Science video usage in a pandemic

During the pandemic, instruction moved online, and physical formats of media were unable to be used. This presented the opportunity to undertake a quantitative study on the use of streaming videos, particularly in the sciences, at Colorado College. The authors used vendor statistics for the last 5 years (2016–2017 to 2020–2021) and reviewed the time period of March–February, which is what the authors refer to as the covid year. By 2021, streaming videos were being used 25 times more than in 2016, and science videos were being streamed 26 times as much.

The Effect of Harmful Algal Blooms on COVID-19 Patient Outcomes in Florida

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in coastal and inland waterbodies release toxins which are known to have negative effects on local ecology and public health. Toxins released by Karenia Brevis and other phytoplankton are known to cause fatigue, muscle aches, neurological and respiratory illness in humans after exposure, which match those of COVID-19. A relationship between HABs and COVID virality could help explain the seasonality and unique symptoms in COVID-infections. COVID infection, hospitalization, and ICU usage data in the state of Florida were compared with instances of K. brevis blooms on a state and county basis. Results of correlation analysis indicate that blooms potentially correlated with increased hospitalizations compared to infections on a state-level. County level analysis was inconclusive. Due to broadness and complexity of subject, further investigation is necessary to fully understand how HABs and coastal ecology affect public health and virality of infectious disease. © 2022 IEEE.

Estimation of Hourly Utility Usage Using Machine Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the usage of various utilities. To assess the impact, this research explores the (baseline) estimation of hourly utility usage if the pandemic did not happen. Using usage data from Harris SmartWorks, various machine learning algorithms are implemented to show that they are effective in modelling hourly usage patterns, calendar effects, as well as 'lingering' effects of the exogenous factors and produce accurate results. © 2022 IEEE.

The Use of a Gamified Learning App in Accounting Education: Exploring the Impact of COVID-19

In many educational areas, COVID-19 has necessitated a fundamental change in teaching conditions. Students had to immediately adapt themselves and their learning strategy to the new circumstances. This research project offers unique opportunities to investigate the question of what precisely these adaptations looked like. Two semesters before the pandemic started, a gamified learning app was launched in an undergraduate accounting course at a large German university. During the pandemic, the associated course had to be converted from a synchronous face-to-face to an asynchronous online lecture. On the one hand, this work investigates whether the app launch itself had an influence on the learning strategies of the students. On the other hand, it also sheds light on whether the change in teaching had an additional impact on learning strategies, especially on the use of the app. To answer these questions, comprehensive usage data of the app and data from an accompanying survey are examined. The results indicate that both the launch of the app and the changed teaching conditions due to COVID-19 have a distinct impact on students’ learning strategies. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.