Online University Teaching During COVID-19: The Malaysian Experience

Malaysia, like the rest of the world, was hard hit by SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19. After the first COVID-19 case was detected in Malaysia (on January 25, 2020) and traced back to three Chinese nationals, the country was put under Movement Control Order (MCO), a partial lockdown, initially for two weeks, on 18th March. Among MCO consequences: close major economic sectors and educational institutions. Public universities, which began a new semester under a Ministry of Higher Education ruling, switched to online teaching and learning. This chapter chronicles public university experiences with online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 period. A brief background captures the measures taken by the government;how these steps affected university education is appraised next;and finally, the steps taken by the universities to activate online teaching and learning. What challenges cropped up and how to deal with them are acknowledged before drawing conclusions from the online teaching and learning experiences of Malaysian universities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Pandemic and Education: Persistent Deepening of Educational Inequalities in Argentina as a Consequence of COVID-19

This paper analyzes the relationship between the structural inequalities that Argentina presents in relation to access to information and communication technologies and their respective impact on the levels of compulsory education, and how the COVID-19 pandemic in this state of affairs deepened the educational inequities among students who had access to a device and the Internet for those who did not have one or had limited use. In this regard, the COVID-19 in Argentina has exposed, if previously unclear, situations of structural vulnerability, which have deeply impacted the national education system, calling into question the pedagogical continuity of students in unfavorable conditions during the time of the pandemic. These territorial inequalities have been consolidated since the beginning of the formation of the Argentine Nation-State and have persisted over time, and the digital gap that currently exists corresponds directly to other socio-economic and geographical gaps. This context of pandemic has made them even more visible, compromising the pedagogical continuity that must be guaranteed to all students during the time that this situation is maintained. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Participatory development and implementation of inclusive digital health communication on COVID-19 with homeless people.

Introduction: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The realities of their daily lives have been given little consideration in the pandemic response. They are not represented in existing health information campaigns, and many are structurally excluded from digital information. The project aimed to develop inclusive COVID-19-information material to strengthen infection prevention and control of PEH. Material and methods: In a participatory process, PEH were involved in the planning, production, and evaluation of poster and video information material on COVID-19. Various stakeholders were consulted for external supervision. Service providers all over Germany were informed about the material that could be ordered free of charge. For the evaluation, semi-structured interviews with homeless service providers and PEH were conducted, and the online views of the videos were measured. Results: Sixteen PEH participated actively in the project. Two COVID-19-information videos were launched in 5 languages in February 2021. Posters promoting vaccination against COVID-19 were produced in 9 languages. As of May 2022, the videos have been viewed more than 2,000 times. A total of 163 service providers for PEH and public institutions received the posters, thereof 72 upon request. Twelve service providers and 8 PEH participated in the evaluation. They pointed out the lack of targeted information material for PEH. The consideration of the concerns and the diverse representation of PEH was perceived as particularly important. Most of the service providers were unable to show the videos due to technical and spatial limitations. Digital challenges for PEH, like the lack of and maintenance of a smart phone, became apparent. Conclusion: The cooperation of research, practice and the community were key factors for the realization of this project. Strong links to the community and the involvement of relevant stakeholders are indispensable when working with PEH. Exclusion from digital information is an increasingly important component of the structural marginalization of PEH. Digital inclusion for PEH and service providers can help to counteract social and health inequalities. The lessons learned through this project can contribute to strengthen participation of PEH and to consider their perspectives in future health communication strategies.

How to Accompany Inclusion? Elements of Protection and Good Practices in Socio-Occupational Insertion Programmes

Labour insertion is an area of socio-educational intervention that can contribute to the social inclusion of different individuals and groups. Based on a literature review on protective elements in socio-occupational integration processes, and taking into account especially the situation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the years 2020-2022, in this study we have identified, through 109 questionnaires and 21 group interviews with socio-educational agents, which of these elements are present in integration projects currently being developed in 4 Latin American countries, and we have explored how they define 'good practices' in this area and what effective actions exist. The results, explained by country (Brazil, Spain, Colombia and Mexico), indicate that three types of protection elements are considered in the different socio-educational projects: development of personal and professional competences;support from the family and social context;and institutional elements related to socio-occupational intermediation and social support interventions. In relation to good practices, the technical agents working in insertion projects associate this term with methodological characteristics of their intervention (accompaniment, empathy, personalisation) and/or with the achievement of results (quality of life, empowerment, employability). They identify new challenges that have arisen during the pandemic, such as digital literacy or mental health, and illustrate with some examples of successful practices they are developing. The article ends with a mention of the socio-educational approach in socio-labour insertion programmes and the presentation of two proposals for further study. © 2023 Sociedad Iberoamericana de Pedagogía Social. All rights reserved.

