Assessing the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of cloud-based e-learning systems in the COVID-19 era

In an era of economic recession and the divulged threats of COVID-19 pandemic in the world a highly impacting socio-economic activity is the education sector. The operational difficulties of companies and organizations, as well as the closure of universities, schools, training courses, are all affecting the entrepreneurial and the learning progress on using workers time and learners facilities to develop their knowledge and to build up their skills. In particular, free time of institutions’ closure can become a golden opportunity for learning and progresses in virtual education while adopting e-learning modes of information technology (IT) and supporting the distribution of knowledge and information for training and education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak only few studies have been devoted on studying the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and the wider human wellbeing. At this study the literature production of economic development was investigated in the light of the ignored, but critically important, issue of globalized inclination to acquire knowledge and skills. All essential aspects of economic systems and economic development within the COVID-19 era were approached, quantified, and graphically valuated, in the light of the following fields of literature search: “dynamic economic systems”, “economic development”, “knowledge skills”, and “globalization”. The measurable indicators of comparing these results were that of: chronological, geographical, languages of reports’ written, subject areas, and keywords, accordingly. Besides, the three domains of technology, environment – ecology, and socio-economics were conveyed, while the key-determinants of knowledge and skills acquisition were also analyzed. From a managerial point of view the simultaneous affection of cultural characteristics, economic simulations, skills and knowledge aspects were considered as positive and significant, thus, supporting managers to better understand the necessities of IT development and managing a highly qualified workforce to shift the thread of the COVID-19 era while performing feasible learning management to solidify workers’ education through formal and in-house education.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of skills and knowledge of employees, economic situations of the company, current IT infrastructure, payment fashion, cloud availability, and cloud privacy and security on the productivity of the human resources in the COVID-19 era.Design/methodology/approachOver the past few years, the advent of cloud-assisted technologies has dramatically advanced the Information Technology (IT)-based industries by providing everything as a service. Cloud computing is recognized as a growing technology among companies around the world. One of the most critical cloud applications is deploying systems and organizational resources, especially systems whose deployment costs are high. Manpower is one of the basic and vital resources of the organization, and organizations need an efficient workforce to achieve their goals. But, in the COVID-19 era, human resources' productivity can be reduced due to stress, high labor force, reduced organizational performance and profits, unfavorable organizational conditions, inability to manage and lack of training. Therefore, this study tries to investigate the productivity of human resources in the COVID-19 era. Data were collected from the medium-sized companies through a questionnaire. Distributed questionnaires were conducted on the Likert scale. The model is assessed using the structural equation modeling technique to examine its reliability and validity. The study is a library method and literature review. A case study was conducted through a questionnaire and statistical analysis by SPSS 25 and SMART-PLS.FindingsBased on the findings, the skills and knowledge of employees, the economic situations of the company, payment fashion, cloud availability and the current IT infrastructures of the company have a positive impact on human resource efficiency in the COVID-19 era. But cloud privacy and security have a negative effect on the productivity of human resources. The findings can be the basis for companies and organizations in the COVID-19 era.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some restrictions that need to be considered in evaluating the obtained results. First, due to the prevalence of Coronavirus, access to information from the companies under study was limited. Second, this research may have overlooked other variables that affect human resource productivity in the COVID-19 era. Prospective researchers can examine the impact of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) on the human resource's productivity in the COVID-19 era.Practical implicationsThe results of this research are applicable for all companies, their departments and human resources in the COVID-19 era.Originality/valueIn this paper, human resources' productivity in the COVID-19 era is pointed out. The presented new model provides a complete framework for investigating cloud-based enterprise resource planning systems affect the productivity of human resources in the COVID-19 era.

