scholarly journals “Stay home, be safe, and be kind”: University of Auckland’s Italian course goes online in a week

Author(s):  
Barbara Martelli

On March 23rd, at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), all lectures were suspended for a week. During this time, both students and staff made a considerable effort to prepare the online delivery of courses. In this chapter we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Italian beginners courses offered in Semester 1. With no certainty of when the campus would reopen, and with the well-being of students always considered as a priority, the courses were quickly adapted for distance learning. This change involved multiple aspects and the experience gained, denoted by urgency and flexibility, proving to be a precious resource to face the second semester and, above all, a less predictable and more frightening future; in which not only safety and adaptability, but kindness and mutual respect, should also be the keywords. Designing blended, easily migratable online courses that make use of both technology and up-to-date approaches to language teaching has emerged as a viable strategy for an uncertain future.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Długosz ◽  
Yana

The article presents the results of research on psychosocial condition among Polish and Ukrainian students during the quarantine. The aim of the research was to verify the impact of the pandemic and its accompanying phenomena on the well-being of youth. In order to achieve this goal, the CAWI on-line survey method with double measurement was used. The first measurement carried out at the beginning of the quarantine resulted in 3659 filled out surveys in Poland and 739 in Ukraine. The second measurement conducted at the end of distance learning brought 1978 filled out surveys in Poland and 411 in Ukraine. The results of research indicate that the quarantine had a negative impact on the psychosocial condition of youth. The deterioration of emotional condition and the increase in mental disorders has been observed. Due to the pandemic and distance learning, the mental health of youth deteriorated significantly. Polish youth were negatively influenced by the pandemic to a greater extent than young Ukrainians.


2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Campbell ◽  
Lukas Marek ◽  
Jesse Wiki ◽  
Matthew Hobbs ◽  
Clive E Sabel ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has asked unprecedented questions of governments around the world. Policy responses have disrupted usual patterns of movement in society, locally and globally, with resultant impacts on national economies and human well-being. These interventions have primarily centred on enforcing lockdowns and introducing social distancing recommendations, leading to questions of trust and competency around the role of institutions and the administrative apparatus of state. This study demonstrates the unequal societal impacts in population movement during a national ‘lockdown’.MethodsWe use nationwide mobile phone movement data to quantify the effect of an enforced lockdown on population mobility by neighbourhood deprivation using an ecological study design. We then derive a mobility index using anonymised aggregated population counts for each neighbourhood (2253 Census Statistical Areas; mean population n=2086) of national hourly mobile phone location data (7.45 million records, 1 March 2020–20 July 2020) for New Zealand (NZ).ResultsCurtailing movement has highlighted and exacerbated underlying social and spatial inequalities. Our analysis reveals the unequal movements during ‘lockdown’ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status in NZ.ConclusionIn understanding inequalities in neighbourhood movements, we are contributing critical new evidence to the policy debate about the impact(s) and efficacy of national, regional or local lockdowns which have sparked such controversy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Mayara Matos Fialho ◽  
Franca Spatafora ◽  
Lisa Kühne ◽  
Heide Busse ◽  
Stefanie M. Helmer ◽  
...  

Background: Results of previous studies examining the impact of the SARS-CoV-1 epidemic in 2003 on university students' mental well-being indicated severe mental health consequences. It is unclear how the current COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in study conditions due to federal regulations affected mental well-being in the German student population. We examined university students' perceptions of study conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated associations between study conditions and depressive symptoms.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Germany in May 2020 at four universities (N = 5,021, 69% female, mean age: 24 years, SD: 5.1). Perceived study conditions, as well as sociodemographic information, were assessed with self-generated items and the CES-D 8 scale was used to determine depressive symptoms. Associations between perceived study conditions (academic stress and academic satisfaction), in general, and confidence to complete the semester, in particular, and depressive symptoms were analyzed using generalized linear regressions.Results: Fifty-four percent of survey participants felt that the university workload had significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic; 48% were worried that they would not be able to successfully complete the academic year; 47% agreed that the change in teaching methods caused significant stress. Regarding depressive symptoms, the mean score of the CES-D 8 scale was 9.25. Further, a positive association between perceived study conditions and depressive symptoms was found (p < 0.001), indicating that better study conditions were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Results of the generalized linear regression suggest that better student mental well-being was related to higher confidence in completing the semester.Conclusions: This study provides first insights into perceived study conditions and associations with depressive symptoms among students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Findings underline the need for universities to provide intervention strategies targeting students' mental well-being during the course of the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Jim Wallace ◽  
Harpreet Dhariwal

