Online Learning During the Covid Crisis: Student Views

In the spring of 2020, students at all levels of education were suddenly thrown into online learning situations. Higher education institutions reacted without regard or exposure to known best practices for online learning. As a result, student satisfaction levels dropped dramatically. Before Covid, those participating in online courses chose that option. Occasionally, an individual course would only be offered online, but for the majority, students who did not like online courses could avoid them. With the Covid crisis, all students were thrust into an online educational environment with no alternatives and little notice. To examine the learning during this crisis, we developed a 22-item scale on student perspectives of online learning and administered the survey to a large regional university in the southwest US during the Covid crisis (n=1160). We found online students prefer non-quantitative courses, are motivated by many scheduling issues, believe they learn less online and feel online students must be self-motivated and more disciplined, among other findings. © 2023, North American Business Press. All rights reserved.

Support Mechanisms for Canada's Cultural and Creative Sectors during COVID-19

The cultural and creative industries enhance the quality of life for Canadians and visitors to Canada. However, definitions of the sector vary, presenting challenges for researchers and policymakers. Government data shows that the pandemic job and revenue loss were disproportionate in the arts. The Canadian government created a range of financial tools (grants and subsidies) to support the sector during the Pandemic. This paper analyzes these financial instruments created in response to the Pandemic. This paper offers a case study on how government can support the economic and social success of the creative and cultural sector (CCS) in Canada and avoid the risk of the cultural ecosystem collapsing. In addition, the key findings may be helpful in other industries and markets when exploring ways to support the cultural and creative sectors, which are vital components of domestic and tourism activity.

Bridging the gap: Development of a patient public involvement group

AIMS: Every year, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) neuro-oncology team review over 2000 individuals with brain tumour. Patient and public involvement (PPI) has been fragmented to date. Initially we invited two patient advocates and a core group of allied health professionals to meet virtually to discuss development of a local PPI group, its aims, specific goals, and timescales to maintain momentum. In March 2021 we launched "BERTI: Brain tumour Education and Research paTient and public Involvement group, West Midlands". Our inaugural meeting will be virtual in April 2021 and will be followed by three meetings per year. METHOD: We developed information leaflets to promote the BERTI initiative. A membership form has been developed to record baseline information (non-clinical) e.g. contact details, which tumour type the individual is interested in, which aspect of BERTI they are interested in (Education, Research or Clinical service development). Patient advocates have reviewed all patient and public facing forAll forms have been checked by Information Governance at QEHB to ensure General Data Protection Regulation compliant. Contact details and non-clinical data will be stored in a password protected database on a NHS computer network. Information to ensure members can unsubscribe from this group is easy to find and will be done immediately. A BERTI email account has been set up with a core group of professionals having access who are all fully trained in data protection and have GDPR certification. We will produce an annual BERTI newsletter. RESULTS: BERTI is a group for people affected by brain tumours in any way. We include patients, friends and family, health professionals and researchers who are committed to improving the care of people with a brain tumour. It is run between the QEHB and University of Birmingham (UoB). BERTI provides a forum to meet other people affected by brain tumours and-Share experiences;-Understand the condition better;-Work with clinical staff and researchers to improve clinical care and facilitate research for people living with brain tumours. We will meet three times per year, virtually at the moment but face to face once Covid restrictions ease. We will have a formal talks explaining certain aspects of brain tumour or research initiatives. Throughout, there will be dedicated time set aside for group discussions to promote a genuine two-way dialogue between health-care/research professionals and individuals affected by brain tumour. CONCLUSION: The PPI group will be allowed to evolve rather than start out too prescriptive. It will capitalise on its strengths and skills of its composite members. There are no set models rather principles that will provide the foundations for a group which is supported to fulfil their specific purpose. The views of the PPI group will be presented at the quarterly NeuroOncology Multi-disciplinary team business meetings to provide a forum to discuss issues. We aim to foster a PPI friendly environment, deliver real engagement and involvement across the group.