There are a number of noteworthy improvements and improvisations in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT) in the recent past. These continuous and consistent advancements have a direct and decisive impact on business offerings, operations, and outputs. Worldwide business enterprises, service providers, product vendors, government organizations, academic institutions, etc. are being sagaciously and strategically empowered through the distinct ICT capabilities. Especially, the role and responsibility of information technology (IT) is consistently on the rise for producing and sustaining next-generation business establishments. Precisely speaking, business acceleration and augmentation get fluently fulfilled through IT. Therefore, IT is being widely pronounced and presented as the best enabler of businesses. All kinds of business needs such as agility, affordability, adaptivity, customer propensity and delight, business productivity and expansion, etc. are being provided and performed through the growing list of innovations in the enigmatic IT domain. Cloud computing is the recent phenomenon in the IT domain bringing forth a number of crucial innovations, disruptions, and transformations for businesses and people. The cloud idea has permeated deeply and decisively and is being touted as the one-stop IT solution for all kinds of business needs. The cloud journey started a decade back and is steadily growing to bring in desired automation for businesses. This chapter is specially allocated for conveying the humble beginning, the sustained growth of the cloud idea, and the benefits for institutions, individuals, and innovators.

E-learning systems are enablers in the learning process, strengthening their importance as part of the educational strategy. Understanding the determinants of e-learning success is crucial for defining instructional strategies. Several authors have studied e-learning implementation and adoption, and various studies have addressed e-learning success from different perspectives. However, none of these studies have verified whether students' cultural characteristics, such as individualism versus collectivism (individualism/collectivism), play a determinant role in the perceived e-learning success. This study provides a deeper understanding of the impact of students' cultural characteristics, for individualism/collectivism, on the perceived outcomes of e-learning systems use. This study proposes an e-learning systems success model that includes a cultural construct, individualism/collectivism. This paper reports an empirical study developed through an electronic survey distributed to higher education students belonging to various learning levels and from various universities. The study applies quantitative methods to obtain results. Our findings demonstrate that learners' perceived individual impact is positively influenced by their satisfaction and e-learning systems' use. Results demonstrate the determinant role of individualism/collectivism on individual and organizational impacts. Students influenced by collective culture perceive more individual and organizational impacts than individualistic culture students. Individualism/collectivism also moderates the users' perceived satisfaction on individual impact, and from individual impacts to organizational impacts. The result shows that for the students with a stronger individualistic culture, satisfaction plays a central role in the way they assess the individual impacts, and individual impacts on organizational impacts. This empirical research discusses the theoretical and practical implications.

Changing environmental and technological trends in the COVID-19 era have heightened the need to use technological tools for teaching and learning. This study explores factors influencing professional accountancy students’ behavioral intention to continuously use e-learning systems. Guided by the technology acceptance model, the study collected data from 121 professional accounting students through a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique. The study found perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness significant positive determinants of students’ intention to continuously use e-learning systems, suggesting that students intend to continuously use the e-learning application they perceive as easy to use and useful in achieving their learning objectives. It was also found that knowledge of technology directly and significantly influences perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The study recommends the continuous deployment of user-friendly e-learning systems to facilitate continuous usage. In addition, system designers should engage educators in designing applications that support teaching and learning. Target Audience The use of e-learning systems within higher educational institutions has become relevant in the era of COVID-19, where there is a restriction on physical movement and gathering. Given the increasing relevance of e-learning in this era, this study provides guidance regarding the student’s needs to pay attention to if e-learning is to be sustained. This will enable policymakers to engage e-learning system developers for higher learning educational institutions to improve e-learning applications. This will also make e-learning systems user friendly to enhance learning and thereby make teaching more fun. Educators in higher institutions of learning need to develop creative teaching methods convenient for online learning and comprehension. Further, policymakers in higher learning educational institutions may have to develop infrastructure to integrate e-learning systems into their institutions for online learning post COVID-19, given that physical facilities are limited.

