Challenges and strategies for the internationalization of higher education in low-income East African countries [Scholarly Article - Higher Education, January 2023]

Title:

Challenges and strategies for the internationalization of higher education in low-income East African countries

 

Authors:

Mohammad Moshtari & Alireza Safarpour 

 

Published:

Higher Education, 23 January 2023

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-023-00994-1

Abstract:

As it becomes more crucial to push the boundaries of science to develop new technologies and important global initiatives, internationalization can be instrumental in helping underdeveloped countries overcome challenges such as poverty, climate change, and educational inequalities. Higher education institutions have always faced challenges in the process of internationalization, which have occupied scholarly attention in recent decades, but little research has been conducted on the internationalization of higher education in less developed African countries. This qualitative study aims to shed light on the challenges of internationalization of higher education in low-income countries in East Africa. After reviewing the literature and interviewing academics, the obtained data were thematically analyzed. The results suggested 12 main challenges, which were classified into four major categories. The challenges include a lack of clear policies and guidelines; the inefficiency of the organizational structure of internationalization; financial, infrastructure, and equipment problems; weaknesses in scientific, skill, and language competences; cultural differences; non-reciprocal relationships; and a brain drain. Finally, strategies for responding to these challenges with regard to the internal and external environments of higher education institutions were proposed. Among the internal strategies of higher education institutions are the development of clear policies and visions, planning for the development of human resources, and sustainable budgeting for internationalization programs. External strategies emphasize the development of national policies and laws based on contextual and environmental conditions, as well as interaction and participation in international meetings to expand communication and use the scientific and economic capacities of international agencies and institutions.

 

Challenges and strategies for the internationalization of higher education in low-income East African countries [Scholarly Article - Higher education, January 2023]

Title:

Challenges and strategies for the internationalization of higher education in low-income East African countries

 

Authors:

Mohammad Moshtari

Faculty of Management and Business, Industrial Engineering and Management, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

& 

Alireza Safarpour

Sharif Policy Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

 

Published:

Higher Education, 23 January 2023 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-023-00994-1

 

Abstract:

As it becomes more crucial to push the boundaries of science to develop new technologies and important global initiatives, internationalization can be instrumental in helping underdeveloped countries overcome challenges such as poverty, climate change, and educational inequalities. Higher education institutions have always faced challenges in the process of internationalization, which have occupied scholarly attention in recent decades, but little research has been conducted on the internationalization of higher education in less developed African countries. This qualitative study aims to shed light on the challenges of internationalization of higher education in low-income countries in East Africa. After reviewing the literature and interviewing academics, the obtained data were thematically analyzed. The results suggested 12 main challenges, which were classified into four major categories. The challenges include a lack of clear policies and guidelines; the inefficiency of the organizational structure of internationalization; financial, infrastructure, and equipment problems; weaknesses in scientific, skill, and language competences; cultural differences; non-reciprocal relationships; and a brain drain. Finally, strategies for responding to these challenges with regard to the internal and external environments of higher education institutions were proposed. Among the internal strategies of higher education institutions are the development of clear policies and visions, planning for the development of human resources, and sustainable budgeting for internationalization programs. External strategies emphasize the development of national policies and laws based on contextual and environmental conditions, as well as interaction and participation in international meetings to expand communication and use the scientific and economic capacities of international agencies and institutions.

 

New Data Shows How the Pandemic Widened the Racial Gap in Educational Progress [The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, September 2022]

Title:

New Data Shows How the Pandemic Widened the Racial Gap in Educational Progress

 

Published:

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 12 September 2022

https://www.jbhe.com/2022/09/new-data-shows-how-the-pandemic-widened-the-racial-gap-in-educational-progress/

From the article:

Everyone feared that exclusively online education for students during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic would have a severe negative impact on educational progress. Now we have proof that in fact, that is the case.

