Strategies and Challenges to Teaching Students with Special Needs during a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to immediate school closures resulting in online learning. Online learning under such circumstances has presented challenges for teachers of students with mild to extensive support needs. The current study interviewed twenty special education teachers about the strategies they used when teaching online and the challenges they faced. Teachers discussed several strategies including the use of direct instruction, providing active engagement, caregiver involvement, and their frequent use of informal assessments. Challenges included time constraints and student inattention. Findings of this study can be used to inform strategies to use when teaching students with special needs online and in future online emergency teaching environments.

The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on PhD candidates' study progress and study wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic has had its impact on research and researchers, and hence potentially on the future of academia. Yet, empirical evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on PhD candidates is limited. This study explores the influences of the pandemic on PhD candidates' progress and wellbeing. In addition, the aim is to identify potentially particularly vulnerable candidate groups. In total, 768 PhD candidates from a Finnish research-intensive multidisciplinary university participated in the mixed method study in spring 2021. The data were collected with the doctoral experience survey. In general, the PhD candidates estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic had hindered their progress and decreased their study wellbeing. The negative impact boiled down to the reduced access to data or participants, erosion of scholarly support networks, reduced access to the institutional resources, poor work-life balance and mental health problems. Results further implied that the international candidates, those studying at the university full-time, engaging in research teams, candidates from natural sciences and those at the mid-phase of their studies employed increased risk of suffering from negative COVID-19 pandemic influences. Results can be used in building well-fitted re-creative actions in supporting the PhD candidates to overcome challenges set by the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Impact of Emissions Reduction Awareness on Moral Self-Concept: Sustaining Climate-Friendly Behaviour in the Aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Communication campaigns often highlight environmental progress to encourage further pro-environmental behaviour. Consequently, the drop in carbon emissions caused by the COVID-19 restrictions has been framed as a positive environmental outcome of the pandemic. We conducted an experimental study with a US-representative sample (N = 500) to show that raising awareness of emissions reduction has the contrary effect: an increase in moral self-concept facilitated a negative spillover, namely, it reduced climate-friendly behavioural intentions. Normative influence was able to prevent this negative spillover because activating environmental norms inhibited compensatory feelings. Besides, awareness of recent emissions reduction was less likely to increase the moral self-concept of participants with a strong environmental self-identity. Our findings demonstrate that environmental progress increases moral self-concept which, in turn, could cause a negative spillover (i.e., reduce climate-friendly low-carbon behaviour and increase climate-harmful high-carbon behaviour). Normative influences and environmental self-identity can inhibit this negative spillover.

Research progress on drugs for the treatment of COVID-19

At present, coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading around the world, but no specific therapeutic drug or vaccine has been developed for the virus. By collecting the latest literature and searching related database websites, the biological characteristics and main targets of SARS-CoV-2, the clinical therapeu tic drugs and the latest drug research were reviewed to provide information for clinical treatment and provide reference for the research and development of new drugs against SARS-CoV-2.Copyright © 2020 Publication Centre of Anhui Medical University. All rights reserved.

National asthma strategy-Monitoring progress using national asthma indicators

Introduction/Aim: Progress in achieving the Goals and Objectives of the National Asthma Strategy was measured using 10 national asthma indicators. The status of asthma in Australia was shown using indicators covering prevalence, mortality, hospital and emergency department (ED) visits and treatment and management. Findings are based on historical data up to the most recent data available so that progress could be assessed. Method(s): Data for each indicator has been sourced from the National Health Survey, Medicare Benefits Schedule, Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme, National Hospital Morbidity and Mortality Databases. Relevant analysis has been conducted to show changes over time and variation in progress across priority population groups. Result(s): In 2020-2021, 2.7 million Australians were living with asthma. Hospitalisations due to asthma declined between 2016-2017 and 2020-2021 by over 40%. ED visits also declined between 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 by about 10%. However variation can be seen in the use of these services across the country. These findings are potentially attributable to an indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the health protection measures put in place. Results also include data on mortality, use of General Practitioner services and the use of medicines to treat and manage asthma, psychological distress experienced by people with asthma, and interference of asthma on daily activities. Conclusion(s): Some favourable outcomes in some indicators show progress towards achieving the Goals and Objectives of the National Asthma Strategy. However, some results were impacted indirectly for the COVID-19 pandemic and variation across Australia can be demonstrated. Improved data is needed to understand the treatment and management of asthma in primary health care.