PurposeThe current pandemic will introduce many novel policies, adaptations, innovations and procedures by innovative human resource (HR) creativity. In particular, information technology (IT) implementation is a field that needs more significant focus and a wider range of creative interventions. The author would undoubtedly see a more human-focused approach to HR management (HRM) in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) era, where enterprises and workers have had to reinvent themselves in a brief amount of time drastically. Following the nationwide lockdown caused by COVID-19, many companies were pushed to opt for remote working, which presents both difficulties and benefits for workers and employers. So the purpose of this study is to investigate some key consequences resulting from COVID-19’s effect on multiple HRM roles, how technology is empowering and fostering HRM, informative forecasts based on how organizations are coping and finally, the path in the post-pandemic environment.Design/methodology/approachThe COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant effect on every area of the global economy. It has had severe implications for public institutions and raises particular questions for medical schools. The emergence of COVID-19 has disrupted many activities and requires intense and prompt attention from medical educators. So, HR leaders now face the difficult task of managing the interests of workers and their corporations. The outbreak of COVID-19 has proved that this is not just a difficult time but rather a testing time for companies across the globe to check and ensure how swiftly they adapt themselves by thinking and planning differently. An enterprise evolves with nature, and change is unavoidable if performance and productivity are to improve. Changes in structure, technology and priorities are overgrowing, posing big obstacles to leaders. Corporations worldwide have looked to technology to pursue creative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. This study provides a review of articles related to the role of technology in HRM in the COVID-19 period. The analyzed articles are divided into three groups, including articles related to the role of information communication technology, cloud computing and teleworking in HRM in the COVID-19 era. Also, the most important key challenges are collected, and solutions are provided for them.FindingsIn times of trouble, authentic leadership shines through. The actions of pioneering HR leaders throughout the COVID-19 epidemic will significantly affect their respective organizations. When COVID-19 expanded around the world, HR agencies made their workers’ health and welfare a top priority. HRM’s long-term sustainability can be dictated by how they deal with the current crisis. Web-based solutions, such as cloud computing, will also address a vital resource allocation gap. It illustrates the possible efficacy of patient-oriented, web-based applications built on result-driven design, which continues to be validated by more testing and assessment. Many studies have emphasized business innovation as a necessity due to changes in the environment and various challenges and requirements facing businesses. The challenge of observing social distance and limiting face-to-face business services is the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic era.Research limitations/implicationsThis study could entail a joint international collaboration initiative among research centers, allowing information about COVID-19 impacts to be shared more easily. It will favor a worldwide policy to find a response to the epidemic but still address cultural and social issues.Practical implicationsThe survey concludes that, whenever possible, employers and medicals should explore remote working opportunities in all industries to alleviate uncertainty and improve employee psychological well-being. The facilitating considerations and problems are often addressed in order to supply practical views for developing cloud-based solutions.Originality/valueThis research aims to lead to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the HRM area through the use of IT-based technology. It allows businesses to reinvent HRM techniques to save money and maximize efficiency without compromising their employees’ life quality and well-being. More in-depth studies at various pandemic stages would yield more valuable insights into HRM’s emerging position.

PurposeThe teenager community is the most affected community by cybercrime in the COVID-19 era. Increasing social networks and facilitating teenager access to the Internet have increased the probability of cybercrimes. On the other hand, entertainment such as mobile and computer games is top-rated among teenagers. Teenagers' tendency to cybercrime may be influenced by individual, parent, social, economic and political factors. Studying the impact of social networks, mobile games and parents' religious attitudes on teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era is the primary goal of this paper.Design/methodology/approachThe outbreak of COVID-19 caused a considerable change in the world and the lifestyle of all people. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was also affected by the special conditions of this virus. Changes in ICT and rapid access to it have empowered individuals and organizations, and people have increased civic participation and interaction through ICT. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has created new challenges for the government and citizens and may cause new crimes. Cybercrime is a type of crime that occurs in a cyber environment. These crimes range from invasions of privacy to crimes in which the offender vaguely paralyzes the macroeconomic. In this research, 265 students of high schools and universities are used for collecting data by utilizing a survey. Measuring actions have been done in all surveys employing a Likert scale. The causal pattern is assessed through a constructional equation modeling procedure to study the scheme's validity and reliability.FindingsThe outcomes have indicated that social networks have no significant relationship with teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era. Mobile games have a mild effect on teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era, and parents' religious attitudes significantly impact teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era.Research limitations/implicationsCurrent research also has some restrictions that must be noticed in assessing the outcomes. First, sample research was selected from high schools and universities in one city. So, the size of the model is small, and the generalization of results is limited. Second, this research may have ignored other variables that affect the tendency of teenagers' to cybercrime. Future researchers intend to investigate the parents' upbringing system's impact on teenager's trend to cybercrime in the COVID-19 era. Future research can also examine practical factors such as parental upbringing, attitudes toward technology development and virtual addiction in the COVID-19 era.Originality/valueIn this study, teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era is investigated, and a procedure is applied depending on a practical occasion. This article's offered sample provides a perfect framework for influencing parents' social networks, mobile games and religious attitudes on teenagers' tendency to cybercrimes in the COVID-19 era.

