The teaching practices in History mediated by virtual platforms in the context of Social, Preventive and Compulsory Isolation during the 2020 school year. Case study

This research is mainly focused on a didactic approach, approached from the perspective of critical theory, taking into account the global context due to Covid-19. Specifically, it tries to answer the question: How does the context of social, preventive and compulsory isolation (ASPO) affect the use of virtual platforms for the development of teaching practices in the curricular space of Historia in the Ciclo Básico Común of the Escuela Normal Superior "Mariano Moreno" in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos? The main assumption that we pursue is: the dispensability of virtual platforms as mediators for the development of teaching practices in History and the non-predominance of virtuality. © 2022 Seccion Historia. Instituto Superior del Profesorado 'Eduardo Lafferriere'. All rights reserved.

Effects and impacts of digital learning and technology on dance education: A phenomenological study of teacher perspective

This study aims to understand teacher experiences during the 2020-2021 school year and the impacts of COVID-19 protocols, which forced dance educators to use virtual platforms to teach a movement-dominated art form changing the dance education landscape. The study follows six educators' experiences through phenomenological research describing key themes and differing indicators. Current research indicates there is minimal information regarding dance educator experience and how virtual education impacts dance education as a whole. The study focused on teacher perception of student achievement, teaching methods, and South Carolina dance standards teaching. Finally, a discussion of implications and future research completes the research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Building a Digital Bridge Across Cultures and Continents: Exploring New Vistas in Virtual Collaboration

Virtual mobility was a fairly unexplored possibility to connect with overseas partners prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The years 2020 and 2021 compelled the stakeholders in higher education to explore new vistas in virtual collaboration. This paper presents results of a virtual collaboration that connected Europe, Asia and Africa on cultural exchange, bringing 41 multidisciplinary students and 11 staff members together. The concept was developed as a part of the virtual Alumni Academy of University of Siegen, Germany Digitalisation 20+ on Blended Education by participants from universities in China, Egypt, North Macedonia and Sri Lanka. At the concluding stage of the first phase of the Academy, the participants were assigned to develop projects in different groups on concepts of digital teaching and learning. The students involved in the project selected different cultural themes at the launch and met virtually to prepare one presentation per group to be presented to a live audience six weeks later. Feedback from the students and the staff was gathered at different stages of the project to analyse their perspectives. The experience gathered during the project brought to light that such virtual collaboration is significant in promoting intercultural communication, understanding across borders and enhancing digital prowess. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Impact of digitised 'teaching-learning' virtual platforms on tertiary students' learning objectives and teaching outcomes

This study explores and understands the impact of remote teaching using digitised teaching-learning virtual platforms on students' learning objectives and outcomes in Ghanaian Universities. Using a self-administered questionnaire, quantitative data from four hundred and four graduate students whose courses were delivered online due to the COVID-19 pandemic were gathered. Data were analysed using a systemic analytical approach. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted first, followed by an analysis of moment structures for multiple levels of variables using structural equation modelling. It was found that students' trust in the quality of information they received online, their interactions with instructors, and their interactions with virtual platforms positively affected their trust in the usability of digitised 'teaching-learning' virtual platforms;this had a positive impact on their attainment of learning objectives. In conclusion, students' perceptions of the usability of virtual platforms as classrooms for teaching and learning are influenced by a psychological dynamic between the quality of information they receive from their instructors and the quality of their interactions with instructors and the virtual platforms. The findings offer a good pedagogic understanding of the dynamics of virtual teaching-learning design practices, which may be applied to effectively design virtual classrooms and assignments to improve student learning.