Digital gap and uses of ICT in a rural school during COVID-19

Despite the efforts of past decades, the lack of technological enablement within rural schools in Mexico has been exposed during the closure of schools by Covid-19. An exploratory study was carried out to identify the levels of digital access gap experienced by teachers at an educational center in a rural area of Mexico and to explore the strategies for the use of ICT deployed to ensure academic continuity during the pandemic. It was found that even with limited technological access, various uses of ICT were developed for the development of teaching and learning processes. © GKA Ediciones, authors.

Online teaching and learning practices in teacher education: past, present and future

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has marked a before and after for online teacher education that needs to be examined. This article provides a review of the literature on online teaching and learning practices in teacher education. Drawing on previous research that analyzes online educational practices before (past) and after (present) the irruption of the pandemic, it aims to understand the nature and the kinds of practices and factors affecting impact in the online environment. The article discusses the implications of the findings for the development of online teaching and learning practices in the post-pandemic time (future). © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Digitalization of Education in Pandemic. A Peruvian Teacher's Perspective

The global educational response to the pandemic has been based on the digitalization of learning processes. These processes have been diverse, mostly by trial and error, and based on diverse socio-educational conditions. What lessons can be learned from this unprecedented educational process? Part of the answer lies in the teachers who have managed this emergency education. In this sense, this study seeks to explore and characterize the weaknesses, threats, strengths and opportunities (SWOT) with which Peruvian secondary school teachers conceive digitalization in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study uses a qualitative research approach based on structured interviews based on SWOT analysis with 1106 active teachers. The process followed four work phases and 21725 text segments were coded and organized into 67 subcategories. The work reveals that the perception of the digitalization process in Peruvian schools is marked by the weakness of the digital access gap, by the threat of dropout due to connectivity, by the opportunity of teacher development with technology and by the strength that the development of digital competence represents for teachers and students. The vision with which teachers have made effective the integration of technology in pandemic is a significant element for the design of educational policies and the construction of a pedagogy for post-Covid-19 education.

Can Internet penetration curb the spread of infectious diseases among regions?-Analysis based on spatial spillover perspective.

Based on the outbreak of COVID-19, this paper empirically studied the impact of internet penetration on the incidence of class A and B infectious diseases among regions in spatial Dubin model, by using health panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2009 to 2018. The findings showed that: (1) The regional spillover effect of incidence of class A and B infectious diseases was significantly positive, and that is most obvious in the central regions. (2) Internet penetration not only has a positive effect on curbing the spread of infectious diseases within the local region but also help to inhibits the proximity spread of infectious diseases in neighborhood, showing the synergistic effect of "neighbor as a partner" in joint prevention and control mechanism. (3) The "digital gap" between regions, urban and rural areas, and user structures had led to significant group differences in the effect of the Internet on suppressing the spread of Class A and B infectious diseases. The findings of this paper provide a reference for understanding the potential role of the Internet in the COVID-19 and also provide policy support for the construction of Internet-based inter-regional "joint prevention and control mechanism" in public health events.

The impact of COVID-19 on education

In this research, we analyze the effects that Covid-19 has had on the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and specifically on SDG4 on education as a conditioning factor for social and economic development. The methodology used has been a systematic review of the texts of the United Nations and other international organizations. The results and discussion address the setback that the pandemic has meant for the achievement of the SDGs, requiring the involvement of governments and organizations with more effective measures for greater access to quality education and a reduction in the digitalization gap. © GKA Ediciones, authors.

