The program was held as a community service, and was done by doing a short memory examination test twice, with a week time interval per test. The test was done using Muse Electroencephalography (EEG). 13 teachers from SMP Negeri 1 Cimahi acted as the examination respondents.

The test was done by Dr. Lulu Lusianti Fitri, M.Sc. and Shanty Rahayu Kusumawardani, S.Pd., M.Sc. from Physiology and Biomedical Science Expertise group, along with Claudia Natasha May Shary, S.Si, a bachelor in Biology SITH ITB.

One of the newest technologies in neuroscience related to the brain is Muse EGG. Muse EGG can help describing the brain wave dynamics that are categorized based on their frequencies. Alpha (7,5-13 Hz) and Beta (13-30 Hz) waves are two most common waves to find. Alpha waves are usually found in calm and relaxed states. Meanwhile, Beta waves indicate the state of the brain during cognitive activities, such as using logic, analytical thinking, and learning new things.

A modified method from the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was used in the short memory test. In the first examination, respondents were given six questions which combine 2 to 12 random letters with different times of appearance. A week later, the second examination was done by changing one or two letters with numbers from previous examination questions. During this examination process, the beta brain waves captured by Muse EEG were read on the device through the Mind Monitor program before it was analyzed.

The result showed a decrease in short term memory as the days changed. This is related to the brain’s ability to receive new and same or repeated information. When information is repeated more often, it will be stored in long-term memory. More decreases in cognitive abilities of teachers and students are expected if some materials are not re-given after school from home (SFH) condition ends.

The result also showed that they found higher beta waves in female teachers than the male teachers in the first examination. In the second examination, the beta waves in both of male and female teachers were similar. This condition is possible due to the stronger hemisphere (connection) that the female brain has than the male, this results in a very good combination of analytical and logical thinking from the left hemisphere with spatial information processing and imaging.

This program has also been published in Media Indonesia ITB’s Rekacipta rubric on June 22, 2021. The article can be accessed via https://pengabdian.lppm.itb.ac.id/information/measuring_cognition_guru_di_masa_pandemic.

Reporter: Adi Permana (PR of ITB)
Translator: Tamara Alamsyah (SR ’20)