A tale of two pandemics: teachers' disproportionate views on student engagement in remote learning

PurposeThis study aims to use culturally responsive pedagogy as a model to examine teachers' views of the equity implications found within virtual instruction.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used a descriptive methods design based on survey research employing both fixed (quantitative) and open response (qualitative) options to curate teachers' perceptions of their students' abilities to engage in online learning.FindingsTeachers articulated anxiety for student engagement based on access as well as concerns for student engagement and social emotional learning (SEL) connection. Data point to disparate views of students' abilities to engage in remote learning based on demographic markers. Teachers also noted their own limitations in providing engaging online instruction that was culturally responsive and included social emotional learning (SEL) learning.Originality/valueThis study provided a unique opportunity to explore teachers' perceptions of their students in online learning contexts as well as teachers' perceptions of their own abilities to support diverse students in remote learning. Teachers' responses indicated deficit views of their culturally and linguistically diverse students and signaled awareness of their own limitations in providing online instruction that was culturally responsive and student centered. Study findings point to a need to equip teachers with tools to mitigate systemic inequity in online contexts.

Remote patient monitoring of central retinal function with MACUSTAT®: A multi-modal macular function scan

Introduction There is significant unmet need for patient-centric remote monitoring of visual function for chronic retinal diseases, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Macustat® central retinal function scan is a novel cloud-based digital health application for remote monitoring. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of the Macustat® compared to traditional in-office retinal evaluations. Materials and methods Patients with underlying macular pathology underwent office-based retinal and visual acuity examinations and OCT macula imaging followed by remote tele-monitoring assessment with the Macustat. Central visual function was assessed with the multi-modal Macustat test using dynamic virtual Amsler grid testing, hyperacuity perimetry and visual acuity testing. The results were compared to the findings of the in-office comprehensive retina exam and OCT evaluation. Results The foveal acuity potential registered with the Macustat test showed high correlation with the office Snellen acuity potential 96% of eyes registered Macustat acuity within 0.2 LogMAR of office acuity measurement. In Wet AMD eyes with CNV pathology documented on OCT, the Macustat foveal function scan showed a corresponding abnormality in 89% of any CNV eyes and 100% of all visually significant CNV. In normal eyes without any visually significant edema or CNV, more than 92% showed corresponding normal retinal function scan. Conclusion The Macustat demonstrates high concordance with clinical findings using traditional diagnostic devices. Home monitoring with the Macustat® may offer complementary clinical utility as a telehealth tool for the assessment of visual acuity and macular function in patients at high risk for macular disease.

How has the COVID‐19 pandemic changed patient care and the practice of medical physics in an academic environment?

Some of these challenges experienced in our field are well described in a recent article published by NPR, “Time to Ditch Those Awful Zoom Calls, CEOs Say,” as many other fields experienced many of the same challenges. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/14/923428794/from‐the‐folks‐who‐brought‐you‐boring‐meetings‐ceos‐want‐to‐ditch‐sterile‐zoom‐c Other workflow challenges that were exposed include the benefit of in‐person interactions that allow the immediate resolution of questions and complexities associated with patient care. [...]some argue that in‐person interaction is critical to the field in order to demonstrate the value imaging physics providers must reinforce to administrators. [...]given the circumstances of this transition, it was found that regular rounding and interaction with frontline healthcare workers provided important emotional support to overwhelmed essential medical staff at work. The continuation of scholarship also depends on the continued publication of science. Because scholarship related to COVID‐19 was in huge demand, JACMP publisher Wiley initially expressed concern in their ability to manage the throughput of unrelated articles.