Ethics of participation and social inclusion of older persons in research: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about safe distancing measures that are unprecedented. This article details the impact of the pandemic across research studies involving older persons in Singapore, and assesses the different strategies used to adapt to their needs in the context of evolving public health measures. The pandemic exposed diverse experiences of vulnerability among older persons, pushing for critical reflections on ethics of participation and social inclusion as the new research normal. We emphasize the importance of practicing flexibility: consideration for differentiated approaches to recruitment and data collection that should be proactively embedded in research designs for older persons during the pandemic and beyond.

Online teaching and learning practices in teacher education: past, present and future

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has marked a before and after for online teacher education that needs to be examined. This article provides a review of the literature on online teaching and learning practices in teacher education. Drawing on previous research that analyzes online educational practices before (past) and after (present) the irruption of the pandemic, it aims to understand the nature and the kinds of practices and factors affecting impact in the online environment. The article discusses the implications of the findings for the development of online teaching and learning practices in the post-pandemic time (future).

Addressing the Digital Gap for the Older Persons and their caregivers in the State of Qatar: A Stakeholders' Perspective

The demographics in the Arab world are expected to go through a change in the coming decades. It is projected that the older population in Qatar will increase. Access to and use of information communication technology (ICT) by older persons and their caregivers has rarely been discussed. This study exposes the perspectives of the policy-level stakeholders and non-profit organizations working with older persons regarding the access and use of ICT. Through focus groups, the study investigates existing services and identifies the challenges encountered within the ICT Ecosystem. The study also attempts to explore their personal perspectives toward the access and use of older persons and their caregivers to ICT Thematic analysis was employed to capture the main themes emerging from exchanges with the stakeholders. Five themes emerged to stress the importance of existing efforts, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the extent of technology acceptance. The findings revealed the extent of partnership between the different institutes when providing the different services, conducting raising awareness activities, and training campaigns, and supporting the technology acceptance. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for stakeholders on ways to address the digital gap. © 2021 IEEE.

E-learning in times of COVID-19. What have we learned?

The crisis caused by COVID-19 has had a great impact on society in general and educational systems in particular. In this context, numerous studies carried out before and during the pandemic show the importance of technologies as the main guarantor tools of distance teaching and learning processes. However, there are still numerous gaps to overcome for these processes to be 100% effective. Therefore, this study tries to present an informed and critical judgment of the main variables that have affected the success or failure of virtual educational practices. In this sense, a review of the latest research and educational reports is carried out before and during the pandemic. As a result, the results are presented in three large blocks: initial questions to take into account, digital gaps and contributions for the future. It concludes by making a summary of the main facilitating factors of e-learning (politics, teachers, students, family ...) and deliberates on the training need of all the groups involved.

The digital gap uncovered by the coronavirus pandemic: a study on teachers and families

INTRODUCTION. The population confinement caused by coronavirus pandemic forced teachers and families to make an almost instant transition from traditional teaching to on-line teaching. But how did it work regarding the digital gap? The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the schools' lockdown on the three existing digital gaps, access, cognitive and school, from the teachers and the families' perspectives. METHOD. 9567 Spanish citizens, 3700 teachers and 5867 parents, agreed to participate. The study followed an ex post facto research design within a questionnaire quantitative methodology. A "snowball" non-probabilistic sampling was used to recruit participants. Data collection was performed virtually from April 15th to May 8th, 2020. RESULTS. They uncovered an "access gap" that teachers blame on a deficient internet connection and not enough resources at home, but families do not share it and point to telecommuting as the main limitation. DISCUSSION. There is a clear "cognitive gap" acknowledged by teachers and families and a "school gap" that teachers blame on insufficient resources provided by the administration and the schools, and an insufficient experience on on-line education. In conclusion, the confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a "digital gap" that many believe overcame or at least minimized. However, the cognitive and the school gaps need actions.

EDUCATIONAL QUALITY. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEACHING DIGITAL GAP IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES

In Peru, inequality in access to the Internet and information technologies is still present. The digital divide, as it is also known, has caused the loss of the opportunity to have quality education, as well as greater economic development that benefits all Peruvians. The digital divide is a reality that affects a large part of the world's population. The changes produced largely by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures that have been implemented to normalize daily activities, such as online teaching, although they have been a temporary solution, have made this digital divide increasingly evident. In this context, in which teachers and students depend on technological devices and good connectivity to learn and teach, inequality in access and the increase in the digital divide become a central issue of concern. The objective of the research is to determine the relationship between educational quality and the digital gap in teachers based on the needs of the recipients of the service. The research design is descriptive - correlational, with a quantitative approach. The sample includes 155 teachers.