Work in Progress: Virtual training of international university quality during the pandemic in 2020 at University of Sciences and Humanities, Lima-Peru

The globalized Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Peru at the beginning of 2020, 15 days after starting the 2020-1 academic semester at the University of Sciences and Humanities. Most of the students were already enrolled, the schedules were already established, the teaching staff was already designated. However, the government took measures of social isolation total, prioritizing health over the economy. Education went virtual to 100%. Most of the students felt the economic impact on their families, however they decided to continue their university studies with hope, faith and illusion of an early normalcy. Virtual platforms won prominence at all educational levels, virtual learning teaching processes were a saving table for education. Virtual training is a necessity;however, its cost is a more visible brake than ever. The challenge is then, how to give quality virtual training to our university community, and at zero cost. Coursera International gave us that great opportunity.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on social work education and practice

The essence of global trends in shaping the world education and related activities has not been clear-cut before the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Disruptions in learning at tertiary institutions, failure of students to afford the online system of learning, lack of technological skills, disturbances in conducting internal assessments, fieldwork supervision and mentorship as well as lack of resources, to keep in pace with global developments, characterised the day in such developing countries as Zimbabwe. Social work education, research, fieldwork and practice was modified through the adoption of virtual platforms for learning, provision of counselling sessions, follow-ups and linkages. For continuity in the face of COVID-19, tertiary institutions are now using virtual platforms that include Zoom, Microsoft teams, Twitter, Facebook, Office 365, Skype for business, WhatsApp calls and group chats for educational purposes. Increased use of virtual platforms is evident among students on practicum and doing dissertations who are working from home. The author of this paper acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point in social work education and practice which everyone has to adopt without compromising the Afrocentric values, principles and guidelines salient to addressing the needs of the local people. This paper entails the historical development of social work education in Zimbabwe, use of virtual platforms in tertiary learning, fieldwork practice, tele-working and policy implications to social work practice due to COVID-19 pandemic. © National Association of Social Workers-Zimbabwe/Author(s)

Implementation of Home-Based KMC During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Through a Quality-Improvement Initiative

Aim: To implement postdischarge home-based kangaroo mother care (KMC) for low-birth-weight neonates during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic through a quality-improvement (QI) initiative Materials and Methods: Neonates with a discharge weight of < 1800 g and their mothers were enrolled. The potential barriers for home-based KMC during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were evaluated using fishbone analysis, and a variety of measures were introduced in multiple Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles. Neonatal and maternal characteristics at the baseline and the implementation phases were compared using the Fisher’s exact test and unpaired t test. Data on implementation of home-based KMC and its duration (h/d) were analyzed using line charts or run charts. Results: A total of 29 eligible mother–neonate dyads were studied;the mean ± SD of the discharge weight and postmenstrual age of neonates was 1747 ± 187 g and 34.49 ± 2.07 weeks, respectively. After the implementation of 2 PDSA cycles, the percentage of home-based KMC increased from 37.5% (baseline) to 72.7%, and the median duration of KMC increased from 3 to 7 hours per day. Conclusion: Thorough evaluation of problems and proper QI measures helped in successfully implementing home-based KMC for the benefit of low-birth-weight neonates during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. © 2021, Himalaya Wellness Company. All rights reserved.

Pediatric Critical Care in Resource Limited Settings-Lessening the Gap Through Ongoing Collaboration, Advancement in Research and Technological Innovations.

Pediatric critical care has continued to advance since our last article, "Pediatric Critical Care in Resource-Limited Settings-Overview and Lessons Learned" was written just 3 years ago. In that article, we reviewed the history, current state, and gaps in level of care between low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). In this article, we have highlighted recent advancements in pediatric critical care in LMICs in the areas of research, training and education, and technology. We acknowledge how the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increasing the speed of some developments. We discuss the advancements, some lessons learned, as well as the ongoing gaps that need to be addressed in the coming decade. Continued understanding of the importance of equitable sustainable partnerships in the bidirectional exchange of knowledge and collaboration in all advancement efforts (research, technology, etc.) remains essential to guide all of us to new frontiers in pediatric critical care.

Virtual Platforms under University Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Peru: Perception of University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic, at a global level, has brought serious consequences to people's health, but it has also meant a challenge for the development of teaching activities under the context of social isolation;it is necessary to know how this adaptation has been from the students' perception, in order to facilitate decision making and the management of improvements in the teaching process in virtual platforms. Objective: To identify the perception of university students regarding virtual platforms. Methods: In an exploratory-descriptive study, a Google Forms questionnaire was applied to 395 students of a Peruvian university on the perception of education on virtual platforms. Results: The questionnaire showed 57% positive student satisfaction with the virtual service. Conclusion: Students perceive as positive the adaptations of education in times of pandemic COVID -19. © 2020 Copyright for this paper by its authors