 

Educational policies in response to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus in Latin America: An integrative documentary review [Scholarly Article - Frontiers in Education, August 2022]

Title:

Educational policies in response to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus in Latin America: An integrative documentary review

 

Authors:

Josefina Amanda Suyo-Vega1*, Monica Elisa Meneses-La-Riva2, Víctor Hugo Fernández-Bedoya3*, Maricela Alarcón-Martínez1, Hitler Giovanni Ocupa-Cabrera1, Sofía Almendra Alvarado-Suyo4, Ana da Costa Polonia5 & Angélica Inês Miotto5 

 

1 School of Education, Universidad César Vallejo, Lima, Peru 

2 School of Nursing, Universidad César Vallejo, Lima, Peru 

3 School of Management, Universidad César Vallejo, Lima, Peru 

4 School of Audiovisual Communication and Interactive Media, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru 

5 School of Education, Centro Universitário Euro-Americano, São Paulo, Brazil

 

Published:

Frontiers in Education, 1 August 2022

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.918220/full

 

Abstract:

Educational policies in the face of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus took an unexpected turn in Latin America. Virtuality constituted a key opportunity for the continuity of basic fundamental services in the citizen’s right to education. The objective of this research was to analyze the educational public policies adopted by governments in Latin America in the face of the pandemic. The methodology was an integrative documentary review of the main international organizations whose documents provided relevant information on the actions to be implemented in fourteen Latin American countries. The results obtained show that the priority was to reestablish the continuity of educational services using mass communication resources, such as radio, television, digital platforms, making visible the inequity in the access to the Internet at home. It was also identified a deficiency in the competencies and digital resources of the educational community, dis-crimination and inclusion of people with some type of disability or different languages, especially in urban or rural areas because they do not have technological means. It was concluded that the educational policies in Latin America proposed during the COVID-19 period were designed with-out a real situational diagnosis in each country, to meet the demands of urban and rural areas in an equitable manner with the will of governments, providing budgets and resources that benefit the educational community, as an achievement of state policies. 

 

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore - Frequent use of videoconferencing tools during COVID-19 increased fatigue: Study

Title:

Frequent use of videoconferencing tools during COVID-19 increased fatigue: Study

 

Published:

Nanyang Technological University, 15 July 2022

https://www.ntu.edu.sg/news/detail/increased-use-of-videoconferencing-platforms-during-covid-19-contributed-to-more-fatigue-study

 

From the news article:

Researchers at NTU Singapore have found that the increased use of videoconferencing platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a higher level of fatigue, as reported by workers.

 

Estimates of excess mortality for the five Nordic countries during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020-2021 [Preprint - medRxiv, May 2022]

Title:

Estimates of excess mortality for the five Nordic countries during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020-2021

 

Authors:

Kasper P. Kepp, Jonas Björk, Kristoffer T. Bæk & Tea Lallukka

 

Published:

medRxiv, 7 May 2022

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.07.22274789v1

 

Abstract:

Excess deaths during the covid-19 pandemic are of major scientific and political interest. Here we review excess all-cause death estimates from different methods for the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), which have been much studied during the covid-19 pandemic. In the comparison of the methods, we use simple sensitivity estimates and linear interpolations of the death data to discuss uncertainties and implications for reporting ratios and infection fatality rates. We show using back-calculation of expected deaths from Nordic all-cause deaths that a recent study in Lancet, which is a clear outlier in the overviewed estimates, most likely substantially overestimates excess deaths of Finland and Denmark, and probably Sweden. The other estimates are more consistent and suggest a range of total Nordic excess deaths of approximately half of that in the Lancet study, a more uniform ability to identify covid-19-related deaths, and more similar infection fatality rates for the Nordic countries.

Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India [IMF Working Paper, April 2022]

Title:

Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India

 

Authors:

Surjit S Bhalla, Karan Bhasin & Arvind Virmani

Published:

IMF Working Paper, April 2022

Click here to read (pdf format)

Abstract:

The paper presents estimates of poverty [extreme poverty PPP$1.9 and PPP$3.2] and consumption inequality in India for each of the years 2004-5 through the pandemic year 2020-21. These estimates include, for the first time, the effect of in-kind food subsides on poverty and inequality. Extreme poverty was as low as 0.8 percent in the pre-pandemic year 2019, and food transfers were instrumental in ensuring that it remained at that low level in pandemic year 2020. Post-food subsidy inequality at .294 is now very close to its lowest level 0.284 observed in 1993/94.

 

Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics [Preprint - medRxiv, March 2022]

Title:

Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics

 

Author:

Igor Nesteruk

 

Published:

medRxiv, 30 March 2022

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.26.22272979v1

 

Note: 

This article is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed.

