Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2021 Feb;24(2):79-85. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2021.0009.
The persistence of the coronavirus-caused respiratory disease (COVID-19) and the related restrictions to mobility and social interactions are forcing a significant portion of students and workers to reorganize their daily activities to accommodate the needs of distance learning and agile work (smart working). What is the impact of these changes on the bosses/teachers' and workers/students' experience? This article uses recent neuroscience research findings to explore how distance learning and smart working impact the following three pillars that reflect the organization of our brain and are at the core of school and office experiences: (a) the learning/work happens in a dedicated physical place; (b) the learning/work is carried out under the supervision of a boss/professor; and (c) the learning/work is distributed between team members/classmates. For each pillar, we discuss its link with the specific cognitive processes involved and the impact that technology has on their functioning. In particular, the use of videoconferencing affects the functioning of Global Positioning System neurons (neurons that code our navigation behavior), mirror neurons, self-attention networks, spindle cells, and interbrain neural oscillations. These effects have a significant impact on many identity and cognitive processes, including social and professional identity, leadership, intuition, mentoring, and creativity. In conclusion, just moving typical office and learning processes inside a videoconferencing platform, as happened in many contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic, can in the long term erode corporate cultures and school communities. In this view, an effective use of technology requires us to reimagine how work and teaching are done virtually, in creative and bold new ways.
冠状病毒引起的呼吸道疾病（COVID-19）的持续存在以及与之相关的流动性和社交互动限制，迫使很大一部分学生和工人重新组织他们的日常活动，以适应远程学习和敏捷工作（智能工作）的需求。这些变化对老板/教师和工人/学生的体验有什么影响？本文利用最近的神经科学研究成果，探讨远程学习和智能工作如何影响以下三个反映我们大脑组织的核心支柱，这些支柱是学校和办公室体验的核心：（a）学习/工作发生在专门的物理场所；（b）学习/工作在老板/教授的监督下进行；（c）学习/工作在团队成员/同学之间分配。对于每个支柱，我们讨论其与所涉及的特定认知过程的联系，以及技术对其功能的影响。特别是，视频会议的使用会影响全球定位系统神经元（编码我们导航行为的神经元）、镜像神经元、自我注意网络、纺锤细胞和脑间神经振荡的功能。这些影响对许多身份和认知过程产生重大影响，包括社会和职业身份、领导力、直觉、指导和创造力。总之，仅仅将典型的办公室和学习流程转移到视频会议平台中，就像在 COVID-19 大流行期间许多情况下发生的那样，从长远来看可能会侵蚀企业文化和学校社区。从这个角度来看，有效利用技术要求我们以创造性和大胆的新方式重新想象如何进行虚拟工作和教学。