MIE 515, Alternative Energy Systems, an engineering technical elective course open to senior undergraduates and graduate students, was delivered as an on line course for Fall 2011. This is the first time an undergraduate engineering course at the University of Toronto has been offered online. The course is also one of five pilot online courses across the University. The move online is being accomplished in two steps. For Fall 2011, a small lecture section of 25 students was used as a setting for video capture and the remaining 110 students accessed the course lectures online asynchronously. A live tutorial was offered once a week. All students were physically present for the midterm examination and the final examination. For Fall 2012, the course will be delivered entirely online, with the exception of student physical presence for the two examinations. Pedagogical and technical lessons learned during this transition year will be presented. The benefits and drawbacks of online delivery will be discussed from the perspective gained this year and compared with our expectations. Student feedback will also be presented and discussed.


Author(s):  
Alan Davis

In its 30 years of operation, Athabasca University has witnessed the full impact of the growth of online distance education. Its conversion from mixed media course production and telephone/mail tutoring to a variety of electronic information and communication technologies has been heterogeneous across disciplines and programs. Undergraduate programs in business, computing, and some social science programs have largely led the conversion, and all graduate programs have, since their inception, employed various features of online delivery. The parallel conversion of student services has been equally important to the effectiveness of these processes. The implications of this approach for the quality of offerings, support systems, costing, and the primary mandate of the University (which is to remove barriers, not create them) are discussed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 210-213 ◽  

Timothy W. Guinnane of Yale University reviews “Contours of the World Economy, 1-2030 AD: Essays in Macro-Economic History” by Angus Maddison,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Revised and extended edition examines methods of measuring happiness, focusing on subjective measures as a proxy for welfare and well-being. Discusses the analysis of income satisfaction with an application to family equivalence scales; domain satisfactions; the aggregation of satisfactions--general satisfaction as an aggregate; political satisfaction; males, females, and households; the impact of past and future on present satisfaction; the influence of the reference group on our norms; health and subjective well-being; the effects of climate on welfare and well-being--external effects; how to find compensations for aircraft noise nuisance; taxation and well-being; subjective income inequalities; a generalized approach to subjective inequalities; poverty; and multidimensional poverty. Van Praag is at the University of Amsterdam, the Tinbergen Institute, and SCHOLAR. Ferrer-i-Carbonell is at the Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats and at the Institut d’ Analisi Economica. Index.”


2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-207

Nattavudh Powdthavee of University of York reviews “Happiness Quantified: A Satisfaction Calculus Approach” by Bernard Van Praag, Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Revised and extended edition examines methods of measuring happiness, focusing on subjective measures as a proxy for welfare and well-being. Discusses the analysis of income satisfaction with an application to family equivalence scales; domain satisfactions; the aggregation of satisfactions--general satisfaction as an aggregate; political satisfaction; males, females, and households; the impact of past and future on present satisfaction; the influence of the reference group on our norms; health and subjective well-being; the effects of climate on welfare and well-being--external effects; how to find compensations for aircraft noise nuisance; taxation and well-being; subjective income inequalities; a generalized approach to subjective inequalities; poverty; and multidimensional poverty. Van Praag is at the University of Amsterdam, the Tinbergen Institute, and SCHOLAR. Ferrer-i-Carbonell is at the Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats and at the Institut d’ Analisi Economica. Index.”


