DESIGNING AN E-LEARNING SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN DOMINANCE

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DESIGNING AN E-LEARNING SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS LEFT
AND RIGHT BRAIN DOMINANCE

• John Perkins
• Sharon Cox, Kati Botar

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Empowering the Learner

• E-learning delivers teaching material and
  learning activities in a flexible format.
• Learner can control
• What to learn, When, Where, and How.
• E.g. Fast Forward to skip material they know.
• Potential to develop tailored personalised
  learning resources.

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Approach

• As individuals differ in many ways, this project
• Examine the broad categories of
  differerences.
• Assesses their impact and relevance to
  e-learning.
• Aims to develop a dashboard of controls to put
  the learner in the driving seat of their
  learning.

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Learning Styles

• indicate how learners perceive, interact with,
  and respond to the learning environment Poon
  Fatt, 2000.
• Most individuals have one or two preferred
  styles.
• Byrne 2002 suggests that any learning
  technology, whether web-based or not must be
  adaptive to the individual and their preferred
  learning styles. Application of learning
  technology that cannot adapt to learning styles
  risks rejection.

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Left Brain Right Brain
Verbal Abstract Sequential Mathematical Analytica
l Symbolic Linear Logical Convergent
Non-Verbal Analogous Diffuse Geometry Synthetic Vi
sual Holistic Intuitive Spatial
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Questionnaire

• 76 students (35 males 41 females) between 14 and
  17 years old from a Language College used a brain
  dominancy indicator.
• 45 students were left-brain oriented
• 32 were right-brain oriented
• degree of orientation was not considered.
• Students then asked to rank the design components
  used in e-learning they preferred.

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Critical Success Factors
LEFT Brain RIGHT Brain
Sequential steps Explain parts
Multiple-choice questions Multiple-choice questions
Track progress Colour to highlight points
Complete sections Sequential steps
Focus on 1 task Words and pictures
Explain parts Access other sources
List ideas Access to tutor
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2 Interface Prototype

• Syllabus provides map to the course with
  hyperlinks.
• Course content is broken into units so left-brain
  learners to work sequentially, while right-brain
  learners can jump between units.
• Left-brain interface uses more text and less
  graphics right brain interface uses more colour,
  pictures and music.

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Results

• Pre-test results
• Left-brain learners all achieved less than 60
• 12 of right-brain learners achieved more than
  60
• Post-test results
• 54 of left-brain learners achieved at least 60.
  
• 63 of right-brain learners achieved more than 60

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Lessons Learned
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Lessons Learned
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Lessons Learned
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Issues

• What would the results be if opposite interfaces
  were used?
• How to develop high quality graphics?
• How to address degrees of dominance?
• How to develop a tailorable e-learning system?

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Challenge remains to establish an e-learning
environment that encourages, confronts and adapts
to the personal preferences of the individual.