scholarly journals EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Author(s):  
Elena Mădălina SAVU

The World Health Organization has declared Covid-19 as a pandemic that has posed a contemporary threat to humanity. This pandemic has successfully forced global shutdown of several activities, including educational activities.The COVID-19 pandemic was a forceful reminder that education plays an important role in delivering not just academic learning, but also in supporting physical and emotional well-being. Education and the acquisition of skills are crucial to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. Education is a basic right that promotes other rights such as health and civic participation. It is key to unlocking the developmental potential of children, communities, and countries. An educated workforce can help lift people out of poverty, reduce premature mortality, strengthen gender equality, and promote civic participation. Children must also learn skills that can be flexible and adaptable in the age of uncertainty and economic change. Workers will need breadth of skills such as literacy and numeracy as well as the ability to think critically and to solve problems collaboratively. In the digital age, citizens must be prepared to respond to the challenges presented by globalization, climate change, health epidemics, and economic uncertainty. The world needs to urgently rethink the way education is done, how it is delivered, and what skills children will need in a digital age to become healthy and productive members of society. Many agree that the delivery of education to marginalized children must be improved. It is evident that online learning is different from emergency remote teaching, online learning will be more sustainable while instructional activities will become more hybrid provided the challenges experienced during this pandemic are well explored and transformed to opportunities. However, there is little consensus on how to do so in a way that best reflects the challenges and opportunities facing young people today and on why education systems have largely failed to adapt to ensure that all children are receiving the support and learning opportunities they need.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Peta

In 2016, the World Health Organization, through the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology Initiative, issued the Priority Assistive Products List which is meant to be a guide to member states of the 50 assistive products needed for a basic health care and/or social welfare system; it is also a model from which nations can develop their national priority assistive products lists. The aim of this opinion paper is to share my views about the Priority Assistive Products List on the grounds that it makes no distinct mention of sexual assistive devices, yet research has indicated that sexuality is an area of great concern for persons with disabilities. In any case, sexuality forms a core part of being human, and it impacts on both the physical and mental well-being of all human beings. I conclude in part that, in its present format, the list perpetuates the myth that persons with disabilities are asexual beings who are innocent of sexual thoughts, feelings and experiences. The list also propagates the stereotype that sexuality is a sacred, private, bedroom matter that should be kept out of the public domain, to the detriment of the health and well-being of persons with disabilities.


2020 ◽  
pp. 07-19
Author(s):  
Hiba Takieddine ◽  
Samaa AL Tabbah

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease that has rapidly swept across the world, inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, healthcare providers and people with underlying health conditions. Authorities around the world tried to prevent the virus spread by imposing social distancing measures, quarantining citizens and isolating infected persons. Apart from its physical impact, COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous changes to people’s lives. It changed daily routines, caused worldwide economic crisis, increased unemployment, and placed people under emotional and financial pressures. It affected people psychologically and mentally especially in terms of emotions and cognition. During the acute crisis, everyone to varying degrees experienced fear of infection, somatic concerns, worries about the pandemic’s consequences, loneliness, depression, stress, as well as increased alcohol and drug use. As part of its public health response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked with partners to develop a set of new guidelines and messages that can be used to prevent, manage, and support mental and psychological well-being in different vulnerable target groups during the outbreak. Whether people like it or not, the psychological sequela of this pandemic will emerge and persist for months and years to come leading to long-term consequences. New lifestyles and “New Normals” will surely emerge. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the psychological and mental health of people around the world especially vulnerable groups. It also presents the relevant intervention actions and recommendations to cope efficiently and effectively with the psychological short-term and long-term outcomes, mental changes, and the “New Normal” during and after COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus, Psychological; Mental; New Normal


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-317
Author(s):  
Shi Yin Chee

