Redefining Higher Education and Work

This chapter and book provide the foundation for executives, academic leaders, faculty, and students to analyze the realities of higher education today, strategies that would ensure success of academic institutions, and factors that would lend to student success. In particular, the book addresses essentials of online learning, strategies to ensure success of online degrees and courses, effective course development practices, key support mechanisms for students, and ensuring student success in online degree programs. Furthermore, the book addresses the future of work, preferences of employees, and how work can be redesigned to create further employee satisfaction, engagement, and increase productivity. In particular, the book covers insights that would lend to ensuring remote employees feel valued, included, and are being provided relevant support to thrive in their roles.

Leveraging Blockchain in Medical Tourism Value Chain

There are significant challenges facing the medical tourism industry: privacy and transparency concerns, lack of access to centralized medical records, fraudulent practices, opportunistic behavior of intermediaries, foreign currency risks, and contractual/legal issues. While blockchain technology has immense potential to address the industry’s inherent challenges and inefficiencies, the current understanding of blockchain application in medical tourism is fragmented. Through a pragmatic review of the literature, this study explores the blockchain applications and benefits for medical tourists across the stages of the medical tourism value chain, and in the process, proposes a meaningful and managerially relevant blockchain framework for medical tourism. The findings and the proposed novel framework to guide policy interventions and support mechanisms to take advantage of the full opportunities of blockchain in medical tourism.

Social Support Through Digital Media?

This chapter aims to analyze the use of online support groups for breast cancer in Turkey. After describing the general characteristics of such groups, the authors closely analyze the two Facebook groups on breast cancer. The analysis focuses on how the patients read the illness and their struggle to cope with the illness; how social support mechanisms are used; and which aims and motivations are foregrounded. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques are used in the research. Informed by the international research literature, the chapter also tries to underline the similarities and differences of online social media in the Turkish context. Although the main purpose of the groups is to share information, emotional empathy and shared personal experience are also obvious.

Key problems of agro-industrial development in Kazakhstan and ways to solve them

To provide food to the population of Kazakhstan, it is necessary to develop agricultural production based on the introduction of innovative technologies and new knowledge. In order to implement the tasks set, it is necessary to solve the problems in this industry that hinder its development. The purpose of writing the article is to identify the problems of the development of the agro-industrial complex in Kazakhstan and to justify the ways to solve them. We present the actual problems of the development of the country's agro-industrial complex, which must be solved within the framework of the implementation of the National Project for the development of the Agro-industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2021–2025. The purpose of this project is to provide the country's population with essential foodstuffs, according to the established, scientifically based physiological consumption rate (SBPC). The key problems of the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan are low technical equipment of the branch with agricultural machinery and technology, inefficient use of natural resources, in particular land, water, the presence of a large number of small non-commodity farms, low level of processing of agricultural products, a lot of intermediaries between the production and sale of grown products, poor implementation of the results of scientific research and development of agricultural scientists, low level of storage, transportation and sale of agricultural products, etc. The article highlights such issues as the unattractiveness of this area for investment, low labor productivity, the need to develop state support mechanisms, the widespread introduction of innovative technologies, etc. The ways of solving the above-mentioned problems of the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan are substantiated and reasoned.

Support Mechanisms for Canada’s Cultural and Creative Sectors during COVID-19

The cultural and creative industries enhance the quality of life for Canadians and visitors to Canada. However, definitions of the sector vary, presenting challenges for researchers and policymakers. Government data shows that the pandemic job and revenue loss were disproportionate in arts. The Canadian government created a range of financial tools (grants and subsidies) to support the sector during the Pandemic. This paper analyzes these financial instruments created in response to the Pandemic. This paper offers a case study on how government can support the economic and social success of the creative and cultural sector (CCS) in Canada and avoid the risk of the cultural ecosystem collapsing. In addition, the key findings may be helpful in other industries and markets when exploring ways to support the cultural and creative sectors, which are vital components of domestic and tourism activity.