Empirical Study of Virtual Reality to Promote Intergenerational Communication: Taiwan Traditional Glove Puppetry as Example

Based on glove puppetry, a traditional cultural pursuit of Taiwan, this study designed a virtual reality (VR) intergenerational game to bring together the elderly and young participants. In the game, a system of cooperation and sharing was constructed which would lead to an exchange between experience and knowledge of traditional culture and digital technology and result in intergenerational interaction and communication learning. Through interviews with eight subjects after the empirical study, this study explored the operation and experience of this game, the perception of interaction and dialogue, and the cultural heritage and learning. According to the research findings, VR game cultural elements and technology learning positively influence intergenerational relations and communication. Key factors of VR intergenerational games include the following: (1) the game content must be attractive for the elderly;(2) the operating procedure of the game and affordance of the interface for the elderly must be simplified;and (3) the game must establish a sense of achievement for players.

Systematic Mapping of Digital Gap and Gender, Age, Ethnicity, or Disability

Rapid technological evolution defines the first two decades of the millennium. This phenomenon has increased the digital gap, disparities, and inequalities in global and local contexts. This paper reports a systematic literature mapping of 180 articles published from 2000 to 2021 discussing the digital gap. The documents were retrieved using boolean operations in two databases, adding terms related to gender, age, ethnicity, and disabilities, focusing on population groups that are especially vulnerable to the effects of this phenomenon. The method included categorizing the retrieved documents to provide a general view of the most concerning topics in the academic and research community. This analysis concludes (a) the approaches to address this topic are diverse, as this is a multilayered, complex, and interconnected issue;(b) many studies refer to developed countries;however, fewer are those who observe or analyze the underdeveloped regions;(c) the majority of published papers in the last decade report information and communication technologies (ICT) and their role in bridging the gap, showing an opportunity area for designing these technologies considering more accessible approaches through flexible technology approaches;(d) this study’s results are a valuable source of information to identify the design requirements for accessible products and service systems. The last section provides a detailed explanation of the findings.

Social Innovation from University Education to Reduce the Digital Gap in Chiapas

The digital gap is a social problem that the COVID-19 pandemic has made more visible, primarily affecting the lives of excluded populations. During this time, the universities have been forced to move to virtual models to continue education. This paper presents a case study showing how universities can leverage this situation to reduce the digital gap through social innovation projects. The case study is a university "i-Experience"in summer 2020 with five native social community organizations in Chiapas, Mexico. These organizations mainly engage in the production and commercialization of coffee, honey, woven embroidered clothing, and tourism through cultural routes. Due to the pandemic, their sales were greatly affected, and they sought new digital marketing strategies and the necessary digital skills. The university students developed 18 digital social innovation projects that met this need. The projects were reviewed and their stages validated. Areas of opportunity were identified to scale the projects to positively transform the lives of these communities through technological appropriation. © 2021 ACM.

Educational initiatives for bridging the diversity gap in STEM

The diversity gap is a well-known problem that affects society across regions and countries. The interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and countries are increasing;the movement of human beings and the exchange of cultural practices is becoming more common in all areas of society. STEM areas - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - are crucial for society's development;they are key elements in the COVID-19 pandemic, where these areas are playing a significant role in addressing the evolving needs of society. For this reason, the diversity of society must be represented in STEM sector, teams should consist of people from different cultures, disabilities, ethnic groups, gender, or sexual identities. This new edition of the track "Bridging the diversity gap in STEM"brings different projects, experiences, and studies in education focused on promoting diversity and reducing inequality in STEM. © 2021 Owner/Author.

The use of careFiji app for contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Digital gap and challenges faced in Fiji.

Globally, digital contact tracing initiatives has been used as a tool to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fijian Government and Ministry of Health are promoting the use of the "careFiji" app to help in contact tracing. This paper will discuss the rollout of the careFiji app which helps in combating COVID-19 in Fiji, and the challenges caused by the digital gap that has surfaced during the pandemic.