Challenges and Solutions of Online Language Teaching and Assessment during Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic which began in March 2020 can be construed as the biggest change of the century, in terms of the adjustments in quality of life, economic, social, and education factors. The biggest change was seen in terms of interaction due to the lockdown, where physical interaction is no longer allowed during the early phase of the pandemic. Subsequently, all educational sectors were forced to close, and remote or online learning was the new norm. The sudden change affected all teachers and instructors from around the world, but this study is particularly interesting to know the effect towards language instructors in their online teaching and assessments. In particular, this study aims to investigate the challenges faced by language instructors during online learning and assessment amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide recommendations for remote or online learning if faced by future crises. This study employs a qualitative method approach through focus group interviews. The focus group interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that the main challenges in online teaching include technological issues, creativity, interactions, class duration, inaccessibility issues and student emotional support, whereas the challenges in conducting online assessments are in terms of the different evaluation platforms, the issue of plagiarism and authenticity, marking or grading online assessments and assessing non-verbal cues. © 2022 by the Author(s).

Public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among residents of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional online study.

OBJECTIVES: The acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential for protecting the world population and stopping the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aimed to measure public acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors that may play an important role in increasing the acceptance of vaccinations in future pandemics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted through a survey designed using the Google Forms platform. In this study, a logistic regression analysis was used to study and detect the variables linked to the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. To meet inclusion criteria, participants had to be 18 years or older at the time of collecting the data, reside in Saudi Arabia at the time of the survey, agree to the consent form and be able to complete the survey in Arabic. SETTING: Randomly selected residents of Saudi Arabia. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 1658. RESULTS: In general, the population of Saudi Arabia is supportive of the COVID-19 vaccine (72.0%) and has one of the highest acceptance rates, according to global studies. We found that men (OR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.97) were less likely to hesitate with regard to taking the vaccine, whereas previously infected individuals were more likely to hesitate (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.50). Those with a lower monthly income (<3000 Saudi riyal) were more likely to refuse the vaccine (OR 3.54; 95% CI: 1.81 to 6.91), while those living in cities (OR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.99) and the unemployed (OR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.83) were less likely to refuse it. Participants' history of viral infection and trust in the healthcare system were found to be important factors in the public's acceptance of the vaccine. CONCLUSION: In general, acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination is high in Saudi Arabia. Several factors have shown a method for predicting those who might reject the vaccine or hesitate to take it; thus, the healthcare system should target those residents throughout the campaign. Based on the conclusions of the current research, the acceptance of vaccinations could be increased.

Predicting Intensive Care Unit Admission for COVID-19 Patients from Laboratory Results.

Trends in routine laboratory tests, such as high white blood cell and low platelet counts, correlate with COVID-19-related intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Other related biomarkers include elevated troponin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate transaminase levels (liver function tests). To this end, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in laboratory test parameters on ward-based and ICU COVID-19 patients. A total of 280 COVID-19 patients were included in the study and were divided based on admission status into ICU (37) or ward (243) patients. ICU admission correlated significantly with higher levels of several tested parameters, including lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, D-dimer, creatine kinase, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count. In conclusion, routine laboratory tests offer an indication of which COVID-19 patients are most likely to be admitted to the ICU. These associations can assist healthcare providers in addressing the needs of patients who are at risk of COVID-19 complications.

Public Perceptions and Commitment to Social Distancing "Staying-at-Home" During COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: Social distancing measures, such as stay-at-home, are currently implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the awareness and adherence of the Saudi population to these measures. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire was designed with 16 questions (eight questions related to demographics, three related to the awareness of social distancing (stay-at-home) and five related to the overall practice of social distancing). RESULTS: A total of 5105 participants completed the survey [58.4% females, 66.3% young individuals (aged 18-37 years), 55.8% bachelor degree holders and 51.0% from the western region]. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) was the main source of information about COVID-19 for most of the participants (78.2%). High awareness (81.3%) regarding stay-at-home was observed, associated mainly with female participants, those from the middle region and those with a high education and income. The overall implementation of social distancing was satisfactory (score 3.13/5), with 37.8% never leaving home during the stay-at-home period. Better adherence to social distancing was observed among female participants, higher degree holders and those aged over 38 years. CONCLUSION: Organised plans by the Saudi MOH have been effective in raising awareness and improving the practice of social distancing among public. However, the observed lower practice of social distancing by individuals with a lower education and income indicates the need for targeted interventions to achieve better outcomes.