Involving and engaging children, young people and carers in the echild project

Background Involving children, young people and parents in research about them is essential. However, best practice specific to research involvement and engagement using administrative data is under-explored, yet particularly important given past high-profile cases of big data mismanagement and security breaches that have reduced public confidence. We describe our approach and interim findings from a programme of research involvement for the ECHILD (Education and Child Health Insight Linked Data) project. ECHILD links the Hospital Episode Statistics database with the National Pupil Database, to examine relationships between health and education for children and young people in England, with particular emphasis on understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups. Objectives We planned a programme of child, young person, parent and public involvement and engagement throughout the duration of the project. Our objectives were to i) understand the diversity of views on linking these two datasets, ii) explore how definitions of 'vulnerability' might differ to those applied by Government Departments, and iii) identify priorities for research questions that can be answered by the linked dataset. Methods We accessed three standalone patient and public involvement groups comprising 30 children, young people and parents/carers through our partner, the National Children's Bureau (NCB). The groups were i) the Young Research Advisors, ii) the Family Research Advisory Group, and iii) FLARE, which is organised through the Council for Disabled Children and commissioned by the Department for Education. Sessions were online, semi-structured and facilitated by the NCB between August - December 2020. Content was captured through facilitator note-taking, flipchart paper with sticky notes and digital posts created by members in the groups. Results Children, young people and parents were keen to discuss the ECHILD Covid-19 project and have further ongoing engagement with project. Young people emphasised a need to raise awareness about the data that is routinely collected about them, and how it should contribute to research. They supported the use of the linked data - when in de-identified form and with secure access - for research to improve the health and education of children and young people. The term 'vulnerability' was rejected by all groups and, while consensus on an alternative was not reached, group members generally preferred terms that reflected 'additional service needs'. Young people were particularly concerned with the impact of school closures on mental health and would like future research to address this area Conclusions Engagement with children, young people and parents/carers is crucial to the ECHILD project and for inspiring trust in using linked administrative data for research. Our findings highlight the need for greater awareness of research using administrative data and that engagement should span the project lifetime. We have planned further meetings with these groups and other relevant stakeholders to ensure research conducted is timely and meets the needs of children and young people accessing health and education services.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and management of acute appendicitis: A single-centre analysis

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the delivery of healthcare. In accordance with the UK Joint Royal Colleges' advice the management of acute appendicitis (AA) changed with greater consideration for non-operative management (NOM) or open appendicectomy where operative management (OM) s sought. Our aim is to share our experience of the presentation, management and outcomes for patients presenting to our Trust with AA to guide care for future viral pandemics. Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with AA in March to July 2019 compared with March to July 2020. Medical records were used to evaluate demographics, inflammatory markers, imaging, severity, management, histology, length of stay (LOS), complications and 90-day outcomes. Results: There were 149 and 125 patients in the 2019 and 2020 cohort, respectively. 14 patients (9.4%) had NOM in 2019 versus 31 patients (24.8%) in 2020 (p=0.001). In the 2019 OM group 125 patients (92.6%) had laparoscopic appendicectomy versus 69 (73.4%) in 2020. 59 patients (39.6%) had a CT in 2019 versus 70 (56%) in 2020. The median LOS was 4 days (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6 days) in 2019 and 3 days (IQR 2 to 5 days) in 2020 (p=0.03). Two patients in each year who received NOM had treatment failure (14.3% in 2019 and 6.5% in 2020). Three patients in 2019 who had OM had treatment failure (2.2%). Of 95 patients tested for COVID-19 all but one was negative. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic there was no observed increase in severity of AA, patients had a shorter LOS and were more likely to have imaging. NOM proportionally increased with no observed change in outcomes.

