The COVID-19 pandemic occasioned significant changes in many aspects of human life. The education system is one of the most impacted sectors during the pandemic. With the contagious nature of the disease, governments around the world encouraged social distancing between individuals to prevent the spread of the virus. This led to the shutdown of many academic institutions, to avoid mass gatherings and overcrowded places. Developed and developing countries either postponed their academic activities or used digital technologies to reach learners remotely. The study examined the benefits of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants for the study consist of 5 lecturers and 30 students from the ML Sultan Campus of the Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Data was collected using open-ended interviews. Content analysis was applied to analyze the data collected. Data was collected until it was saturated. Different ways were implemented to make online learning and teaching successful. The findings identified that the benefits of online learning were that it promotes independent learning, flexible learning adaptability and others.
The hospital is a complex system, which evolving practices, knowledge, tools, and risks. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge about risks at Hassan II Hospital among healthcare workers (HCWs) working in three COVID-19 units. The action-research method was adopted to address occupational risks associated with the pandemic. The study involved 82 healthcare professionals in the three COVID-19 units mentioned above. All participants stated they were familiar with hospital risks. Seventy-four HCPs reported no knowledge of how to calculate risk criticality, while eight mentioned the Occurrence rating, Severity rating, and Detection rating (OSD) method, considering Occurrence rating, Severity rating, and Detection rating as key elements for risk classification. Staff indicated that managing COVID-19 patients differs from other pathologies due to the pandemic’s evolving protocols. There is a significant lack of information among healthcare professionals about risks associated with COVID-19, highlighting the need for a hospital risk management plan at a subsequent stage.
The current study aims to determine the post COVID-19 adoption rates, the variation of the adoption by regions, and the effects of communication technologies on higher education with focus on students’ engagement and faculty satisfaction. The present research uses the convergent parallel design which is a form of mixed-methods research design. First, the study searched for 18 relevant articles using key search terms including “post-COVID-19 education”, “e-learning tools”, “communication technologies” and “higher education”. The qualitative analysis, however, shows that the technological strategies have to be in line with the preparedness of the people, the need to address challenges such as the lack of face-to-face contact and how technologies such as augmented reality and simulation-based learning can be used. Quantitative analysis shows that teleconferencing tools (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and cloud computing (β = 0.38, p < 0.003) have positive impact on engagement and satisfaction. The one-way ANOVA results show that there is a difference in the adoption rates across the regions while the MCAs score for communication challenges is 60%. From the descriptive statistics it can be seen that there is a very high adoption rate of cloud computing (Mean = 89.7%, Standard Deviation = 3.1%) and teleconferencing tools (Mean = 84.9%, Standard Deviation = 4.5%). The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) shows the domino effect of teleconferencing on engagement (β = 0.60, p < 0.001), satisfaction (β = 0.75, p < 0.002) and collaboration efficiency (β = 0.55, p < 0.001). Thus, the current study establishes the fact that there is a need to provide equal opportunities and technology which is adaptable to improve the students’ engagement and satisfaction in various learning institutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted education from traditional in-person classes to remote, online-dependent learning, often resulting in reduced learning effectiveness and satisfaction due to limited face-to-face interaction. To address these challenges, interactive teaching strategies, such as the flipped classroom approach, have gained attention. The flipped classroom model emphasizes individual preparation outside class and collaborative learning during class time, relying heavily on in-person interactions. To adapt this method to remote learning, the Remote Flipped Classroom (RFC) integrates the flipped classroom approach with online learning, allowing flexibility while maintaining interactive opportunities. RFC has incorporated short films as teaching tools, leveraging their ability to contextualize knowledge and cater to the preferences of visually-driven younger learners. However, research on the effectiveness of RFC with films remains limited, particularly in fields like nursing education, where practical engagement is crucial. This article shares the practical experience of applying RFC with films in a nursing education context. Positive feedback was observed, though many students still expressed a preference for in-person classes. These insights suggest that strategies like RFC with films could be valuable in maintaining engagement and learning efficiency in remote classrooms.
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