The theory of technological response and progress in chaos

Purpose: This study aims to develop the first Theory of Technological Response and Progress in Chaos (TRPC) and examine the case of technological development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research objectives of this study were to: identify the key technologies that act as a response mechanism during the chaos event, specifically in the case of COVID-19;examine how technologies evolve, develop and diffuse in an immediate crisis and a chaotic environment;theorise various types and periods of technological response and progress during the emergence of chaos and the stages that unfold;and develop policy-oriented recommendations and establish technological foundations to address subsequent chaos events. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the grounded theory as a methodology with a mixed-method approach that included quantitative and qualitative methods. The authors used the quantitative method to assist with the qualitative step to build the TRPC theory. Accordingly, this study integrated machine learning and text mining approaches to the qualitative data analysis following the steps of the grounded theory approach. Findings: As a result of the TRPC theory development process, the authors identified three types of technologies (survival, essential and enhancement technologies) and five types of periods (stable, initial, survival-dominant, essential-dominant and enhancement-dominant periods) that are specific to chaos-technology interactions. The policy implications of this study demonstrate that a required technological base and know-how must be established before a chaotic event emerges. Research limitations/implications: Concerning the limitations of this study, social media data has advantages over other data sources, such as the examination of dynamic areas and analyses of immediate responses to chaos. However, other researchers can examine publications and patent sources to augment the findings concerning scientific approaches and new inventions in relation to COVID-19 and other chaos-specific developments. The authors developed the TRPC theory by studying the COVID-19 pandemic, however, other researchers can utilise it to study other chaos-related conditions, such as chaotic events that are caused by natural disasters. Other scholars can investigate the technological response and progress pattern in other rapidly emerging chaotic events of an uncertain and complex nature to augment these findings. Practical implications: Following the indications of the OECD (2021a) and considering the study conducted by the European Parliamentary Research Service (Kritikos, 2020), the authors identified the key technologies that are significant for chaos and COVID-19 response using machine learning and text intelligence approach. Accordingly, the authors mapped all technological developments using clustering approaches, and examined the technological progress within the immediate chaos period using social media data. Social implications: The key policy implication of this study concerns the need for policymakers to develop policies that will help to establish the required technological base and know-how before chaos emerges. As a result, a rapid response can be implemented to mitigate the chaos and transform it into a competitive advantage. The authors also revealed that this recommendation overlaps with the model of dynamic capabilities in the literature (Teece and Pisano, 2003). Furthermore, this study recommends that nations and organisations establish a technological base that specifically includes technologies that bear 3A characteristics. These are the most crucial technologies for the survival- and essential-dominant stages. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrate that chaos accelerates technological progress through the rapid adoption and diffusion of technologies into different fields. Hence, nations and organisations should regard this rapid progress as an opportunity and establish the prior knowledge base and technologies before chaos emerges. Originality/value: The authors have contributed to he chaos studies and the relationship between chaos and technological development by establishing the first theoretical foundation using the grounded theory approach, hereafter referred to as the TRPC theory. As part of the TRPC theory, the authors present three periods of technological response in the following sequence: survival technology, essential technology and enhancement technology. Moreover, this study illustrates the evolving technological importance and priorities as the periods of technological progress proceed under rapidly developing chaos. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Design of Web-Based Agile Meeting Dashboard

In recent days, the agile dashboard plays a vital role in business platforms to organize and manage tasks in an efficient way. Nowadays, communication among team members has become virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic. Considering this situation, the supervisors find it difficult to manage the team. So, a dashboard with the necessary features is needed for a quick glance at the team member's work and activity. To avoid confusion among the team members while doing a project, what is happening, what is to be done, and what is completely done must be shown in the dashboard. This sets the seal for the team to be motivated and productive in this virtual environment. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Mapping Inequities in Digital Health Technology Within the World Health Organization's European Region Using PROGRESS PLUS: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The use of digital technologies within health care rapidly increased as services transferred to web-based platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities in digital health across the domains of equity are not routinely examined; yet, the long-term integration of digitally delivered services needs to consider such inequalities to ensure equitable benefits. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to map inequities in access, use, and engagement with digital health technologies across equity domains. METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases (MEDLINE, ASSIA, PsycINFO, and Scopus) for quantitative and mixed methods reviews and meta-analyses published between January 2016 and May 2022. Reviews were limited to those that included studies from the World Health Organization's European region. Extracted data were mapped against Cochrane's PROGRESS PLUS (place of residence, race, ethnicity, culture, and language, occupation, gender and sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, social capital, and other characteristics) dimensions of equity. RESULTS: In total, 404 unique citations were identified from the searches, and 2 citations were identified from other sources. After eligibility assessment, 22 reviews were included. Consistent evidence was found showing higher access to digital health technologies among patients who were of White ethnicity, were English speaking, and had no disability. There were no reviews that explored differences in access to digital health care by age, gender and sex, occupation, education, or homeless or substance misuse. Higher use of digital health technologies was observed among populations that were White, English speaking, younger, with a higher level of education, of higher economic status, and residents in urban areas. No clear evidence of differences in the use of digital technologies by occupation, gender and sex, disability, or homeless or substance misuse was found, nor was clear evidence found in the included reviews on inequalities in the engagement with digital technologies. Finally, no reviews were identified that explored differences by place of residence. CONCLUSIONS: Despite awareness of the potential impact of inequalities in digital health, there are important evidence gaps across multiple equity domains. The development of a common framework for evaluating digital health equity in new health initiatives and consistency in reporting findings is needed.

