Uncertainty in Health Emergencies: Communicating Risks During COVID-19 Response

The world’s fragmented response to the COVID-19 pandemic created fertile ground for mixed messages and inconsistency. The authors analyzed Google-trending insights from five countries (Italy, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) across three-week time (1–23 March 2020) to document trends in population health anxiety in response to the initial global spreading of the outbreak. The results are expressed in the form of Uncertainty Index (UI), which reflects the total number of Google searches/COVID-19 prevalence and standardized per million inhabitants. The United Kingdom experienced the highest level of health anxiety (UI = 11.5), followed by France (UI = 4.6) and Spain (UI = 3.2). The United States suffered the highest rate of uncertainty in the early stage of the pandemic; the Italian population experienced a balanced level of anxiety. Institutionalizing risk communication during COVID-19 should represent an integral part of the country emergency response.

Older Americans’ Perceptions of the Federal Government’s Pandemic Response: Voices From the COVID-19 Coping Study

There is limited understanding of how older adults evaluated the federal government’s COVID-19 response, despite their increased health risks during the pandemic and their important role in politics. We conducted qualitative thematic analysis on a nationally representative subsample of respondents aged 55+ from the COVID-19 Coping Study ( N = 500) who were asked: “How do you feel about federal government responses to and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?” Analyses identified largely negative opinions about the federal government and former President Trump’s leadership, though some were neutral or positive. Participants expressed concerns that the federal government was undermining science, and that sending mixed messages about personal protective equipment and masks was dangerous. Perspectives were divergent and reflective of the country’s polarization surrounding COVID-19 policies. Results can inform efforts to build unity between political parties and identify strategies that governments can use to better respond to future public health crises.

Mixed-methods Process Evaluation of a Residence-based SARS-CoV-2 Testing Participation Pilot on a UK University Campus during the COVID-19 Pandemic

BackgroundRegular testing for SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important strategy for controlling virus outbreaks on university campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic but testing participation rates can be low. The Residence-Based Testing Participation Pilot (RB-TPP) was a novel intervention implemented at two student residences on a large UK university campus over four weeks. The aim of the pilot was to increase the frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 saliva testing onsite. This process evaluation aimed to determine whether RB-TPP was implemented as planned and identify implementation barriers and facilitators.MethodsA mixed-methods process evaluation was conducted alongside the RB-TPP. Evaluation participants were students (opting in, or out of RB-TPP) and staff with a role in service provision or student support. Monitoring data were collected from the intervention delivery team and meeting records. Data were collected from students via online survey (n=152) and seven focus groups (n=30), and from staff via individual interviews (n=13). Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data thematically. Barriers and facilitators to implementation were mapped to the ‘Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behaviour’ (COM-B) behaviour change framework.Results464 students opted to participate in RB-TPP (98% of students living onsite). RB-TPP was implemented broadly as planned but was terminated early due to concerns relating to national escalation of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Most students (97.9%) perceived the relaxing of social distancing regulations within residences positively. The majority engaged in asymptomatic testing (88%); 46% (52% of testers) were fully compliant with pre-determined testing frequency. Implementation was facilitated by convenience and efficiency of testing, reduction in the risk of self-isolation and opportunities for students to socialise. Main barriers to implementation were mixed-messages about the rules, ambivalent attitudes, and lack of adherence to COVID-19 protective measures in the minority.ConclusionsThis process evaluation identifies factors that help or hinder the success of university residence-based outbreak prevention and management strategies. RB-TPP led to increased rates of COVID-19 testing participation among students in university residences. Perceived normalisation of university life significantly enhanced student mental wellbeing. The complexity and challenge generated by multiple lines of communication and rapid adaptions to a changing pandemic context was evident.Trial registration numberUKAS 307727-02-01; Pre-results. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05045989; post-results (first posted, 16/09/21).Ethical ApprovalFMHS 96-0920

“Please Let me Use Google Translate”: Thai EFL Students’ Behavior and Attitudes toward Google Translate Use in English Writing