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold fear and suffering for older adults across the world. According to the World Health Organization, older adults in aged care homes are at a higher risk of the infection living in an enclosed environment with others. This article adopts a qualitative approach using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method to explore the lived experiences of older adults during COVID-19. Between December 2019 and June 2020, 10 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants aged 60 years and above in two aged care homes. The lived tension that has penetrated all participants’ stories in five themes of the meanings described as ‘disconnected in a shrinking world’ filled with uncertainties. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges and disproportionate threat onto older adults’ lives, relationships and well-being. The overarching message was that older adults believe that ‘this too shall pass’ and regain their freedom that was lost during the pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
Jesmin Sultana ◽  
Muhammad Rabiul Hossain ◽  
Nurun Nahar Fatema Begum ◽  
Nure Ishrat Nazme

 Breastfeeding has been accepted as the most vital intervention for reducing infant mortality and ensuring optimal growth and development of children. Breastfeeding is also considered as the most economical and easily accessible complete nutrition for every new born child1. Poor breastfeeding practices are widespread. It is estimated that sub-optimal breastfeeding, especially non-exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life, results in 1.4 million deaths and 10% of the disease burden in children younger than 5 years of age2. Reviews of studies from developing countries showed that infants who were not breast fed were 6 to 10 times more likely to die in the first months of life than infants who are breast fed3. The World Health Organization has stated that in 2000, only 16% of mothers in Pakistan exclusively breast feed for a period of three months, as compared to other developing countries where the ratio is higher like Bangladesh (46%), India (37%), and Sri Lanka (84%)4. More than 15% of 24 lakh child deaths could be averted in India by optimal breastfeeding practices5. The key to successful breastfeeding is Information, Education and Communication (IEC) strategies aimed at behavior change6. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life7. Variables that may influence breastfeeding include race, maternal age, maternal employment, level of education of parents, socio-economic status, insufficient milk supply, infant health problems, method of delivery, maternal interest and other related related factors8,9. Over the last decade, overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the integral role of breastfeeding in the survival, growth and development of a child, as well as the health and well-being of a mother has come to light10. Different studies were designed at national and international level to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices (kap) towards breastfeeding among postnatal mothers and factors that determine them1. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.11(2) 2015: 76-83


2012 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-H. Lin ◽  
S.-M. Lee ◽  
B.-J. Wu ◽  
L.-S. Huang ◽  
H.-J. Sun ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Lou E. Neri

The World Health Organization (2003) stated that there is growing evidence that changes in the global climate will have profound effects on the well-being of citizens in countries throughout the world. The “business as usual” frame of mind in dealing with this phenomenon is no longer feasible. Rather, there is a great need for a “sense of urgency” to empower and actively involve every individual to adapt and to mitigate the worsening of climate change. A great number of studies show that the leadership of the educational system in developed countries for more than 2 decades has been successful in promoting environmental sustainability. Some of these studies are reviewed and documented in this paper so that vulnerable countries may learn and benchmark from their experiences. Keywords - Education, sustainable development, climate change


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (25) ◽  
pp. 01-14
Author(s):  
Siti Aisyah Mohamad Zin ◽  
Raja Nurul Hafizah Raja Ismail ◽  
Wan Nur Ainna Waheda Rozali ◽  
Nor Kalsum Mohd Isa