Is there a fit between PhD candidates' and their supervisors' perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on doctoral education?

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has had its impact on research and researchers, potentially influencing the future of academia. Yet, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no empirical studies on the alignment between supervisors' and supervisees' estimates of the impact of COVID-19. This study aims to contribute to bridging this gap by exploring PhD candidates' and supervisors' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on candidates' study progress and study well-being, and whether the estimates were related to supervisors' and supervisees' well-being.Design/methodology/approachA total of 768 PhD candidates and 561 doctoral supervisors from a large multifield research-intensive university in Finland participated in this quantitative study. Data were collected with the doctoral experience survey and the supervisory experience survey.FindingsIn general, the results show that both supervisors and supervisees recognised the negative impact of the pandemic on candidates' well-being and progress, and their perceptions were quite well aligned. However, supervisors estimated that the impact had been more detrimental than the supervisees did. The results also show that the supervisors' perceptions of the negative impact of COVID-19 on candidates' progress and well-being were related to reduced levels of their own well-being.Originality/valueResults can be used in developing effective support means for both the supervisors and supervisees to overcome the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid long-term negative consequences for the candidates in degree completion, career trajectories and the future of the academy.

Learning analytics dashboards: What do students actually ask for?

Learning analytics (LA) has been opening new opportunities to support learning in higher education (HE). LA dashboards are an important tool in providing students with insights into their learning progress, and predictions, leading to reflection and adaptation of learning plans and habits. Based on a human-centered approach, we present a perspective of students, as essential stakeholders, on LA dashboards. We describe a longitudinal study, based on survey methodology. The study included two iterations of a survey, conducted with second-year ICT students in 2017 (N = 222) and 2022 (N = 196). The study provided insights into the LA dashboard features the students find the most useful to support their learning. The students highly appreciated features related to short-term planning and organization of learning, while they were cautious about comparison and competition with other students, finding such features possibly demotivating. We compared the 2017 and 2022 results to establish possible changes in the students' perspectives with the COVID-19 pandemic. The students' awareness of the benefits of LA has increased, which may be related to the strong focus on online learning during the pandemic. Finally, a factor analysis yielded a dashboard model with five underlying factors: comparison, planning, predictions, extracurricular, and teachers. © 2023 ACM.

Assessment of the joint delivery voucher programme for senior high school technical vocational livelihood in selected public schools in occidental Mindoro, Philippines

This paper assessed the Joint Delivery Voucher Program for senior high school technical vocational livelihood between 2017and 2021 in selected public high schools in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. The study employed survey research method. The sources of information were from primary and secondary data. Further, the project employed the cost sharing approach and educational institution approach. Result showed that face-to-face learning with result demonstration was the "always" preferred extension teaching methods before the COVID 19 pandemic. -learning, modules, IEC, instructional materials, mobile application and interactive computer assisted module were used during the COVID 19 pandemic implementation. The program implementation encountered "slightly serious problems." The students had acquired "adequate competency" in the program that enabled them to pass the national assessment and evaluated the JDVP implementation as "excellent.

