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Teaching Left Brain Conceptswith a Approach
Nick Hudyma, PhD PECivil Engineering, CCEC
Teaching Left Brain Conceptswith a Approach
INTRODUCTION
What is all the fuss about?
1990 1993 study by Seymour & Hewitt 335 students at 7 institutions Validated via 125 students at 6 other
institutions
The number one reason for leaving the
sciences was POOR TEACHING
What is all the fuss about?
Professors are trained to perform research, not teach
There is a disconnect between how we teach and how students learn
Left Brain/Right Brain Theory
Left Brain/Right Brain Theory
Developed in the early 1970s by Dr. Roger Sperry from the University of California
Lateral lobes of our cerebral cortex function differently from each other
How does this Influence Teaching and Affect Learning?
Lateral lobes function differently from each other
Using the following pictures, think of KEYWORDS that describe the left brain and right brain
Keywords
LEFT BRAIN
Keywords
RIGHT BRAIN
Left Brain vs. Right Brain
Logical Mathematical Sequence Serious
Analysis Verbal Rational
Lateral lobes function differently from each other
Which are YOU?
Personality Traits
LEFT BRAIN Prefer rock music Cat lovers Occasionally absent
minded Enjoy creative story
telling
Prefer classical music Dog lovers Almost never absent
minded Like to tell stories but
not act them out Organized
Likely Professions
LEFT BRAIN Actor / Actress Artist Craftsperson Athlete
Engineering Sciences Financial Lawyer
Teaching Left Brain Conceptswith a Approach
Influence on Teachingand
Affects on Learning
Now you know
You have probably now figured out what I am doing here
I am a Right BrainedEngineer
Learning Styles
Based on the work of Felder and Soloman(http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSdir/styles.htm)
Active and Reflective Learners Sensing and Intuitive Learners Visual and Verbal Learners Sequential and Global Learners
Active vs. Reflective Learners
Active learners must do something with the information they receive; Reflective learners must first think about the information they receive
Active learners like groups
Long lectures are tough for Active learners
Sensing vs. Intuitive Learners
Sensors like facts; Intuitors prefer discovering possibilities and relationships
Sensors like solving problems using well established methods and dislike complications and surprises; Intuitors like innovation and dislike repetition
Sensors are patient with details and good at memorizing and hands on work; Intuitors are better at grasping new concepts and mathematical formulations
Visual vs. Verbal Learners
Visual learners like diagrams, pictures, flow charts, etc.
Verbal learners get more out of words both spoken and written.
All people learn best when a combination of these methods are used
Sequential vs. Global Learners
Sequential learners gain understanding in linear steps (logical order)
Global learners tend to learn in large jumps (absorb material seemingly randomly and suddenly get it)
Global learners may have difficulty explaining how they arrived at a solution
Learning Styles Left Brain
Prefer verbal instructions Attentive during long verbal explanations Prefer well structured assignments over
open ended ones Read for specific details and facts
Learning Styles Right Brain
Prefer visual instructions with examples Become restless during long verbal
explanations Prefer to learn through free exploration Solve problems intuitively Read for main details
Thinking Styles Left Brain
Need total quiet to read or study Can think better sitting down Usually remember things specifically
studied Usually do things in a planned orderly way
Thinking Styles Right Brain
Think better when lying down Can listen to music or TV while studying Skilled in showing relationships between
ideas Prefer summarizing over outlining
Learning vs. Teaching
Most Engineering Students are (Zyno):
Visual Sensing Active
Sequential
Most Teaching is (Felder and Silverman):
Verbal Intuitive
Neither Active nor Reflective
Sequential
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Right Brained Methods for Left Brained Courses
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesMy Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy comes from my own learning experiences
I was never the top student
I always used creative methods for problem solving
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesEdutainment
Engineering education is dry and boring
I try to add some excitement to class by incorporating edutainment Fun way of learning
Sesame Street Bill Nye the Science Guy
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesEdutainment
Great but how to incorporate into the curriculum?
Humor Models Simple Hands On experiments that
incorporate engineering principles
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesHumor
Here are two text book examples I use when talking about torque
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesModels
Here is an example problem I use when discussing a force causing rotation about an axis
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesExperiments Squeeze & Tease
Make sure there is a water column in the tube Squeeze the sides of the container Describe what happens to the water column and
sand
R.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesExplanation Squeeze & Tease
The sand in the squeeze bottle is densely packed
In order to deform, the sand grains must ride over one another
This causes an increase in space between grains (dilation)
Concluding Remarks
In any course, there will be students who are: LEFT BRAIN DOMINANT, RIGHT BRAIN
DOMINANT or a combination of the two Active or Reflective Learners Sensing or Intuitive Learners Visual or Verbal Learners Sequential or Global Learners
Concluding Remarks
Try to incorporate many different learning techniques into your classroom sessions to break up the monotony of a long lecture Humor Demonstrations Problem solving Small group discussion
References
Seymour and Hewitt, 1997. Talking about leaving: why undergraduates leave the sciences. Westview Press.
http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSdir/styles.htm
Zyno, 2003. A contribution to validation of score meaning for Felder-Solomans Index of Learning Styles. ASEE Conference Proceedings, Session 2351
Felder and Silverman, 1988. Learning and teaching styles in engineering education. Engineering Education, 78(7), pp. 674-681.
Teaching Left Brain Conceptswith a ApproachTeaching Left Brain Conceptswith a ApproachWhat is all the fuss about?What is all the fuss about?Left Brain/Right Brain TheoryLateral lobes function differently from each otherKeywordsKeywordsLeft Brain vs. Right BrainLateral lobes function differently from each otherWhich are YOU?Personality TraitsLikely ProfessionsTeaching Left Brain Conceptswith a ApproachNow you knowLearning StylesActive vs. Reflective LearnersSensing vs. Intuitive LearnersVisual vs. Verbal LearnersSequential vs. Global LearnersLearning Styles Left BrainLearning Styles Right BrainThinking Styles Left BrainThinking Styles Right BrainLearning vs. TeachingRight Brained Methods for Left Brained CoursesR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesMy Teaching PhilosophyR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesEdutainmentR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesEdutainmentR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesHumorR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesModelsR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesExperiments Squeeze & TeaseR.B. Methods for L.B. CoursesExplanation Squeeze & TeaseConcluding RemarksConcluding RemarksReferences