Facilitating Engineering Students' Creativity and Teamwork Ethos Using Smart Learning Platforms during Covid-19

Covid-19 has brought some revolutionary changes in Higher Education with a shift from traditional face-to-face teaching and learning to online or hybrid-based delivery. There is a strong emphasis on the integration of technology and smart platforms to deliver an effective teaching and learning environment that can withstand the unpredictable challenges of the ongoing pandemic. But many researchers have noted a lack of social interaction and motivation among students in an online setting. Also, with limited face-to-face interactions, many students had issues with collaboration and other group-based activities. Now with the availability of pre-recorded lecture videos and course materials in several universities, there is a noticeable drop in student engagement. To retain and boost students' motivation in the current complex environment, there is an added pressure among educators to create teaching content by utilizing smart and innovative teaching approaches that are efficient and effective. Smart learning platforms might offer the potential solutions to address some of the issues with the changing landscape of teaching and learning due to the pandemic. Such platforms are versatile and therefore, can work seamlessly across in-person and virtual teaching and learning environments. They can provide an interactive platform to facilitate active learning and the quality of teamwork experience among students. The objective of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of some of the smart teaching-learning platforms used in the MSc Engineering Management programme in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York. A survey was conducted among the cohort from this programme in the Summer of 2021 to review their engagement and experiences with these platforms. Can such smart platforms facilitate creativity and improve teamwork ethos among students? The paper will discuss the findings of this study and also highlight if such approaches can transform the educational setting post Covid-19. © 2022 IEEE.

Virtual Technology in Radiologic Technology Classrooms: Educational Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE: To investigate the educational effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on virtual technology use in the radiologic technology classroom by comparing virtual technology use and perceived barriers for use from before the COVID-19 pandemic through the spring 2021 semester. METHODS: An explanatory mixed-method, cross-sectional survey design was used to evaluate radiologic technology educators' integration of virtual technology and continuance intention to use (CITU) virtual technology in the radiologic technology classroom. A pseudoqualitative component also was used to add meaning to the quantitative data. RESULTS: A total of 255 educators completed the survey. Educators with associate degrees scored significantly lower in CITU compared with participants with master's degrees (P = .04) and doctoral or professional degrees (P = .01). Virtual technology use significantly increased from before COVID-19 to spring 2021 (P < .001). Educators' perceptions of barriers to technology integration significantly decreased from before COVID-19 to spring 2021 (P < .001). In this report, radiologic technology educators indicated intentions for increased virtual technology use in the future compared with their use during the spring 2021 semester (P = .001). DISCUSSION: Virtual technology use was low before COVID-19, and although it increased during the spring 2021 semester, it remained relatively low. Future intentions for virtual technology use indicate an increase from spring 2021, suggesting a change in future delivery of radiologic science education. Instructors' levels of education had a significant effect on CITU scores. Cost and funding was consistently the highest reported barrier to virtual technology use, whereas student resistance to technology was consistently the lowest reported barrier. Narratives of participants' challenges, current and future use, and rewards related to virtual technology also added pseudoqualitative meaning to the quantitative findings. CONCLUSION: The educators in this study demonstrated low virtual technology use before the COVID-19 pandemic, increased virtual technology use because of the pandemic, and significantly positive CITU scores. Radiologic science educators' responses regarding their challenges, current and future use, and rewards might be helpful in facilitating more effective technology integration. Copyright © 2023 American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

How do high-tech software smes in china manage risks and survive in today’s complex environment?

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the national economy in China. However, the average life expectancy of Chinese SMEs is only 3.7 years with more than half of the SMEs failing to survive beyond their first five years. And in 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 has further aggravated the pressure among SMEs to survive. As a result of this pandemic, many Chinese SMEs struggled with their risk management approaches. Some had to lay off employees, cut salaries and even suspend operations in exchange for a chance of survival. The ongoing pandemic has raised many questions about the risk management strategies and the resilience of SMEs. Some researchers even questioned the effectiveness of some of these risk-management strategies. There is now a crucial need to understand the importance of effective risk management strategies so as to attain a competitive advantage in an unpredictable market. However, there are very limited studies that shed light on the risk management of Chinese SMEs, especially in the high-tech market and in the complex times of COVID-19. How do successful Chinese SMEs sustain and survive in such competition in the high-tech market? What strategies do they apply to manage risks and how effective are these strategies? How do they respond to changes in the market to retain and drive their organizational sustainability and survival? This paper explores some of these gaps by using case studies of 10 successful SMEs from the Chinese High-tech market. Using interviews with the founder-entrepreneurs from these SMEs, the paper discusses how these SMEs approach different risk management strategies including that of COVID-19. The paper will also explore the crucial role played by the founder-entrepreneurs in the decision-making process of risk management.

