The quantification of vaccine uptake in the Nordic countries and impact on key indicators of COVID-19 severity and healthcare stress level via age range comparative analysis.

In this paper we analyze the impact of vaccinations on spread of the COVID-19 virus for different age groups. More specifically, we examine the deployment of vaccines in the Nordic countries in a comparative analysis where we focus on factors such as healthcare stress level and severity of disease through new infections, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy and deaths. Moreover, we analyze the impact of the various vaccine types, vaccination rate on the spread of the virus in each age group for Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden from the start of the vaccination period in December 2020 until the end of September 2021. We perform a threefold analysis: (i) frequency analysis of infections and vaccine rates by age groups; (ii) rolling correlations between vaccination strategies, severity of COVID-19 and healthcare stress level and; (iii) we also employ the epidemic Renormalization Group (eRG) framework. The eRG is used to mathematically model wave structures, as well as the impact of vaccinations on wave dynamics. We further compare the Nordic countries with England. Our main results outline the quantification of the impact of the vaccination campaigns on age groups epidemiological data, across countries with high vaccine uptake. The data clearly shows that vaccines markedly reduce the number of new cases and the risk of serious illness.

Seven Educational Affordances of Virtual Classrooms

For many teachers, the COVID-19 pandemic meant an instant shift from teaching in traditional to a virtual classroom to reduce the spread of infection. It represents a widespread and intensive case of digitalization of teaching practice and many stakeholders are asking the imminent question of which transformations that ‘will stick’ and become a constant in the ‘new normal’ onwards. However, research of online teaching in a high school context remains limited. In this study, we analyze what happens when teaching is redirected from the traditional to the virtual classroom and explore what characterizes educational affordances in the virtual classroom. The context is 15 high schools in Sweden and the empirical data includes a survey with a total of 1103 teachers. Educational affordances are used as an analytic lens to conceptualize what teaching activities that the virtual classroom afford. The main contribution includes theorizing about what activities, interactions, and procedures that the virtual classroom affords by presenting seven educational affordances and contrast these with teaching in traditional classrooms. The affordances consist of 1) Structure 2) One-to-one communication 3) Formalized reconciliations 4) Peace and quiet 5) Hidden back channels 6) Right time and 7) Reaches certain students. The seven affordances can make a foundation for reflection and discussions of how to create a didactic design adapted for different classrooms. Furthermore, we contribute with implications to teachers and school leaders.

Impact of US vaccination strategy on COVID-19 wave dynamics.

We employ the epidemic Renormalization Group (eRG) framework to understand, reproduce and predict the COVID-19 pandemic diffusion across the US. The human mobility across different geographical US divisions is modelled via open source flight data alongside the impact of social distancing for each such division. We analyse the impact of the vaccination strategy on the current pandemic wave dynamics in the US. We observe that the ongoing vaccination campaign will not impact the current pandemic wave and therefore strict social distancing measures must still be enacted. To curb the current and the next waves our results indisputably show that vaccinations alone are not enough and strict social distancing measures are required until sufficient immunity is achieved. Our results are essential for a successful vaccination strategy in the US.

Adopting to the Virtual Workplace: Identifying Leadership Affordances in Virtual Schools

Purpose: This study aims to explore virtual leadership work within educational settings in the light of social disruption. In 2020, a global pandemic changed the way we work. For school leaders, that involved running a virtual school overnight. Although there is a stream of research that explores leadership in solely virtual communities, there is a gap in the literature regarding practices that transition from analog to virtual practices and the changes in leadership in those types of work practices. Design/methodology/approach: The data gathering method constitutes a questionnaire to explore school leaders' experiences of virtual work and virtual leadership in light of social disruption. One hundred and five Swedish school leaders answered the questionnaire covering both fixed and open questions. Findings: The results show that school leaders' general experiences of transition to virtual school have worked relatively well. We show how the work changes and shift the focus in the virtual workplace. Originality/value: The author's contributions include theorizing about leadership affordances in virtual schools and providing implications for practice. The authors summarize our main contribution in five affordances that characterize virtual leadership, including a focus on core activities, trust-based government, 1:1 communication with staff, structure and clarity and active outreach activities. The results could be interesting for understanding the radical digitalization of leadership in the digital workplace.