Keep DRAGging ON: Is solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ associated with higher mathematical performance during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Prior research has shown that game-based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in-game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh-graders (12–13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between students' progress within DragonBox and their algebraic knowledge and general mathematics achievement, (b) the moderating effects of students' prior performance on these relations and (c) the potential factors associated with students' in-game progress. Among students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, higher in-game progress was related to higher algebraic knowledge after the intervention. Higher in-game progress was also associated with higher end-of-year mathematics achievement, and this association was stronger among students with lower prior mathematics achievement. Students' demographic characteristics, prior knowledge and prior achievement did not significantly predict in-game progress beyond the number of intervention sessions students completed. These findings advance research on how, for whom and in what contexts game-based interventions, such as DragonBox, support mathematical learning and have implications for practice using game-based technologies to supplement instruction. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic DragonBox 12+ may support students' understanding of algebra but the findings are mixed. Students who solve more problems within math games tend to show higher performance after gameplay. Students' engagement with mathematics is often related to their prior math performance. What this paper adds For students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ is related to higher algebraic performance after gameplay. Students who make more in-game progress also have higher mathematics achievement, especially for students with lower prior achievement. Students who spend more time playing DragonBox 12+ make more in-game progress;their demographic, prior knowledge and prior achievement are not related to in-game progress. Implications for practice and/or policy DragonBox 12+ can be beneficial as a supplement to algebra instruction for students with some understanding of algebra. DragonBox 12+ can engage students with mathematics across achievement levels. Dedicating time and encouraging students to play DragonBox 12+ may help them make more in-game progress, and in turn, support math learning. © 2023 The Authors. British Journal of Educational Technology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Educational Research Association.

Measuring the impact of the COVID-19 output on businesses with cost input-oriented data envelopement analysis model: an application in bist food and beverage index

The Covid-19 outbreak was declared as a "pandemic" by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The first case in Turkey was seen on the same date. Covid-19, which has turned into a global epidemic, has negative effects in all areas besides economic life. All sectors were more or less negatively affected by the epidemic. The purpose of this study is to easure the cost management efficiency of the food and beverage the companies traded in Borsa Istanbul (BIST) of the Covid-19 epidemic, which is still in effect. By using the data in the five-year financial statements of 23 the companies in the BIST Food and Beverage Index, the cost management efficiency of the companies was tried to be measured. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to determine the efficiency. Input-oriented BCC model is used in DEA. In addition, the EA-based Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (MTFP) Index approach was also used to see the change in the efficiency of the companies based on time. Variable returns to scale (BCC) model are used in DEA According to the results of the analysis, the Change in Technical Efficiency, which is the components of the MTFV index, is 11.8%;12.7% in Scale Efficiency Change;A 17.6% decrease was detected in Technology Change. In the period of 2017-2021, the companies have wasted 11.8% of resources. The decrease in scale efficiency means that the companies cannot use their assets efficiently. In the 2017-2021 period, the annual average productivity loss of enterprises was calculated as 27.4 The period with the highest loss of productivity (49.5%) was the 2019-2020 period, when the global impact of covid-19 was experienced. Considering the five-year averages of the improvements that must be made in the cost input and output variables in order for the relatively inefficient the companies to gain efficiency, it is seen that the most important input variables are financing (36.1%) and general administrative expenses (23.4%).

Modernization with Gamification on Industry 4.0 in Supply Chain Management 4.0

Industry 4.0 influences automation, better logistics warehouse, smart manufacturing for larger productions, and supply chain management. Gamification is no longer a new topic where its framework and methodology got used for user engagement and motivation towards attitude change from repetitive activities. This paper aims to study Gamification's implementation to improve Industry 4.0 as more intelligent supply chain management needs emerge from its different departments as the current system lacks integration. Also, the supply chain industry has several monotonous tasks, and keeping employee motivated is the challenge. Industries are lagging in utilizing the gamification benefits to set up game-based engagement. In the continuously evolving market and competition, relevance is the key, which the study proposes with Gamification. With the emerging technology needs and urges of adaptability, that may lead to progressive growth and value to compete in the unceasing demands in the market. The author analyzes the annex of Gamification in supply chain management among the different aspects of Industry 4.0 to affect employee motivation in tedious work. Motivation drives human action, and different Gamification approach in literature has demonstrated the power to change the individual attitude. And the study analyzes the Gamification framework with Industry 4.0 technologies to support supply chain management to bring modernization. The research approach of this study is to understand the existing literature and analyze the detailed area under Gamification and Supply Chain Management. © 2022 IEEE.

Using green finance to promote global growth in a sustainable way

Green finance is gaining traction as a public policy objective. This paper summarises global and Indian progress in the field of green finance. Also, it examined the development in the field of the green finance in India, roadmap of the green finance sustainability, requirement for the significance of the green finance and Initiatives taken by the Government of India. Using a variety of data sources, we analyse public awareness (Google Trends) and financial possibilities (bank loans and bond issuances) for green initiatives. While public awareness and financing options have improved in India, our findings indicate that reducing asymmetric information through improved information management systems and increased collaboration among stakeholders could pave the way for more environmentally friendly and sustainable long-term economic growth. The need for the supply of sustainable financing to grow faster, already demonstrated by the financial gap for the sustainable development goals, has been reinforced from post-COVID19 environment, with escalation of climate issue. For this, investors, investees, middlemen and policymakers must discover methods to collaborate more effectively and with a greater sense of urgency.

