ABSTRACT
COVID pandemic has brought many changes in day to day working of almost every profession. Education is one such arena where switching to online mode of teaching and assessment was received by many educators as a paradigm shift in pedagogy. Conducting classes online was not a satisfying experience for many but was recognized as the need of the hour. But when it came to online assessment of work, the bright window of light generated an array of questions. Conducting online assessments using live online proctored test, or submissions of assessment sheets has become a new-normal. Many technology platforms provide solutions for online face-to-face meetings, Artificial intelligence based proctored examinations and online objective type assessment sheets with pre-assigned rubrics for marks and evaluation. Since there was a situation where the proctor needs to be present and observe the behaviour of the student, their movements and also the application is to check the face to be recognised with the data already entered, if there is any noise or if someone else if present in the room or not.All these features had made the online examination system little efficient and effective for the universities to conduct the exam hassle free and from remote access. This paper presents a study of various online assessment tools presented by technology companies for smooth conduct of examinations. This study also presents a comparative analysis of features of these tools and their utilization in different domains. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Infection Control Network Africa (ICAN) is the largest infection prevention and control (IPC) organisation in Africa. It provides IPC education programs and actively supports IPC implementation to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), such as COVID-19, Ebola, etc. Good quality clinical hand hygiene is the foundation of IPC. Still, it is challenging to teach as it involves a new psychomotor skill and develops new hand hygiene habits appropriate to the clinical setting. In 2019 ICAN Train-The-Trainer (TTT) program began using the SureWash technology platform to support both in-person education and the cascade of training to other staff in the facility. This paper describes the need, the technology platform, program rollout before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact and the lessons learned. We conclude by providing some observations on the future use of technology for infection control training. © 2021 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Currently, the most effective way to counteract COVID-19 is to slow its spread through personal distancing, hand washing and the use of personal protective equipment. Vaccination processes of citizens are becoming widespread. At the same time, information technology will be able to help slow down the spread of COVID-19 by early detection, prediction and monitoring of new cases. This paper provides an overview of current research on the selection and processing of COVID-19 data. The role and location of IoT devices, communication networks and cloud infrastructure for the selection and processing of COVID-19 data are described. Based on the analysis of IoT-platforms for detection and monitoring of COVID-19, the structure of the information technology platform was formed. There are included data collection tools, primary networks, Internet, cloud infrastructure, data presentation tools. The architecture of the information technology platform for the selection and processing of COVID-19 data is proposed. A description of the process of collecting and analytical processing of COVID-19 information using machine learning algorithms is given. The model of the information technology platform classes structure for the selection and processing of COVID-19 data is considered. That contains more than 50 classes to describe more than 120 characteristics of information entities. The processes of selection and aggregation of COVID-19 data and integration of analytical processing tools based on machine learning algorithms into the information technology platform are described. © 2021 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
This work in progress research paper studied the use of technologies, platforms, and methods for interactions during the course and outside the course by the engineering students enrolled in the summer 2020 semester at a large Southwestern public research university. In March of 2020, this university migrated away from face-to-face teaching, like other institutions, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This migration resulted in the development of synchronous (remote) and asynchronous (fully online) courses that were offered to students through the remaining Spring and also the Summer semester of 2020. Previous studies have shown that student and faculty interaction along with student-student interaction have a net positive effect on student retention and learning. This study was designed to identify the tools-technology or platforms-and methods used for interaction in the summer 2020 courses. All students enrolled in engineering courses in summer 2020 were invited to take part in the survey. However, 315 students started the survey and only 93 respondents completed the survey fully. While there are useful data from the entire starter group, this study looked at the data generated by the 93 respondents who completed the survey. The student responses indicate that most faculty, whether teaching synchronously or asynchronously, supplemented their courses with some technology or platform that facilitated live interactions (Zoom, Google Meet, Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Teams). Even though the students were moderately satisfied with the technology/platforms and methods that were used, they showed a higher degree of satisfaction for courses that used active learning and other methods for student engagement. For social learning, the students used GroupMe, text messaging, or Zoom calls to interact with each other outside of class. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021
ABSTRACT
Members of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers' Network (DCVMN) have been actively engaged in the development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. According to the WHO COVID-19 vaccine landscape updated on 29 December 2020, 18 member manufacturers had vaccines in preclinical or clinical trials, including three members with candidates in Phase III trials. Once successful candidates have been identified there will be a need for large scale vaccine manufacturing and supply, in which DCVMN member manufacturers can play a key role. In an internal survey in 2019, DCVMN members reported the capability to supply over 3.5 billion vaccine doses annually, and the provision of over 50 distinct vaccines to 170 countries. To describe the capabilities of DCVMN member manufacturers more precisely, a 121-question survey was circulated to 41 Network members. The survey assessed the manufacturers' capabilities in utilizing various technology platforms, cell cultures and filling technologies, in addition to their capacities for manufacturing drug products. The survey also evaluated manufacturers' preparedness to dedicate existing capacities to COVID-19 vaccine production. Results revealed that sampled manufacturers have strong capabilities for manufacturing vaccines based on recombinant technologies, particularly with mammalian cells, and microbial and yeast expression systems. Capabilities in utilizing cell cultures were distributed across multiple cell types, however manufacturing capacities with Vero and CHO cells were prominent. Formulating and filling findings illustrated further large-scale capabilities of Network members. Sampled manufacturers reported that over 50% of their capacity for vaccine manufacturing could be dedicated to COVID-19 vaccine production.