Patterns of oxygen saturation in prolonged recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia.

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, a recurrent pattern of prolonged recovery after acute COVID-19 pneumonia, characterised by low oxygen saturation levels for >2 weeks, was observed in an intermediate-care facility in Cape Town. A case study together with a series of 12 patients is presented to illustrate this phenomenon, and two types of 'sats gap' are described, which were used by physiotherapists and doctors to monitor daily progress. We attempt to explain this prolonged recovery in terms of the possible pathophysiology, and suggest a number of learning points to guide further research.

Healthy sleep as an important resource and buffer for intersectional discrimination: Results from COVID 19 study

Introduction: Our previous studies have highlighted sleep disparities for this underserved population, including how Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) experience troubled and disruptive sleep. Intersectional types of discrimination facing these families during COVID 19, include: race/ethnicity of self and children, income, age, essential workforce status, and impairments (mobility, vision, and hearing). This current study intends to explore how healthy sleep is an important resource (potential buffer) for GRG experiencing intersectional discrimination during COVID 19. Methods: We used community partnerships to recruit 600 GRG from all fifty states in USA and several tribes to complete an online survey on their experiences with caregiving and intersectional discrimination during COVID 19. We developed an index on intersectional discrimination based on GRG lived experiences to inform the survey and used descriptive and bivariate statistics to profile this group. Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analysis was used to build a predictive model to help determine how variables in our study best merge to explain intersectional discrimination. Results: Of the GRGs', 37% were between 54-65 years and 33% cared for children 6 to 10 years for at least 5 years. The types of discrimination that were more likely to be included in intersectional discrimination include: Black or African American [83.8% (31)], my child's race [59.5% (22)], my lower economic status [56.8% (21)], and my status as a caregiver [56.8% (21)]. The resource needs that showed the most disparity (higher rate showed higher priority/extreme concern) between those with ID and those without included: Information on how COVID impacts race and ethnicity differently (6.0 vs. 3.61), ability to pay utilities (3.7 vs. 1.99), and information on how to achieve healthy sleep (4.19 vs. 2.64). Conclusion: This study suggests that GRG facing intersectional discrimination identify the importance of attaining information on how to achieve healthy sleep as an important resource to them during COVID 19. These results can be used to help mobilize resources and disseminate information for this underserved group to improve healthy sleep and also model for their extended families and communities.

Assessment of dolphin interactions. effectiveness of code of practice and fishing behaviour in the south Australian sardine fishery: 2019-20

Interactions between the South Australian Sardines Fishery (SAW) and Short-beaked Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) during purse-seining nave been assessed amply sacs 2004-05. Tin report Moments the interacrions in 2019-20. cleans patterns of observer coverage in the fishery, compares observed and reported rates of dolphin encirclement and mortally and fishing behavior, and assesses the effectiveness of the Code of practice (COP) in mitigating dolphin interactions. The observer coverage target for the 2019-20 financial year was 20% up tom 10% in 2018-19. However. COVID-19 metro:ions required the observer program to cease on 19 March 2020. restating in rya 8% (84 a 1051 net-sets) of Iota haring effort being observed Up until 19 March degrees Mew coverage was 21% 84 Cl 404 net-sets. Coverage was distributed well across the months it operated and across vessels. A total of 122 dolphin encirclement even% were recorded (8 observed) involving a total or 455 dolphins (36 degrees Mesta). Overall encirclement event rates were Proem WM and Withal an obscene' 9.5 and 11.8 12.8 up lo 19 March. 113 after 19 March] events per 100 net-sets. respectively Four dolphin mortally events were recorded, each involving a single dolphin. TM dolphin mortality rate were similar with and without observer, was 1.2 and 03 aophins per 100 net-sets. respectively: indicating a reporting rate discrepancy of 4. Sardine CPUE by net-set and night n 2019-23 were lower when an observer was present In part due to the higher percentage of zero net-sets recorded. As in previous years, during 2019-20 fishers applied the COP effectively when observers were present and observed rates of dolphin mortality were KM. However, in the absence of observers reported rates or dolphin mortalities were lower and was different, providing uncertainty about how the CoP was applied. Electronic monitoring systems, such as those used in Commonwealth fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), may be suitable for evaluating application of the CoP and fishing behaviour in the absence of observers.