Psychophysiological and neurophysiological characteristics of enforced
distance learning within the biochemistry course
Abstract
The main goal of the presented work is to evaluate the
psychophysiological and neurophysiological processes of students of
enforced distance learning within the biochemistry course of different
(80 and 60 minutes) duration. The research was conducted due to the
outbreak of COVID-19 during a period of sudden transition from a
traditional format to the distance-learning one. After the 80-minute
lesson, in contrast to the 60-minute lesson, 19-21-year-old students
showed a decrease in attention concentration, cognitive processes, and
mental performance. Enforced distance learning lasting 80 minutes was
accompanied not only by cognitive load but also by stress-induced
changes in learners. Physiological changes caused by mental load were
assessed by recording the electrocardiogram (ECG) using the biofeedback
method (mathematical analysis of heart rate variability). The processes
of activation of the sympathetic mechanisms of the central nervous
system and the changes in the heart rhythm, as well as the heart rate
variability balance, caused by them, indicated the tension in the
students’ bodies. The stability of psychophysiological and
neurophysiological processes in emergency situations during an 80-minute
biochemistry class requires a high level of stress from students.