Impact of a Virtual Wellness Program on Quality of Life Measures for Patients Living With Multiple Sclerosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were vulnerable to the effects of physical inactivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. As patients returned to in-person visits, providers reported seeing increased weakness, balance issues, falls, worsening pain, and spasticity. Social isolation also contributed to increased stress, depression, and anxiety. This study explored whether attending virtual wellness programs was associated with improvements in standard quality of life questionnaire scores for patients with MS. METHODS: The purposive convenience sample consisted of 43 patients in the treatment group and 28 in the control group. Patients in the treatment group attended 2 monthly programs for 6 months and completed a demographic questionnaire, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study Pain Effects Scale (PES). Patients requested additional topics, resulting in 5 additional programs. The control group consisted of patients who chose not to attend the programs but agreed to complete the questionnaires. RESULTS: In comparing questionnaire responses (6 months minus baseline) among the participants in the treatment group, an association was found between higher meeting attendance and improvements in emotional well-being (P = .038), pain on the PES (P = .011), mindfulness on the SF-36 pain scale (P = .0472), and exercise on the PES (P = .0115). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that a virtual wellness program may provide beneficial emotional support, physical exercise, and health promotion activities resulting in improved quality of life in people with MS. In addition, mindfulness and exercise programs may be beneficial in pain management.

Implementation of a Virtual Job Shadowing Experience for STEM Students Participating in a Corporate-STEM Connection Program

This evidence-based paper investigated the impact of a virtual job shadowing program on first-year university students' retention in STEM majors, knowledge of STEM careers, and motivation to continue in STEM majors. Research shows that most students enter STEM majors with little knowledge of what a career in their specified major does. In order to address this problem, this study provided first-year students the opportunity to job shadow a near peer mentor who was participating in a cooperative education program. As a result of the impact of Covid-19 on intervention activities, the development of a virtual job shadowing experience for first-year students was designed and implemented. This paper outlines the details of implementation of such a virtual experience, the challenges encountered, and students' overall experience with the virtual program. The virtual shadowing experiences consisted of virtual meetings between the first-year student and a near peer mentor. During the meeting, the mentor and first-year student conversed about the company where the co-op student was working, major-specific coursework, career-related information, skills required by the profession, goal-setting strategies, and how to overcome challenges. The main questions investigated include: (1) what learning experiences were provided to first-year students?;(2) to what extent were students satisfied with their virtual shadowing experience?;(3) what strengths were identified to ensure implementation fidelity? and (4) what areas for improvement were identified to ensure the quality of the virtual learning experiences? During the 2020-2021 year, 34 students participated in at least one virtual shadowing experience at one of 25 companies who participated in the program. Data collection included a survey completed by students before and after they had experienced the program, post program surveys by student mentors, and focus group interviews with first-year students. Results show overall positive experiences from the virtual program. Of those who responded to the survey regarding the virtual shadowing experience (n=28), 93% somewhat or strongly agreed that the experience met their expectations, 96% somewhat or strongly agreed that the experience allowed them to learn about industry, and 92% somewhat or strongly agreed that they would recommend the experience to others. In addition, 83% responded that they enjoyed their experience “a lot”. Results from the student survey also show 85% of students stated that the job shadowing experience makes them want to continue in their major. This paper addresses how the implementation can be improved and what services may need to be added for future virtual job shadowing experiences to improve students' learning experiences in a virtual job shadowing program. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022

Practitioners' Reflections on Developing and Implementing Virtual Educational Programming During COVID-19

Developing and implementing programming for pre-college and undergraduate racially and ethnically diverse (RED) students and faculty is an integral part of higher education, as it provides experiences and educational enrichment not often found in classrooms. For many practitioners, developing such programs includes tasks such as contacting speakers, securing classrooms, and arranging interactive activities to ensure a great student experience. Not on the task list: "hosting a virtual program in case of a global pandemic." As news circulated regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and universities around the world took drastic measures to curtail the spread of the virus. Nearly 1,100 colleges and universities in the United States closed their campuses with only days' notice to faculty, staff, and students. COVID-19 caused the cancellation of in-person events and programs, while others quickly transitioned online. The transition online was not only a challenge to the program participants, but also to the practitioners implementing virtual educational programs. Many variables had to be considered to deliver impactful virtual instruction, such as applicable technology, accessibility, and the use of live or pre-recorded content. Moreover, creating equitable and impactful virtual programming that served racial, ethnic, and linguistically diverse individuals required the use of unique programming methods and techniques. © 2022 American Society for Engineering Education.

