The effect of explicit information provision on elementary students' cognitive thinking in online life science teaching and learning situation: An EEG study

Objectives The purpose of this study is to confirm the effect of explicit information provision on elementary students' cognitive thinking in online life science teaching and learning situation with DMN Analysis. Methods For this purpose, resting-state EEG data was collected for a total of 40 people, 10 men and 10 men, and a group that mainly received explicit information through online digital textbooks for more than a year and a group that received implicit information through offline educational activities. Afterwards, Lyapunov exponent analysis was performed to confirm the intensity of learning stress, and sLORETA Current density analysis and Lagged coherence connectivity analysis were performed to compare brain activity and connectivity. Results As a result of the study, it was observed that provision of explicit information tended to lower students' sensitivity and lower psychological stress compared to provision of implicit information. In addition, lower current density was confirmed in the right frontal lobe and limbic lobe in the resting state when explicit information was provided compared to implicit information, and lower connection strength was observed in all connection nodes. Conclusions This means that although providing explicit information lowers the learner's stress intensity compared to providing implicit information, it is inefficient in brain utilization because it only increases the simple sensory experience and stimulation intensity. The significance of this study is that it neuroscientifically proved that learning is not given unilaterally by someone, but is a process that learners must create themselves.