Exercise and virtual reality working memory training impact cognition among heavy drinking veterans with traumatic brain injury: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Working-memory (WM) underlies executive functions responsible for self-control deficits in alcohol use disorder (AUD). WM-training is a promising treatment modality for traumatic brain injury (TBI) related cognitive impairment. However, major limitations in the field of WM-training exist. To solve these problems, we combined exercise with an enriched virtual reality (VR) WM-training application, and evaluated this intervention compared to exercise-only or sham gameplay-only. Using a 6-week randomized adaptive design study, 30 veterans were instructed to complete 9 sessions of exercise-only (n = 15) or sham gameplay (n = 15) over 3 weeks, followed by a 1-week washout period. All 30 participants then completed 9 sessions of VR WM-training plus exercise. Outcomes included: feasibility to enroll and retain participants, feedback on the usability, and preliminary assessment of the VR-exercise WM intervention to improve cognitive function and reduce alcohol craving (Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale) and use (Timeline Followback). Fifteen participants (50%) completed both phases of the study (n = 8 withdrawn due to COVID-19 restrictions). Of the 15 completers, all noted they “would recommend the intervention to friends,” but also cited “they would need technical support” to use the system independently. Common VR-related adverse effects included dizziness/motion sickness (n = 3, 20%). Exercise-only was associated with significant improvements in cognitive inhibition and reductions in alcohol craving and number of standard alcohol drinks per week during Phase 1 (all p ≤ 0.05). Cognitive improvement and reduction in craving and alcohol use were maintained from washout through completion of Phase 2. Number of calories burned during the exercise plus VR WM-training was significantly correlated with improvement in WM performance (R2 = 0.56 p = 0.05). Recruitment into an exercise plus VR WM-training intervention is feasible, but technological barriers may impact compliance. There were notable exercise-related improvements in cognitive function and reductions in alcohol use and craving. There was also an association between improvement in WM performance and physical exertion during the exercise plus VR WM-training intervention during phase 2. Although COVID-19 restrictions impacted phase 2 retention, and effects of Phase 1 were not sufficiently washed out for proper evaluation of outcome measures during phase 2, results support further examination of exercise and VR WM-training in Veterans with AUD and TBI.

'When I asked for help and support it was not there': current NHS employment practice and its impact on people with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives: The aim was to investigate whether National Health Service (NHS) employees with SLE, for whom work disability and early retirement are high, are supported effectively in at work. Methods: An online survey of 393 people with lupus was completed through the LUPUS UK website, investigating participants' experiences in maintaining employment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Disease fluctuation, invisibility and fatigue were identified as having substantial negative impacts on employment. This study examined data from a large subgroup (n = 72, 18.74%) of current/previous NHS employees. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to explore and characterize the demography and experiences of participants. Results: The NHS subgroup (n = 72) represented 18.74% of the whole cohort;100% were female and of working age (18-64 years). Fifty-one were currently (70.8%) and 21 previously (29.2%) NHS employees. Forty-nine (60%) were clinicians. Twenty-one (29.16%) of this working-age subgroup had left any employment. Negative effects of SLE on employment were universal (including an impact on career choices, work disability, enforced part-time working, lower income and early retirement). NHS support for participants to maintain employment was inconsistent, with more negative experiences than positive. The impact of SLE on employment seemed to be poorly understood. Conclusion: A punitive approach to NHS employees with SLE was more common than a proactive, flexible, problem-solving one despite inclusive rhetoric, resulting in the loss of skills and experience to the service. Characterizing conditions such as SLE and long coronavirus disease 2019 as fluctuating, invisible conditions with constitutional symptoms highlights features with negative employment impact, potentially facilitating much-needed change in NHS organizations, with greater use of occupational health, vocational rehabilitation, redeployment and retraining opportunities, highlighting the need for evidence-based employment interventions and improved management of fatigue.

A contextual approach to e-learning delivery in higher educational institution learning organizations

The increasing complexity and changing dynamics of the Higher Educational Institution (HEI) learning organization has prompted a reexamination of e-learning delivery considerations. The unforeseen opportunity COVID-19 has presented HEI learning organizations to deliver e-learning on the broadest of scales. HEI learning organizations that desire to adapt and continue delivering learner-centered outcomes could benefit from clear and concise e-learning delivery considerations. A theory synthesis that integrates relevant HEI learning organization and e-learning literature streams serve as the theoretical methodology that resulted in the development of a concise, widely applicable set of e-learning delivery considerations. © 2020, North American Business Press. All rights reserved.