTURELECTUREB Quadrant
Lower/Limbic Left
LEARNERS LEARN BY:
ORGANIZING AND STRUCTURING CONTENTACQUIRING SKILLS THROUGH PRACTICE
EVALUATION AND TESTING THEORIESIMPLEMENTING COURSE CONTENT
SEQUENCING CONTENT
B Quadrant
Lower/Limbic Left
LEARNERS RESPOND TO:
PEOPLE ORIENTED CASE DISCUSSIONSEXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIESSENSORY MOVEMENTGROUP INTERACTIONMUSIC
C Quadrant
Lower/Limbic Right
LEARNERS LEARN BY:
INTEGRATING EXPERIENCES WITH SELFHARMONIZING WITH THE CONTENTLISTENING AND SHARING IDEASEMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENTMOVING AND FEELING
C Quadrant
Lower/Limbic Right
LEARNERSLEARN BY:
TAKING INITIATIVERELYING ON INTUITIONSYNTHESIZING CONTENTCONSTRUCTING CONCEPTSEXPLORING HIDDEN POSSIBILITIES
D Quadrant
Upper/Cerebral Right
LEARNERSRESPOND TO:
AESTHETICSPLAYFULNESSSPONTANEITYINDIVIDUALITYBEING INVOLVEDVISUAL DISPLAYSEXPERIMENTATIONEXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIESFUTURE ORIENTED CASE DISCUSSIONS
D Quadrant
Upper/Cerebral Right
A D
B C
A Developmental Perspective on Cognitive Styles and Education
Elementary
Preschool
???Secondary
& Post Secondary
A D
B C
Wholebrain Leadership and Management: The “BOW-TIE” Method
A D
B C
COMMUNICATIONBETWEEN
PEOPLE WITHIN A QUADRANT
“FREE FLOW”
“ON THE SAMEWAVE LENGTH”
“SEE EYE TO EYE”
A D
B C
COMMUNICATIONBETWEEN
PEOPLE FROM COMPATIBLE QUADRANTS
“SUPPORTIVE”
“IN THE SAME BALL PARK”
“REINFORCING”
A D
B C
COMMUNICATIONBETWEEN
PEOPLE FROM CONTRASTING,
COMPLEMENTARY QUADRANTS
“ADDITIVE”
“SYNERGISTIC”
“COMING FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE”
A D
B C
COMMUNICATIONBETWEEN
PEOPLE FROM OPPOSING,
COMPLEMENTARY QUADRANTS
“ABRASIVE”
“CONFRONTATIONAL”
“SPEAKING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE”
ExcellenceCAN BE ATTAINED IF YOU ...
• Care more than others think is wise
• Risk more than others think is safe
• Dream more than others think is practical
• Expect more than others think is possible
Thoughts to Consider• Begin to appreciate your own mental
uniqueness• Begin to better understand the mental
uniqueness of those around you• Honor those differences as real, valid and
potentially synergistic• Accept these brain dominance differences as
a natural aspect of the human condition• Understand the difference between
preferences and competencies
Thoughts to Consider (cont.)
• Recognize that what you say and do and how you interpret what you hear and see is greatly influenced by your cognitive style, and that this is also true of others as well
• Seek out experiences, activities, and learning opportunities in areas of the mental spectrum that you are not now fully accessing and/or using
• Commit yourself to your own self-development action plan and carry it out