Author(s):  
Zulfa Nur Umniyah ◽  
Berliana Berliana ◽  
Boyke Mulyana ◽  
Geraldi Novian

Exercise can maintain a person's level of psychological well-being or also known as Psychological well-being (PWB), but on the other hand, it can also have a negative effect. Negative Social Interaction is one of the factors that have a negative effect on individuals from their environment during exercise. In terms of gender, women and sports are interrelated even though women have long been underestimated in sports, especially in sports that are considered masculine sports. This study examines the negative social interactions experienced by athletes in basketball. In basketball, negative social interactions can occur due to the assumption that basketball is a masculine sport, besides, that women are considered weaker than men. So this study aims to analyze the impact of Negative Social Interaction obtained by female basketball athletes on the Psychological well-being (PWB) of athletes. The instruments used were Negative Social Exchange (NSE) and Psychological Well-being Scale questionnaires as well as short interviews given to 24 female basketball athletes at the University of Indonesia Education. The results showed that NSI had a significant relationship with the PWB of female basketball athletes. The coach is one individual who plays a very important role in the condition of the athlete's PWB. Not only can it have a negative impact, but NSI can also be turned into a motivation that can encourage athletes to fight harder in the future. The author provides suggestions for coaches who handle female basketball athletes to be more careful when interacting with athletes and for basketball connoisseurs to better organize themselves in expression when enjoying this sport.


2021 ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Ирина Геннадьевна Алмазова ◽  
Ирина Владимировна Кондакова ◽  
Наталья Александровна Нехороших

Подчеркивается необходимость своевременного вычленения и качественного анализа проблем дистанционного обучения, учета предпочтений и интересов обучающихся и преподавателей вуза, консолидации их усилий по преодолению трудностей и решению проблем, связанных с объективными и субъективными ситуациями, особенностями использования технологий дистанционного обучения при организации образовательного процесса в университете. Описаны особенности использования дистанционной формы организации обучения в вузе. Приведены данные, полученные при исследовании (опросе) влияния применения технологий дистанционного обучения на здоровье студентов 1–5-го курсов очной и заочной формы обучения направления подготовки 44.03.05 Педагогическое образование (с двумя профилями подготовки) Института психологии и педагогики Елецкого государственного университета им. И. А. Бунина. The article describes the need for timely identification and qualitative analysis of the problems of distance learning, taking into account the preferences and interests of students and university teachers, consolidating their efforts to overcome difficulties and solve problems related to objective and subjective situations, the peculiarities of using distance learning technologies in the organization of the educational process at the university. In the current situation, burdened by the spread of a new coronavirus acute respiratory infection, which is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV), the world education system (including higher education) is forced to turn to distance learning technologies. These technologies allow you to work remotely, maintaining the necessary distance, protecting the health of people (both students, teachers, and employees of higher educational institutions), excluding their close interaction during training, scientific research, in the admission campaign, in extracurricular work, etc. The authors describe the features of using the remote form of organizing training at the university so that it contributes to the maximum saving of students ‘ health, has a positive effect on their physical and mental state; minimizes the viral load in a difficult epidemiological situation; increases and develops digital literacy of students; “opens” new opportunities for remote work for the teaching staff. The article provides the data obtained in the study (survey) of the impact of the use of distance learning technologies on the health of the full-time and part-time students of the 1st – 5th year of studies of the area of training 44.03.05 Pedagogical education (with two training profiles) of the Institute of Psychology and Pedagogy Bunin Yelets State University.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Laura E Mullins ◽  
Jennifer Mitchell

Following the World Health Organization’s announcement of the global pandemic because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019, most Canadian universities transitioned to offering their courses exclusively online. One group affected by this transition was students with disabilities. Previous research has shown that the university experience for students with disabilities differs from those of their non-disabled peers. However, their unique needs are often not taken into consideration. As a result, students can become marginalized and alienated from the online classroom. In partnership with Student Accessibility Services, this research revealed the impact of the transition to online learning because of the pandemic for university students with disabilities. Students registered with Student Accessibility Services completed a survey about the effects of online learning during a pandemic on the students’ lives, education, and instructional and accommodation. It was clear from the results that online education during COVID-19 affected all aspects of the students’ lives, particularly to their mental health. This research provided a much-needed opportunity for students with disabilities to share the factors influencing their educational experience and identified recommendations instructors should consider when developing online courses to increase accessibility and improve engagement. 


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