The Development of E-Learning Systems Application Based On Cloud Computing For Higher Education

Pernikahan dini atau pernikahan di bawah umur menjadi salah satu permasalahan serius di Indonesia, dan pandemi Covid-19 tampaknya telah memperburuk situasi tersebut. Data dari Sistem Informasi Penelusuran Perkara Pengajuan Dispensasi Kawin di Pengadilan Agama Banyumas menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pengajuan dispensasi kawin sejak tahun sebelum Covid-19 hingga era pandemi. Beberapa faktor yang dapat menyebabkan peningkatan angka pernikahan dini di era Covid-19 antara lain: Faktor ekonomi: Pandemi Covid-19 telah berdampak serius pada perekonomian masyarakat, terutama bagi keluarga yang berada dalam kondisi ekonomi rendah. Dalam situasi yang sulit ini, orang tua mungkin cenderung menikahkan anak-anak mereka dengan pasangan yang lebih kaya secara finansial, dengan harapan dapat meningkatkan kondisi ekonomi keluarga mereka. Sayangnya, aspek usia sering kali diabaikan dalam pertimbangan tersebut.Rendahnya pendidikan atau pengetahuan: Kurangnya pendidikan formal atau pengetahuan mengenai pentingnya pendidikan, hak-hak anak, dan dampak negatif pernikahan dini dapat menjadi faktor yang berkontribusi. Anak-anak dan orang tua yang tidak memahami sepenuhnya konsekuensi pernikahan dini mungkin cenderung lebih mudah terpengaruh oleh tekanan sosial atau alasan ekonomi. pernikahan dini memiliki dampak serius pada anak-anak yang terlibat. Anak-anak yang menikah pada usia yang terlalu muda lebih rentan terhadap risiko kesehatan fisik dan mental, peningkatan kemiskinan, kurangnya pendidikan, serta pelanggaran hak-hak mereka. Oleh karena itu, upaya penanggulangan pernikahan dini haruslah menjadi prioritas. Berdasarkan data, terdapat kenaikan angka pengajuan dispensasi kawin di era Covid-19 dibandingkan dengan tahun sebelumnya. Pada era Covid-19 (tahun 2020-2021), distribusi frekuensi angka pernikahan dini yang diajukan untuk dispensasi kawin meningkat menjadi lebih dari 10%Kata kunci: Analisa Data, Angka Pernikahan Dini, Era Covid 19, Distribusi Frekuens. Abstract-Early marriage or underage marriage is indeed a serious problem in Indonesia, and the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have become that situation. Data from the Marriage Dispensation Application Tracking Information System at the Banyumas Religious Court shows that there has been an increase in marriage dispensation applications since the year before Covid-19 until the pandemic era. Several factors can lead to an increase in the number of early marriages in the Covid-19 era, including: Economic factors: The Covid-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on the community's economy, especially for families who are in low economic conditions. In this difficult situation, parents may tend to marry off their children to partners who are more financially affluent, hoping to improve their family's economic situation. Unfortunately, the aspect of age is often overlooked in these considerations. Low education or knowledge: Lack of formal education or knowledge about the importance of education, children's rights, and the negative impact of early marriage can be a contributing factor. Children and parents who do not fully understand the consequences of early marriage may be more prone to being swayed by social pressures or economic reasons. Early marriage has a serious impact on the children involved. Children who marry too young are more vulnerable to physical and mental health risks, increased poverty, lack of education, and violations of their rights. Therefore, efforts to overcome early marriage must be a priority. Based on the data, there was an increase in the number of requests for dispensation for marriage during the Covid-19 era compared to the previous year. In the Covid-19 era (2020-2021), the distribution of the frequency of early marriages submitted for marriage dispensation increased to more than 10%Keywords: Data Analysis, Early Marriage Rate, Covid 19 Era, Frequency Distribution