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major concern to the community around the globe at the moment and the World Health Organization (WHO) records a total of more than 200 million cases worldwide. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the world community, especially in Malaysia, from the socio-economic aspect that leads to mental health issues. The implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) to Malaysians is aimed at breaking the chain of pandemics by making social distancing which began on March 18, 2020, has changed the societal life pattern, especially for adolescents. If it is not managed properly, emotional conflicts such as depression, stress, anxiety, and untreated panic attacks can even affect the mental health of adolescents. There are numerous recent studies on the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted by researchers from around the world. The COVID-19 outbreak has also affected the education sector in the country. Face-to-face learning cannot be conducted, hence, requires students to learn from home. The Ministry of Education in Malaysia has introduced a new platform to help students to continue their learning through an online learning system. Online learning has its own pros and cons. In these challenging times, the field of education is not falling behind in undergoing a transformation towards a more advanced and systematic learning process. Therefore, online learning is the best way to ensure that students do not fall behind in their studies even when they are at home. However, the implementation of online learning has the potential to affect the mental health of students such as feelings of stress, fear, anxiety, worry, and depression due to not being able to balance the use of computers during learning and to complete assignments as well as internet data problems. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that the number of victims of depression worldwide is estimated to reach 300 million people and the average is of adolescents. This is the silent killer of this generation which is the pillar and hope of the country, therefore it should be given attention and proper treatment. A literature review through the content analysis method is used in this paper to look at the challenges and solutions to the recovery of emotional conflict and mental health. Thus, this paper aims to look at the challenges of this pandemic exploring scientifically the impact of COVID-19 especially in terms of emotional and mental health as well as the impact on the national education system. The attitude of "prevent before it gets worse" is very critical and needs to be given serious attention by the community in facing the escalating challenges during this COVID-19. An understanding of the effects of emotions could generate appropriate prevention measures and approaches that can be implemented to ensure that emotional conflicts can be treated to save those adolescents and inevitably to ensure the well-being of individuals affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.


Author(s):  
Paddy C. Dempsey ◽  
Christine M. Friedenreich ◽  
Michael F. Leitzmann ◽  
Matthew P. Buman ◽  
Estelle Lambert ◽  
...  

Background: In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released global guidelines on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior, for the first time providing population-based recommendations for people living with selected chronic conditions. This article briefly presents the guidelines, related processes and evidence, and, importantly, considers how they may be used to support research, practice, and policy. Methods: A brief overview of the scope, agreed methods, selected chronic conditions (adults living with cancer, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and human immunodeficiency virus), and appraisal of systematic review evidence on PA/sedentary behavior is provided. Methods were consistent with World Health Organization protocols for developing guidelines. Results: Moderate to high certainty evidence (varying by chronic condition and outcome examined) supported that PA can reduce the risk of disease progression or premature mortality and improve physical function and quality of life in adults living with chronic conditions. Direct evidence on sedentary behavior was lacking; however, evidence extrapolated from adult populations was considered applicable, safe, and likely beneficial (low certainty due to indirectness). Conclusions: Clinical and public health professionals and policy makers should promote the World Health Organization 2020 global guidelines and develop and implement services and programs to increase PA and limit sedentary behavior in adults living with chronic conditions.


Author(s):  
Madona Kekelia ◽  
Eliso Kereselidze ◽  
Ina Shanava

The disease COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), was first detected in Wuhan, China in late December 2019, and, due to its high degree of virulence, it has spread rapidly around the world ever since. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization descried the situation as a pandemic, and in March 2020, a state of emergency was declared in Georgia. To limit the spread of the virus “lockdown” was ordered and, except in emergencies, the population was restricted from leaving home, the learning process in educational institutions was suspended, and all sorts of gatherings and public transport were put off. In these circumstances, as well as the risks associated with deteriorating health and economic problems, students also found themselves in a difficult situation in terms of getting access to education, caused by the transition to distance learning. The social category of students is characterized by an active lifestyle, a wide range of relationships and contacts. In consequence of the social distancing policies and measures implemented across the country to slow the spread of the virus, the reduction in contacts has given rise to feelings of loneliness and depression. The entire situation is likely to negatively affect the psychological well-being of students. It has been proven that high levels of stress among students are associated with low mental wellness, which in turn, may lead to poor academic performance and the emergence of social and psychological problems. Based on the abovestated, the aim of the present paper was to establish a link between the indicators of loneliness, depression and psychological well-being with students in the context of constraints caused by the COVID pandemic. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), Loneliness Scale (UCLA) and Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) were used for the purpose. Analysis of the results revealed that depression, anxiety and loneliness have a negative bearing on psychological well-being. The differences were analyzed in obedience to demographic characteristics.


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