Awareness and Practice of COVID-19 Precautionary Measures Among Healthcare Professionals in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are the backbone of the healthcare system and a skilled and healthy workforce is vital during a health crisis, such as the present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Healthcare workers are at higher risk of exposure to and transmission of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, HCWs should possess good knowledge and attitudes toward COVID-19 to protect not only themselves but also their colleagues, families and the larger community. Thus, the current study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of protective measures by HCWs in Saudi Arabia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify awareness of the disease, potential trends and associated predictors. METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted among HCWs about knowledge related to COVID-19 and practice of protective measures, such as social distancing and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. A Fisher exact test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to investigate the level of association among variables. RESULTS: A total of 674 HCWs were recruited in the study (51.8% male, 42.7% aged 28-37 years old and 52% specialists). The Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) was the main source of knowledge for most of the HCWs (89%) followed by the WHO (44.5%) and social media (42.3%). Washing hands before touching the face was the most selected choice (97.9%) as a precautionary method to limit SARS-CoV2 transmission. Most of the HCWs (74.6%) scored low for staying at home while the majority (71.2%) showed a high practice of personal protective methods, with pharmacists and general physicians scoring the highest. CONCLUSION: Saudi HCWs showed high knowledge and practice of protective measures for COVID-19. Good knowledge correlates with adoption of appropriate practices to prevent spread of infection. The current findings highlight the importance of interventions such as tailored education and training courses for those with low scores to improve overall knowledge and practice.

Knowledge and practice of personal protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent infectious pathogen causing an acute respiratory disease called corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Virus transmission may occur by contact, droplet, airborne or via contaminated surfaces. In efforts to effectively control the COVID-19 outbreak, the world health organization (WHO) and the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) have advised the public to practice protective measures to reduce transmission of the virus and reduce incidence of infection. These measures include hand washing, wearing masks and gloves and avoidance of touching the face with unwashed hands. The current study aimed to investigate knowledge and adherence of the Saudi population to these protective actions during the pandemic. After determining the required sample size using power analysis, a cross-sectional online self-reported survey of 5105 Saudi residents was conducted between 25th March to 17th April 2020 to evaluate public knowledge of COVID-19. Participants were all aged 18 years or above, Arabic speakers and residents of Saudi Arabia. Scores were calculated based on knowledge and adherence of the individuals to protective measures. About 90% of participants exhibited a high level of knowledge (scored 2/2) and practice (scored > 3/6) in relation to hand hygiene and wearing gloves and masks. Practice scores were positively associated with females and individuals with high income. Lower practice scores were linked to youth and residents of the northern and western regions of the Kingdom. Over two thirds of participants preferred hand washing to alcohol disinfection, and the frequency and performance of hand washing improved during the pandemic for more than half of respondents. Overall, the findings reflected high public knowledge of SARS-CoV2 transmission routes and adherence to personal protective measures. However, public awareness campaigns with an emphasis on the youth and individuals with low education and income are required to improve overall practice.

Public Perceptions and Commitment to Social Distancing during COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey in Saudi Arabia (preprint)

Objectives: Social distancing measures are currently implemented to control COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the awareness and adherence of the Saudi population to these measures. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was designed with 16 questions (8 questions related to demographics, 3 in relation to awareness about social distancing and 5 related to overall practice of social distancing). Results: 5105 participants completed the survey [58.4% female, 66.3% young individuals (aged 18-37 years), 55.8% bachelor degree holders, and 51.0% from the western region]. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) was the main source of information about COVID-19 for most participants (78.2%). High awareness (81.3%) regarding social distancing was observed, associated mainly with female participants, those from the middle region and those with high education and income. Overall implementation of social distancing was satisfactory (score 3.13/5), with 37.8% never leaving home during the home-stay period. Better adherence to social distancing was observed for female participants, higher degree holders and those aged over 38 years. Conclusions: Organised plans by the Saudi MOH have been effective in raising awareness and improving practice of social distancing among public. However, the observed lower practice of social distancing by individuals with lower education and income indicates the need for targeted interventions to achieve better outcome.