Even in its very infancy computer technology has been seen as a collection of tools destined to solve problems of a given application domain (AD) 1. The problem solving process using computers is (and has been) carried out within the computer environment and requires the AD experts to formalize their problems in computer terms. The effort put forth so far toward making this process easier for AD experts has generated a rich and well-defined information technology (IT) domain, populated by computer artifacts such as programming languages and program generation tools. Successes of this approach to problem-solving led to the development of current computer technology whose complexity overwhelms computer experts themselves. Nevertheless, the usage of current IT for problem solving still requires AD experts to manipulate IT domain concepts and tools rather than AD concepts and tools. To further help this process, more and more complex IT tools are generated thus increasing software complexity to a level where only with formidable difficulties can AD experts manage to develop their application systems. Among the side effects of this situation are the lack of efficiency in application system development, poor performance in computer utilization, and even threat to the future evolution of computer technology itself. Our conjecture is that in order to break this vicious circle we need to rethink the problem solving process. We need to abandon the requirement that AD experts manipulate computer terms and to allow them to manipulate AD specific terms using AD specific languages. The recent advances created by computing research makes it feasible to move the problem solving process from the IT domain into the AD domain.

Even in its very infancy computer technology has been seen as a collection of tools destined to solve problems of a given application domain (AD) 1. The problem solving process using computers is (and has been) carried out within the computer environment and requires the AD experts to formalize their problems in computer terms. The effort put forth so far toward making this process easier for AD experts has generated a rich and well-defined information technology (IT) domain, populated by computer artifacts such as programming languages and program generation tools. Successes of this approach to problem-solving led to the development of current computer technology whose complexity overwhelms computer experts themselves. Nevertheless, the usage of current IT for problem solving still requires AD experts to manipulate IT domain concepts and tools rather than AD concepts and tools. To further help this process, more and more complex IT tools are generated thus increasing software complexity to a level where only with formidable difficulties can AD experts manage to develop their application systems. Among the side effects of this situation are the lack of efficiency in application system development, poor performance in computer utilization, and even threat to the future evolution of computer technology itself. Our conjecture is that in order to break this vicious circle we need to rethink the problem solving process. We need to abandon the requirement that AD experts manipulate computer terms and to allow them to manipulate AD specific terms using AD specific languages. The recent advances created by computing research makes it feasible to move the problem solving process from the IT domain into the AD domain.

Cloud computing (CC) is a revolution that can provide information technology (IT) as a service. CC offers infrastructure, platform, and software services, as demand peaks and surges. This paper aims to investigate how prospective adopters behave when external factors such as “Coronavirus Pandemic- COVID-19” impact their technology adoption decision-making. The study also explores how a prospective adopter behaves i.e., if his/her intention to adopt any new innovation increases in presence of stronger disruptive factors (COVID-19). This research empirically examines if the intent to adopt secured (online) services impacts actual CC adoption (CCA) in pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 eras. It also provides an idea of how prospective adopters behave when they face disruptions caused by the pandemic situation, and how the holistic relation is reflected in terms of its influence on academic performance. This study has used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with sequential mediation effect of intent to adopt secured online services and CCA on Academic Performance (AP) using a sample of 867 students from 25 different Indian universities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. Using AMOS, a structural equation modelling was conducted to test the research model. The results highlight that there is a significant difference between the influence of perceived usefulness (PU) as well as perceived ease of use (PEOU) on CCA due to COVID-19. The results also provide empirical evidence of gender moderating the relationship of PU as well as PEOU with CCA. This is the first study that provides comparative results from pre-COVID and post-COVID era, this work provides a reference point to practitioners and academicians, especially when evaluating factors before making a final decision regarding any emerging technology's adoption.