 

Abstract:

Full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, which began on February 24, 2022, caused an unprecedented number of refugees, which in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could increase the number of patients. The recent pandemic dynamics in Ukraine, Poland, Germany and in the whole world was compared with the previous epidemic waves simulated with the use of the generalized SIR-model and corresponding parameter identification procedure. Since before the war the estimation of the number of infectious persons per capita in Ukraine 3.6 times exceeded the global figure, the increase of the number the new cases and the pandemic duration is expected. From the beginning of March 2022 the increase of the averaged number of new cases in Germany and worldwide is visible. 

 

World Bank Group / UNICEF (March 2022) - The Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of households with children: An overview based on High Frequency Phone Surveys

Title:

The Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of households with children An overview based on High Frequency Phone Surveys

 

Published:

World Bank Group / UNICEF, March 2022

https://www.unicef.org/reports/impact-covid-19-welfare-households-children

 

Highlights from the survey:

“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been widespread and disproportionately affected vulnerable segments of the population, including children and their families. The modest progress made in reducing child poverty has been reversed in all parts of the world by COVID-19. Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of households with children – a joint World Bank and UNICEF publication - presents findings from data from high frequency phone surveys collected in 35 countries. The analysis identifies the impact of the crisis on households without and with (few or many) children, both focusing on the initial impact in 2020 but also the subsequent evolution of this impact. The analysis focus on key areas such as income and job loss, food insecurity, social protection programs and access to education, shedding light on the importance of placing children in poverty and their families highly on the agenda in the COVID-19 response and recovery.”

 

Traditional Korean Medicine Home Care for the Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea [Scholarly Article - Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2022]

Title:

Traditional Korean Medicine Home Care for the Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea

 

Authors: 

Soo-Hyun Sung1, You-Sang Baik1,2, Ji-Eun Han1, Eun-Jin Lee1, Jihye Kim3, Minjung Park4, Ji-Yeon Lee4, Jang-Kyung Park5, Jung-Youn Park6 & Eunkyung Lee7 

 

1 Department of Policy Development, National Development Institute of Korean Medicine, Seoul 04554, Korea 

2 Department of Korean Medicine Classics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Korea 

3 Research Institute of Korean Medicine Policy, The Association of Korean Medicine, Seoul 07525, Korea 

4 National Agency for Development of Innovative Technologies in Korean Medicine, Seoul 07525, Korea 

5 Department of Korean Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea 

6 Department of Health and Welfare, Yuhan University, Bucheon 14780, Korea 

7 Department of Preventive Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Korea

 

Published:

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19(1), 2022

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/493

 

Abstract:

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the status of community care services regarding traditional Korean medicine (TKM) for older adults and raise awareness on current opinions and services of TKM institutions. Methods: The National Development Institute of Korean Medicine conducted a survey of 16 local governments by sending official letters through an electronic document system from October 2020 to November 2020. The survey items included basic demographic information and information about TKM service. Results: Eleven (68.8%) of the 16 local governments provided TKM home care services. A total of 136 TKM clinics provided home care services for 598 older adults with musculoskeletal disorders. The number of TKM services provided in five or more local governments were cupping 11 (100.0%), acupuncture 11 (100.0%), education and consulting 10 (90.9%), and moxibustion 9 (81.8%). Moreover, pain (recorded on visual analogue scale) and quality of life significantly improved following TKM services (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Covered under medical policy, TKM homecare services could function as a viable alternative for continued medical care disrupted during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic. In addition, standardisation and legalisation of these services could ensure and improve their efficiency.

 

The Post-Pandemic Effects of Distance Education on Business Students: A Review of Expert Reports [Scholarly Article - World Journal of Education, 2022]

Title:

The Post-Pandemic Effects of Distance Education on Business Students: A Review of Expert Reports 

 

Authors:

Hooman Estelami & Alexa Bezzone

 

Published:

World Journal of Education, Volume 12, Number 1 (2022)

https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/wje/article/view/21522

 

Abstract:

The period following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic presented monumental challenges to education systems around the world. In the United States, the unique effects experienced by business students due to the rapid adoption of distance teaching methods resulted in significant changes in the students' learning environments. Using expert reports published in the media, this article systematically reviews the pattern of student experience cited by experts, and identifies six disruptive effects. Furthermore, the disruptive nature of the changes is contrasted with earlier historical contexts in which distance business education had been deployed to overcome societal challenges. The article concludes with a discussion of expected changes resulting from the massive deployment of distance education methods among business schools in the post-pandemic era.

