Scientists have found out whether the body reacts the same way to online learning and face-to-face classes

Miscellaneous / by admin / August 19, 2022

In a nutshell, the excitement of visiting couples causes a stronger bond with the subject.

As a general rule, moderate stress is good for learning, but is it true for online classes? This was decided to test the employees of the Ruhr University in Bochum, who in their new study found out the difference in sensations between in-person and remote learning.

To date, differences between face-to-face and online learning have often been assessed using questionnaires that ask for subjective parameters such as motivation or perceived stress. But since learning has a certain physiological component, the question arises, are there differences in this regard as well?

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Stress usually manifests itself in the form of an increase in the concentration of the hormone cortisol and increased heart rate. According to the researchers, stress does not always negatively affect attention - average physiological stress causes positive effects in the learning process.

For analysis, scientists measuredDecreased sympathetic cardiovascular influences and hormone-physiological changes in response to Covid-19-related adaptations under different learning environments / Anatomical Sciences Education

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salivary cortisol and heart rate in 82 anatomy students. The course was held in a mixed format, when full-time classes alternated with remote ones. The study showed that in the process of online seminars, the level of arousal of students significantly decreased. This confirmed the amount of cortisol, reduced sympatheticThe sympathetic nervous system is activated in response to stress, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the "fight or flight" system. Under its influence, the rate of metabolic processes in organs and tissues increases, cardiac contraction, the amount of oxygen supplied to the muscles increases and processes slow down digestion. and increased parasympatheticThe parasympathetic nervous system, on the contrary, is responsible for ensuring that the body accumulates and restores energy reserves during sleep, rest and rest. For example, it weakens the work of the heart (the heart rate decreases) and stimulates the glands and muscles in the digestive tract. activity of the nervous system. In other words, when studying remotely, students were more relaxed.

The researchers also assessed the subjective opinion of the student. An interesting pattern emerged: during face-to-face classes, students experienced increased sympathetic activity, felt aroused and at the same time received significantly more pleasure from learning. But in the online group, this correlation was not found.