У статті визначено переваги та недоліки впровадження хмарних технологій у діяльність сучасних підприємств. Важливою умовою успішного функціонування підприємства є ефективне управління своїми витратами. Установлено, що автоматизація виробничих процесів і впровадження інформаційних технологій (ІТ) в організаційно-управлінську діяльність становлять істотну частку в структурі витрат сучасної компанії. Тому проблеми зменшення витрат, зумовлених процесами експлуатації інформаційних систем, набувають особливої актуальності в умовах нестійкого фінансово-економічного стану. Розрізняють хмари громади, державні, приватні та гібридні. Громадські хмарні послуги призначені для вільного користування широкою громадськістю. Через проблеми безпеки багато покупців уникають або лише вибірково переходять на громадські хмари. Доведено, що вдосконалення технології віртуалізації та зростаючі можливості обладнаних заздалегідь інженерних хмарних інфраструктур дають змогу клієнтам розгортати хмарні сервіси в комфорті та безпеці приватних хмар. Організації прагнуть використовувати хмарні обчислення не лише у повністю державних/приватних проєктах, а й у поєднанні цих моделей, званих гібридними хмарами (гібридні хмари). У цьому разі замовник може зберігати внутрішню комп’ютерну мережу не на основі хмари, але водночас повністю передавати деякі функції, такі як резервне копіювання та зберігання даних, до публічного постачальника хмар. У 2018 р. обсяг світового ринку суспільних хмарних послуг становив близько 182 мільярдів, що на 27% більше, ніж роком раніше. Розглянутий ринок зростає в 4,5 рази швидше, ніж уся ІТ-галузь. Обсяг світового ринку послуг хмарної інфраструктури у 2018 р. перевищив 80 мільярдів доларів, збільшившись на 46% порівняно з 2017 р. До кінця 2019 р. понад 30% інвестицій у програмне забезпечення, пропоновані постачальниками технологій, перейдуть із хмари на хмару до лише хмари. У майбутньому це відображає стійку тенденцію до подальшого зниження популярності споживання програмного забезпечення на основі роялті на користь моделі SaaS та хмарних обчислень за підпискою. Основним чинником, що стримує розвиток хмарної інфраструктури, є обмежена пропускна здатність каналів зв’язку. За результатами масштабного дослідження ринку хмарних технологій було виявлено, що дві третини респондентів уважають проблеми конфіденційності даних основними бар’єрами на шляху використання хмар.

This paper presents the development of next generation e-learning systems for real-time video, voice conferencing and streaming technology over secure socket layer (SSL) IPv6 in campus environment. Development of the V2oIP e-learning systems has contributed a significant value to distance learning. The aim of this study is to design real time interactive learning systems with security over SSL IPv6 for next generation network. This study shows the process and development of e-learning systems with V2oIP technology. Based on the results of this study, it is successfully develop e-learning systems with V2oIP technology over SSL IPv6 for distance learning system. From the result analysis, there is no significant difference between V2oIP SSL IPv6 and V2oIP SSL IPv4 performance issues. It also shows that IPv6 with difference Operating System (OS) has generated low usage RAM and CPU performance. Therefore, implementation of V2oIP e-learning system over SSL IPv6 (next generation network) is able to create mobility and a secure environment for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The art of cardiac auscultation is an essential clinical skill being lost amid growing reliance on modern technology and the steady decline in bedside teaching in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the cardiac auscultatory skills of post-graduate trainees within a single-center designbefore and after a virtual simulation-based training course and to determine the effectiveness of this teaching method on improving diagnostic proficiency. Fifty-eight residents attended a seven-hour virtual simulation-based training course on cardiac auscultation, one hour per month, during their daily graduate medical education sessions. Residents completed a pre-test and post-test on their ability to diagnose 12 important heart sounds and murmurs produced via Harvey, the Cardiology Patient Simulator. Scores were compared using a two-tailed test. Residents also completed a feedback survey before and after the course. All 58 residents completed the course as well as the pre- and post-quiz. Of the 12 auscultatory events analyzed, an overall pre-test identification score of 27.44% and a post-test score of 39.08% (an increase of 42%) were observed, with a response rate of 100%. This represents a statistically significant improvement in diagnostic proficiency (p<0.001). Although not a substitute for in-person bedside teaching, a virtual simulation-based training course is an effective method of teaching cardiac auscultatory skills and improving the diagnostic proficiency of post-graduate trainees in the COVID-19 era.