Meaningfulness and Spirituality in Drumming During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Scholarly Article - International Journal of Education & the Arts, February 2022]

Title:

Meaningfulness and Spirituality in Drumming During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Author:

Gareth Dylan Smith

Boston University, United States of America

 

Published:

International Journal of Education & the Arts, Volume 23, Number 3, 8 February 2022

http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea23n3

 

Abstract:

This paper presents an autoethnographic account of how a drummer found meaningfulness through engagement in asynchronous, collaborative music making with friends in a period of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The author learned how to record drum kit in his garage using a rudimentary studio setup, and how to edit the recordings in a basic digital audio workstation. Using Boyce-Tillman’s (2011) framework of Spirituality, the author details how, through activity in the domains of Materials, Construction, Values, and Expression, he was able to achieve liminal, Spiritual experience that provided focus, meaning, and purpose in a challenging and unsettling time. The author argues that students could benefit if arts educators recognize and value music making and learning as more holistic, Spiritual experiences. 

 

Effects of medical school on mental health and sleep habits [Preprint - medRxiv, January 2022]

Title:

Effects of medical school on mental health and sleep habits

Authors:

Blake McKinley, Bryan Daines, Mitchell Allen, Kayd Pulsipher,  View ORCID ProfileIsain Zapata & Benjamin Wilde 

[All the authors are from the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ivins, Utah, USA]

 

Published:

medRxiv, 14 January 2022

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.13.22269102v1

 

Note:

This article is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed.

 

Abstracts:

BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVES 

This study aims to define changes in anxiety and depression among medical students while evaluating the association of sleep habits and other risk factors, including exercise habits and a diagnosis of chronic disease. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was also evaluated.  

 

DESIGN 

A cohort of first- and second-year medical students was evaluated longitudinally using survey methods to quantify changes from pre-medical school and summer break to each semester in medical school throughout years one and two.  

 

METHODS 

Data was analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) on the numeric responses of General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Additional assessments evaluated exercise habits, chronic disease, and impact of COVID-19 Pandemic.  

 

RESULTS 

Depression, anxiety, and sleep habits displayed a cyclical change that was associated with the academic cycle. The COVID-19 pandemic was never significant. Medical students who had a chronic disease diagnosis had increased severity. Exercise did not play a role.  

 

CONCLUSION 

The main driver for depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality was the academic cycle, while the COVID-19 pandemic did not have an impact on mental health.

 

Primary and Secondary Education During Covid-19: Disruptions to Educational Opportunity During a Pandemic (Editor: Fernando M Reimers, Springer 2022)

Title:

Primary and Secondary Education During Covid-19: Disruptions to Educational Opportunity During a Pandemic

 

Editor:

Fernando M. Reimers,

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard university Cambridge, MA, USA

 

Published:

Springer, 2022 (Open Access)

https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/50965/978-3-030-81500-4.pdf?sequence=1#page=109

 

ISBN 978-3-030-81499-1; ISBN 978-3-030-81500-4 (eBook)

Abstract:

This introductory chapter sets the stage for the book, explaining the goals, methods, and significance of the comparative study. The chapter situates the theoretical significance of the study with respect to research on education and inequality, and argues that the rare, rapid, and massive change in the social context of schools caused by the pandemic provides a singular opportunity to study the relative autonomy of educational institutions from larger social structures implicated in the reproduction of inequality. The chapter provides a conceptual educational model to examine the impact of COVID-19 on educational opportunity. The chapter describes the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it resulted into school closures and in the rapid deployment of strategies of remote education. It examines available evidence on the duration of school closures, the implementation of remote education strategies, and known results in student access, engagement, learning, and well-being.

 

Climate Surveys of Biomedical PhD Students and Training Faculty Members in the Time of Covid [Preprint - bioRxiv, January 2022]

Title:

Climate Surveys of Biomedical PhD Students and Training Faculty Members in the Time of Covid  

 

Authors:

Deepti Ramadoss, Meghan McCord & John P. Horn 

Published:

bioRxiv, 7 January 2022

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.06.475246v1

 

Note:

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review.

