ABSTRACT
During the Covid-19 pandemic, most schools had to adopt online learning, which is a special kind of e-learning that provides a virtual classroom via a live session for both teachers and learners. However, studies on education in the Covid-19 pandemic shows that there should be more efforts from researchers as well as governments to effectively support learners. In this paper, we focus on the problem of Quality of Experience in online learning. We discuss the enabling technologies of online learning. Also, we make an extensive review of QoE in video streaming, the key enabling technology of online leaning. Finally, the key challenges and potential solutions of QoE management for future online learning will be discussed. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedented consequences on stress, isolation, and financial well-being for family caregivers of people with dementia globally. In Vietnam, soaring COVID-19 cases have led to widespread social distancing, isolation, and quarantine orders from the government. To date, limited evidence exists about the situation of persons with dementia and their family caregivers during the pandemic in Vietnam. Objective(s): The study aimed to provide insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia. Method(s): Mixed methods were used, and data collection took place in two rounds. In the first round during the first wave of infections at Ho Chi Minh City, semi-structured interviews with caregivers and health care workers (n = 16) were conducted and analysed thematically. In the second round, this data will be complemented with survey data from family caregivers of people with dementia (n = 30). The survey includes a combination of closed- and open-ended questions on the impact of the pandemic on the caregivers' health and caregiving responsibilities. Result(s): Results of the first round of data collection showed a high impact of the pandemic on caregivers resulting in negative psychosocial and emotional consequences of caregivers such as worry, stress, frustration as well as restrictions in time and place. Caregivers had reduced access to counselling services needed. At the same time, treatment services for people with dementia were reduced or even halted. The results from the survey will give additional insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia, including their challenges and concerns. These results will help to adapt counselling and treatment services for dementia family caregivers and will be presented in detail. Conclusion(s): The study will lead to a better understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia and will facilitate the adaptation of the existing as well as integration of new topics into our caregiver counselling program. Additionally, the development of (digital) self-help groups for caregivers could be another option to prevent disruption of the health care system and to ensure ongoing service provision despite pandemic-related restrictions. Copyright © 2022 the Alzheimer's Association.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on education across the world. The biggest compulsory disruption in the history of education has been caused by COVID-19, which is affecting about 1.6 billion students across 190 countries on all continents. This pandemic has forced a shift from traditional face-to-face class-based systems to online teaching and learning. Educational institutions are tackling unprecedented challenges to resume education. Many of them have already started education in partial (online) or blended (online and limited on campus) mode. In this article, we discuss the challenges faced by educational institutions, teachers, and students in resuming the teaching and learning process and the preventive measures taken to mitigate the current deteriorating situation. We analyze the overall institutional setup of re-opening the learning process from the perspectives of technology and logistics (smart educational tools), teachers' initiatives, teachers' competence, and the support (mental, financial, technological, etc.) provided to students. In order to continue with institutional education, we present strategies to exit from the worst situation during the pandemic. The results of this study can guide educational institutions, teachers, and students to take the necessary measures against disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, COVID-19, etc.) and to continue educational activities both during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic period. The outcomes of this study can also help researchers and developers to create new technologies to deal with unprecedented situations to continue learning. © 2021 IEEE.