The present study aims to investigate how Thai EFL university students use Google Translate (GT) in English writing, how they post-edit (PE) its outputs, and how they view GT use in English writing. The participants were 15 third-year non-English major students from three universities in Thailand. The data collection tools were an interview and two writing assignments. After the data analysis, the findings revealed the students’ behavior of GT use and their output PE as well as their attitudes toward GT use in English writing. The results reported the students always used GT in completing writing tasks at both sentence and paragraph levels, and most students did PE the outputs before applying them. However, a few students used the outputs with no PE because they trusted in GT more than they did in themselves. Regarding the PE level, the students intended to address lexical and syntax errors, so their correcting covered the light level. The results also revealed mixed messages in their attitudes toward GT use in English writing. Most students viewed GT as a helpful, reliable assistant enhancing their writing quality, but some raw GT outputs of phrases, idioms, long sentences, and paragraphs were found incomprehensible. Also, the students acquired some bad habits from using GT. However, most students disagreed with not being allowed to use GT in English writing. The study recommended language teachers to provide Thai EFL students adequate instructions for the effective use of GT and its output PE.  

Access and Use of Digital Technologies in Early Childhood: A Review of Mixed Messages in Popular Media

This paper reports on an analysis of 60 print and online articles collected in a metropolitan area in Canada that describe children’s digital engagement through a focus on ‘early literacy’ or ‘digital literacy’. Findings reveal mixed messages about children’s use of digital technology that create competing frames for adults supporting (or not) young children’s digital literacy practices. Digital technology was often characterized as something to limit/control, except in school, where digital literacy was characterized as holding a proper place when controlled by educators. Consistent across media messaging was the promotion of traditional, print-based texts as an essential early literacy practice.

Unmasking People’s Opinions behind Mask-Wearing during COVID-19 Pandemic—A Twitter Stance Analysis

Wearing a mask by the general public has been a controversial issue from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as the public authorities have had mixed messages, either advising people not to wear masks if uninfected, to wear as a protective measure, to wear them only when inside a building/room with insufficient air flow or to wear them in all the public places. To date, the governments have had different policies regarding mask-wearing by the general public depending on the COVID-19 pandemic evolution. In this context, the paper analyzes the general public’s opinion regarding mask-wearing for the one-year period starting from 9 January 2020, when the first tweet regarding mask-wearing in the COVID-19 context has been posted. Classical machine learning and deep learning algorithms have been considered in analyzing the 8,795,633 tweets extracted. A random sample of 29,613 tweets has been extracted and annotated. The tweets containing news and information related to mask-wearing have been included in the neutral category, while the ones containing people’s opinions (for or against) have been marked using a symmetrical approach into in favor and against categories. Based on the analysis, it has been determined that most of the mask tweets are in the area of in favor or neutral, while a smaller percentage of tweets and retweets are in the against category. The evolution of the opinions expressed through tweets can be further monitored for extracting the public perspective on mask-wearing in times of COVID-19.

Integrating STEM with Music

This book explores how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (or STEM) initiatives are becoming more common in our educational system while depicting what it means to teach not only the students of today, but the citizens of tomorrow. This resource will provide 15 fully-developed and classroom-vetted instructional plans with assessments that are aligned to articulate learning from kindergarten through grade 12. With these instructional lessons and adaptations for K-12 music and STEM classes, pre-service educators, in-service educators, and administrators can better understand and immediately use tools for planning, assessing, and the practical integrating of STEM with Music. The arts, which includes music, visual art, dance, theater, and digital/media arts, bring creativity and innovation to the forefront in STEM learning. STEM learning can move teachers of the arts in a positive direction, but there are mixed messages about what that means and looks like. Many natural connections can be made between science, technology, engineering, math, and music. Twenty-first century learning skills and career-ready practices are framed so that the creativity and innovation necessary to succeed in STEM content areas and careers can be directly addressed by the educational community. The connection that is made between STEM content areas and music stimulates inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.