 

Abstract:

In July 2020, four months into the disruption of normal life caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we assessed the institutional climate within the School of Medicine. Voluntary surveys were completed by 135 graduate students in 11 PhD-granting programs and by 83 members of the graduate training faculty. Several themes emerged. PhD students work hard, but the number of hours spent on research-related activities has declined during the pandemic. The students are worried about the pandemic’s impact on their research productivity, consequent delays in their graduation, and diminished future job prospects. Many late stage PhD students feel they do not have adequate time or resources to plan for their future careers. Symptoms of anxiety and/or depression are prevalent in 51% of the students, based on answers to standardized questions. Most students report they have strong mentoring relationships with their faculty advisors and like their programs, but they identify to a lesser extent with the medical school as a whole. Faculty think highly of their graduate students and are also worried about the pandemic’s impact upon productivity and the welfare of students. Students are interested in access to an Ombuds office, which is currently being organized by the medical school. Moving forward, the school needs to address issues of bias, faculty diversity, support for mentor training, professional development, and the imposter syndrome. We must also work to create a climate in which many more graduate students feel that they are valued members of the academic medicine community.

Students’ perception and preference for online education in India during COVID -19 pandemic [Scholarly Article - Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2021]

Title:

Students’ perception and preference for online education in India during COVID -19 pandemic Author links open overlay 

 

Authors:

T.Muthuprasad, S.Aiswarya, K.S.Aditya & Girish K.Jha

Published:

Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 4 January 2021

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291120300905

Abstract:

Educational institutes across the world have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardizing the academic calendars. Most educational institutes have shifted to online learning platforms to keep the academic activities going. However, the questions about the preparedness, designing and effectiveness of e-learning is still not clearly understood, particularly for a developing country like India, where the technical constraints like suitability of devices and bandwidth availability poses a serious challenge. In this study, we focus on understanding Agricultural Student’s perception and preference towards the online learning through an online survey of 307 students. We also explored the student’s preferences for various attributes of online classes, which will be helpful to design effective online learning environment. The results indicated that majority of the respondents (70%) are ready to opt for online classes to manage the curriculum during this pandemic. Majority of the students preferred to use smart phone for online learning. Using content analysis, we found that students prefer recorded classes with quiz at the end of each class to improve the effectiveness of learning. The students opined that flexibility and convenience of online classes makes it attractive option, whereas broadband connectivity issues in rural areas makes it a challenge for students to make use of online learning initiatives. However, in agricultural education system where many courses are practical oriented, shifting completely to online mode may not be possible and need to device a hybrid mode, the insights from this article can be helpful in designing the curriculum for the new normal.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Higher Education in India [Scholarly Article - Int. J. Adv. Multidiscip. Res., 2021]

Title:

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Higher Education in India

 

Authors:

Dr. Mohd. Faisal Khan 

Assistant Professor, Department of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management SMBS, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi-110062 

Dr. Fakhra Naeem 

Assistant Professor, Department of Management, SMBS, Jamia Hamdard New Delhi-110062

 

Published:

International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research, Volume 8, Issue 4, 2021

https://ijarm.com/pdfcopy/2021/apr2021/ijarm1.pdf

 

Abstract:

The Covid-19 outbreak has caused disruptions of the entire world economy and caused a huge impact on all sectors including the education sector. The national lockdown and the health crisis ceased educational activities. World-wide all the campuses were closed and teaching had transformed from offline to online. In India, all educational activities being interrupted due to a national lockdown. Policy makers were facing many problems in formulating a new policy related to the education system. Despite all such challenges, the higher education Institutions have managed to ensure the continuity of education and made every possible endeavour to maintain the continuity of education amongst the students. This paper focuses on the major impacts of the pandemic on higher educational institutions and highlighted the numerous measures adopted to ensure consistency in education. Due to Covid-19, many innovative approaches, naive trends and novel interactive software’s have emerged to maintain the education system. In India, 37.4 million students stopped to attend schools, colleges and universities. The educational reforms in India in the COVID-19 period seems to develop a novice approach which opens up various avenues. Higher educational institutes have adopted innovative ways of teaching and learning and research. In this manuscript, some viable suggestions are also proposed to carry out learning and development activities during the pandemic.