Lessons Learned: COVID 19 and Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in the Global Context

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all our lives but did not affect all parts of societies equally. This study uses a systematic literature review approach to examine the experiences of homeless populations during COVID-19. Our literature review identified lessons learned and promising practices from the field at a global level, and summarizes academic studies in order to promote future efforts to prepare homeless populations for potential extreme events in the future. Forty-one of 209 articles were selected to prepare this literature review. Following the academic database search, grey literature from various organizations were also identified to enrich the literature results and analysis. Findings from these articles were grouped under three main themes to better illustrate the results: (1) impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness (PEH), (2) support mechanisms, and (3) promising practices. A comparative approach also was used to examine how PEH responded during two previous pandemics (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] in 2003 and Swine Flu 2009) compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that there was continuous improvement in the disaster preparedness for PEH during COVID-19 when compared to past pandemics. In addition, promising practices have emerged. However, ongoing issues, such as lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), staff shortages, and communication problems, still persist in the field. More research regarding PEH during pandemics is needed, and their voices should be included.

Implementing H5P Online Interactive Activities at Scale

Online Interactive Activities (OIA) are an increasingly popular educational learning experience. OIA allows for flexible delivery with the activities used synchronously during class, or asynchronously outside of class at a time convenient for the learner, and they prompt active participation and engagement. As a result, many learning environments are implementing design and development projects to incorporate OIA. However, incorporating new tools and approaches in educational systems can be complex. In this paper we discuss the processes that Victoria University employed to develop and implement OIA, in order to facilitate efficient blended delivery on a large scale. We discuss reasons why the tool H5P was chosen for the development of OIA; outline the projects and processes used to oversee and implement OIA roll-out; present the support mechanisms and professional development provided to enable the design, development, and incorporation of OIA; and lastly provide novel case examples to inspire future use.

Rethinking Employer Communication and Support for Home Care Aides: A Case Study of Pandemic Group Support Calls

This case study explores an employer-initiated biweekly group support call for home care aides implemented by a large New York City-based home care agency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we investigate how agency staff used information gathered through these calls to intervene into existing agency communication and support systems for aides. Our single-site case study analyzes detailed notes from almost 100 support calls that took place between April 2020 and March 2021, as well as interviews with agency staff from communications, human resources, nursing, and other departments that support aides. We compare and contrast new communication and support mechanisms advanced in conjunction with these calls with agency systems pre-pandemic. Our findings suggest that while calls were initially targeted toward providing emotional and operational support, staff also advocated for more systemic supports. We discuss the sustainability of these new efforts, as well as ongoing barriers and gaps.

A modified Delphi approach to enhance nurturing of professionalism in postgraduate medical education in Singapore

Introduction: Nurturing professional identities instils behavioural standards of physicians, in turn facilitating consistent professional attitudes, practice, and patient care. Identities are socioculturally constructed efforts, thus we must account for the social, cultural, and local healthcare factors that shape physicians’ roles, responsibilities and expectations. This study aims to forward a program to nurture professionalism amongst physicians in Singapore. Methods: A 3-phased-evidenced-based-approach was used. First, a systematic scoping review (SSR) was conducted to identify professionalism elements. Second, a questionnaire was created drawing from the SS’s findings. Third, a modified Delphi involving local experts identifying socioculturally appropriate elements to nurture professionalism was conducted. Results: The 124 included articles in the SSR revealed definitions, knowledge, skills, and approaches to nurturing professionalism. The modified Delphi identified professional traits, virtues, communication, ethical, self-care, teaching and assessment methods, and support mechanisms. Conclusion: Results formed the basis to a holistic and longitudinal program focused on instilling professional traits and competencies over time through personalised and holistic support of physicians. Findings will be of interest to medical communities in the region and beyond.

The experiences of adult nursing students completing a placement during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The emergency measures implemented by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in response to the COVID-19 pandemic provided nursing students in their final 6 months of study with the opportunity to complete a paid consolidation clinical placement and thus increase their personal responsibility for the care they delivered under supervision. Aim: To explore the experiences of third-year nursing students who completed their final clinical placement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted via a virtual platform. Findings: Three themes were identified: the importance of support mechanisms, the development of confidence, and innovative learning opportunities. Students reported improved confidence in the transition period to registered practitioner and felt well supported, which enabled them to take greater responsibility. Conclusion: This study provided insight into the experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and found that support mechanisms, and a sense of belonging, helped to increase their confidence in clinical practice.