A Smart and Secure IoMT Tele-Neurorehabilitation Framework for Post-Stroke Patients

COVID-19 pandemic adversely challenged the healthcare system in an unprecedented way. Access to neurorehabilitation programme for patients with stroke and other neurological disability was severely restricted including shutting down of most community-based and outpatient facilities. There is hardly any organised virtual programme of exploring any potential of stretching and exercising of muscles needed in a rehabilitation programme. There is an impetus to innovate service developments, while the risks and fear of contracting the coronavirus remain prevalent. We propose a framework for developing a novel tele-neurorehabilitation system that will guide the patients to perform therapeutic exercises, as proposed by the clinicians, remotely. The system will allow patients to directly interact with doctors through a secure audio–video online portal. Wearable motion tracking sensors will be integrated within a hardware-based home setting for gathering performance data live from patients while they are performing exercises. The paper describes the design components of the framework justifying the tools, hardware, and protocols required to implement a secure online portal for tele-neurorehabilitation. Specifications of the core architectural layers have been reported. Some preliminary work demonstrates how the framework specifies capturing and analysing of physiological data using wearable sensors, as well as displaying of gait parameters on a software dashboard. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Transitioning to a Virtual Engineering Summer Bridge Program: Planning and Implementation (Experience)

This paper discusses the transition of an established residential Summer Bridge Program to a virtual learning experience due to the COVID-19 restrictions of summer 2020. The program aims to increase retention of first-year engineering students through a curriculum focused on academic readiness in math and chemistry, professional development, familiarity with campus and available resources, and a broad-based knowledge of engineering fields and the engineering design process. Outside of the curriculum, participants build community and a sense of belonging with social, professional development, and philanthropic programming. With the constraints of remote instruction, math readiness and community building were prioritized as crucial outcomes for participants in the virtual experience. Due to concerns about student retention and program completion, special consideration was given to designing the curriculum and schedule of this virtual program, and to fostering student and family engagement leading up to the program. Various models for math instruction, interpersonal engagement, and academic support were considered during planning. In the implemented program, participants were enrolled in one of three math courses based on preassessment exam results. To increase peer-to-peer engagement, each student participated in a team-based design project and group mentoring. Current engineering students were hired as coaches to facilitate mentoring group discussions and help provide oversight during project work. Additional student staff served as dedicated tutors assigned to one of the math courses. Tutors were made available both inside and outside of class to provide tutoring and mentorship. The program was administrated via synchronous Zoom conferencing with supplemental content provided through the University's course management system (CMS). Physical program materials were distributed by mail before and throughout the duration of the program. Post-program survey data and anecdotal feedback indicate that participants' confidence in their preparedness to pursue an engineering degree increased following completion of the program. While the available data also suggest participants were able to make social connections with select peers and staff, considerable work can be done to diversify and increase social connections during future virtual programs. Additional redesign of program content will also focus on increasing activity-based learning. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021

Museum-Based Online Learning One Year After Covid-19 Museum Closures

In 2020, 90% of museums around the world closed due to COVID-19. During this time, many museums transitioned their programs online. This descriptive study examines how museums engaged in online learning one year after COVID-19 closures. The authors present the results of a survey completed by 90 museum professionals engaged in online learning and compare the results of this study to those of a study conducted immediately before and after COVID-19 museum closures. We also share insights and recommendations from the participants, as well as additional considerations for the future of museum-based online learning. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Museum Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)