Exploring Students' Acceptance of Google Classroom during the Covid-19 Pandemic by Using the Technology Acceptance Model in West Sumatera Universities [Scholarly Article - EJEL, 2021]

Title:

Exploring Students' Acceptance of Google Classroom during the Covid-19 Pandemic by Using the Technology Acceptance Model in West Sumatera Universities

 

Authors:

Ahmad Fauzi, Raju Wandira, Domi Sepri & Afdhil Hafid

 

Published:

Electronic Journal of e-Learning (EJEL), Volume 19, Number 4, 11 August 2021

https://academic-publishing.org/index.php/ejel/article/view/2348

 

Abstract:

The learning process in West Sumatera, Indonesia, changed into an online-based system due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which involved educators and students using many platforms of e-learning for teaching and learning. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to evaluate the use of e-learning platforms among students at universities in West Sumatera, Indonesia, during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly widely used Google Classroom. This research employs the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by considering relevant external factors related to the pandemic situation and examining their effects on the acceptance of Google Classroom. A questionnaire was distributed from December 11th to December 31st, 2020, to collect data via an online-based survey. Using Cochran's formula with a confidence level of 95%, 383 students were selected as samples, while Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied as a method for data analysis. The result showed that the facility had made the learning process easy for students, which influenced its usefulness. The facility is related to the possession of the required tools and knowledge to utilize the technology, alongside the significant effect on ease of use and usefulness. When adequately provided, the ease and benefit of using Google Classroom are maximally felt when distance learning is ongoing. Consequently, the ease of use positively influenced the benefits of the platform as its features were simple and benefited the students during the learning process. The usefulness of Google Classroom also had a positive influence on attitude towards the platform, and this variable finally determined the intention to use, which was significantly influenced by the perceived usefulness of e-learning. Therefore, this study shows that factors that determine facility, such as the internet, devices used by students, or knowledge to use Google Classroom, are important in online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health in Germany: longitudinal observation of different mental health trajectories and protective factors [Scholarly Article - Translational Psychiatry, 2021]

 

Title:

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health in Germany: longitudinal observation of different mental health trajectories and protective factors 

 

Authors:

K. F. Ahrens, R. J. Neumann, B. Kollmann, J. Brokelmann, N. M. von Werthern, A. Malyshau, D. Weichert, B. Lutz, C. J. Fiebach, M. Wessa, R. Kalisch, M. M. Plichta, K. Lieb, O. Tüscher & A. Reif 

 

Published:

Translational Psychiatry, 17 July 2021

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01508-2

 

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting measures can be regarded as a global stressor. Cross-sectional studies showed rather negative impacts on people’s mental health, while longitudinal studies considering pre-lockdown data are still scarce. The present study investigated the impact of COVID-19 related lockdown measures in a longitudinal German sample, assessed since 2017. During lockdown, 523 participants completed additional weekly online questionnaires on e.g., mental health, COVID-19-related and general stressor exposure. Predictors for and distinct trajectories of mental health outcomes were determined, using multilevel models and latent growth mixture models, respectively. Positive pandemic appraisal, social support, and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation were positively, whereas perceived stress, daily hassles, and feeling lonely negatively related to mental health outcomes in the entire sample. Three subgroups (“recovered,” 9.0%; “resilient,” 82.6%; “delayed dysfunction,” 8.4%) with different mental health responses to initial lockdown measures were identified. Subgroups differed in perceived stress and COVID-19-specific positive appraisal. Although most participants remained mentally healthy, as observed in the resilient group, we also observed inter-individual differences. Participants’ psychological state deteriorated over time in the delayed dysfunction group, putting them at risk for mental disorder development. Consequently, health services should especially identify and allocate resources to vulnerable individuals.

 

Changes in Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Scholarly Article - JAMA, August 2021]

Title:

Changes in Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

 

Authors:

Susan J. Woolford, MD, MPH

Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, University of Michigan, Northville

 

Margo Sidell, ScD

Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena 

 

Xia Li, MSc

Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena 

 

Veronica Else, RN, MSN

Kaiser Permanente Yorba Linda Medical Offices, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Yorba Linda

 

Deborah R. Young, PhD

Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena 

 

Ken Resnicow, PhD

Department of Health Behavior, Health Education of the School of Public Health of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

 

Corinna Koebnick, PhD

Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena 

 

Published:

JAMA. Published online 27 August 2021

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2783690

 

From the article:

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with weight gain among adults,1 but little is known about the weight of US children and adolescents. To evaluate pandemic-related changes in weight in school-aged youths, we compared the body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of youths aged 5 to 17 years during the pandemic in 2020 to the same period before the pandemic in 2019.