Adaptive Collaborative Learning Process in a Hybrid Model

Technological progress has led to the integration of technology into the practices of the learning process. The aim of this integration is to overcome the deficiencies of traditional methods to ensure greater efficiency. Despite the technology revolution, the adoption of e-learning has always been a choice in the educational process. The COVID 19 crisis has shown the need for a total transition to e-learning during the period of lockdown. According to several studies that have assessed the impact of COVID 19 on their education systems and the solutions adopted, hybrid learning represents an adequate solution to benefit from the advantages of both modes: face-to-face and distance learning. For this purpose, we propose in this paper a hybrid learning model based on an adaptive collaborative work through an intelligent assignment of the group member's roles by using Naïve Bayes algorithm and Belbin theory. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on reading performance of second grade children in Germany.

In education, among the most anticipated consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are that student performance will stagnate or decline and that existing inequities will increase. Although some studies suggest a decline in student performance and widening learning gaps, the picture is less clear than expected. In this study, we add to the existing literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement. Specifically, we provide an analysis of the short- and mid-term effects of the pandemic on second grade reading performance in Germany using longitudinal assessments from over 19,500 students with eight measurement points in each school year. Interestingly, the effects of the pandemic established over time. Students in the first pandemic cohort even outperformed students from the pre-pandemic cohorts and showed a tendency towards decreased variances during the first lockdown. The second pandemic cohort showed no systematic mean differences, but generally had larger interindividual differences as compared to the pre-pandemic cohorts. While the gender achievement gap seemed unaffected by the pandemic, the gap between students with and without a migration background widened over time-though even before the pandemic. These results underline the importance of considering effects of the pandemic across cohorts, large samples, and fine-grained assessments. We discuss our findings considering the context-specific educational challenges and in terms of practical implications for teachers' professional development.

Liber Amicorum Manfred Weiss

Liber Amicorum Manfred Weiss by Marius Olivier, Nicola Smit, and Evance Kalula (Cape Town, South Africa, Juta, 2021, 395 pp.).

Systemic Dynamics of Digital Education in Foreign Languages Programs

The global pandemic and subsequent quarantine measures and restrictions have posed an array of challenges to the structure and procedure of higher education workflow, which influenced significantly the scope of individual experiences, projected outcomes and estimated quality of higher education in countries across the world. This study focus is the in-depth assessment of the progress in individual digital and hybrid learning experiences by students of different tiers (Bachelor's level, Master's level, Graduate school level) in Oriental (Mandarin Chinese, Japanese) and European (French, Italian, Spanish, English) Languages university level programs at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University of Ukraine through the span of educational activities in the time-frame of COVID-19 quarantine measures of March 2020 to November 2021. The comparative survey benchmarking and analysis of different e-learning dimensions is used to assess the progress and challenges of individual quality and efficiency of translation of the real life Foreign Languages Acquisition practices into digital and hybrid format, involving activation of interoperable skills and cross-sectorial activities, facilitated by digital tools. Two consecutive online surveys of over 500 students of Oriental and European Languages programs provide for disclosure of progressive dynamics of student satisfaction with digitalized foreign languages education, assessment of systematized individual experiences and changes in quality estimation of e-learning and hybrid learning in the framework of COVID-19 lockdown through the years 2020-2021;assessment of changes in individual experiences and quality of e-learning and hybrid learning in the framework of COVID-19 lockdown as compared to traditional, face-to-face learning formats for foreign languages;individual quality assessment of learning process design, dynamic development of programmed learning outcomes and projected competences for university programs of Oriental and European languages in the framework of 2020-2021 quarantine measures. Copyright 2022. © by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics. All rights reserved.

Exosome-Based Carrier for RNA Delivery: Progress and Challenges.

In the last few decades, RNA-based drugs have emerged as a promising candidate to specifically target and modulate disease-relevant genes to cure genetic defects. The key to applying RNA therapy in clinical trials is developing safe and effective delivery systems. Exosomes have been exploited as a promising vehicle for drug delivery due to their nanoscale size, high stability, high biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity. We reviewed and summarized the progress in the strategy and application of exosome-mediated RNA therapy. The challenges of exosomes as a carrier for RNA drug delivery are also elucidated in this article. RNA molecules can be loaded into exosomes and then delivered to targeted cells or tissues via various biochemical or physical approaches. So far, exosome-mediated RNA therapy has shown potential in the treatment of cancer, central nervous system disorders, COVID-19, and other diseases. To further exploit the potential of exosomes for RNA delivery, more efforts should be made to overcome both technological and logistic problems.