On-line Methodology Research Articles

Think piece: ethics for the virtual researcher

ABSTRACT In ethics, there are profound distinctions between conducting research online and traditional face-to-face research methods. Some of the differences often appear overwhelming for individuals in the early stages of their research career due to the introduction of new technical terminology related to the online environment. Whilst ethics in the virtual world is complex due to complete confidentiality and anonymity becoming increasingly out of reach, there are ways to mitigate against these new challenges. When applying for ethical approval, I argue that students should consider how their online research challenges ethical norms for obtaining informed consent, determine what is public and private data, and define confidentiality and anonymity in the virtual world. The author is a former PhD candidate, and some of the themes discussed in this think-piece presented themselves in the data collection of online surveys. Furthermore, the author has sometimes observed an absence of thought to online ethics from dissertation students when applying online methodologies. Thus, this piece attempts to stimulate thinking in this area and is aimed at individuals involved in the submission of ethics for dissertation projects.

Individual motorcycling safety: creating a safety profile from riding data

Motorcycle riders are vulnerable road users, who suffer fatal accident outcomes at significantly higher rates than car drivers. Lifesaving assistance systems are considerably harder to integrate in the operation of a motorcycle, compared to the operation of a more predictably moving car. Here we present a methodology of estimating an individual rider's classifier of “risky” dynamics from their riding behaviour on several popular motorcycling routes in an experimental set up. Using clustering of common motions and data obtained at known accident sites, as well as an updating regime for the model fit to the individual rider, we are able to identify potential riding risks in an online methodology and determine the driving factors (i.e., the most relevant dynamics for a motion to be classified as risky) in the risk estimate, to potentially base interventions on.

Repurposing lectures and reviews into educational blogs.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a disruption in health education,1 and the delivery of content and skill development evolved into hybrid models, where most of the knowledge-based material is delivered online and the practical activities in person. This requires the faculty to have technological skills, to create learning objects (LO) that are suitable for the online methodology. A LO can be used as a stand-alone module or as a resource to create content.2 The repurpose of LOs has been described in health sciences education, including nursing3 and dentistry,4 with favorable response from the students. A proposed strategy to create LOs in an efficient manner, is to follow the concept of a supply chain, from planning to deployment, with the possibility of repurposing the material for a variety of educational contexts, using tools with the potential to export to diverse media.5 The transformation of a lecture or a literature review to a digital format, constitutes a re-design where the material evolves to produce additional educational objects. The New Media Consortium has created specific guidelines for the creation of learning objects.6 Some examples are a sharable content object reference model (SCORM) for a learning management system (LMS); a video file; a written document (blog or manual); or even a podcast. The newly developed LO can be used not only for teaching purposes, but also for marketing or showcasing to potential students and collaborators (Figure 1). By repurposing lectures designed for in-person instruction, and literature reviews created as complementary readings, a collection of blogs was created and hosted on an open platform (ostrowon.usc.edu). The blogs are organized by discipline and provide useful information regarding clinical entities and their management, suitable for clinicians or patients. The analytics on the website (April 1st – June 30th, 2022), show that the most visited blogs are those focusing on step-by-step “how-to”s for clinical procedures (Figure 2). The main challenge is to maintain a continuous flow of updated information. The proposed model of blog creation based on existing content could be used for any discipline. Further research is required to compare the efficacy of the blogs with other types of tools, such as videos and podcasts for dental education.

Impact of using authentic online learning environments on students’ perceived employability

The digitalization and globalization of society and the corresponding impact on the rules of the labor market is shifting the education sector toward new pedagogical approaches that integrate wholly online methodologies. Sustainable Development Goal 4 advocates for inclusive and equitable quality education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities, and, as we have seen during the COVID-19 lockdown, online learning can play a key role. In a context where lifelong learning becomes crucial to maintaining graduates’ employability, the innovative teaching methodologies that promote employable competencies in online environments are especially desirable. With the purpose of improving the employability of students, this article analyses the impact of introducing the Authentic Learning Scenarios (ALS) paradigm in an online environment. We develop a quasi-experimental design. Based on the nine ALS criteria and their application to e-learning, we redesign a course in a business degree program. Data from 135 students were collected, with special focus on achieving general competences. We compare the perception of the competency profile attained between a group of students who took the course before incorporating the ALS paradigm and another group that took it once it had been redesigned. Results show that redesigning the course enables students to perceive the learning process as more authentic, as well as acquiring a more advanced competence profile. Besides this, it has been shown that technology can contribute to building cognitive authenticity in virtual classrooms, without the need for face-to-face internships, which are often not a feasible option for students of online programs.

Assessment of COVID-19’s Impact on EdTech: Case Study on an Educational Platform, Architecture and Teachers’ Experience

The education sector has been confronted with different challenges due to the situation caused by the pandemic, when families were asked to be confined at home as well as return when schools were opened. This lockdown situation presented both a challenge for the EdTech sector and for teachers and families. Consequently, this study analyzes the importance of online methodologies, usage of an educational resource example, and the impact of the lockdown. Thus, these objectives are assessed from different perspectives such as users’ consumption, technical challenges of cloud architecture and experience from teachers who have used the platform during the lockdown. In this way, to understand the challenges of Cloud architecture, the structure of the Pre-COVID-19 platform and the changes implemented to adapt to the new needs are described. An increase in schools’ subscriptions was observed when home lockdown was decreed, the differences in usage with the return to the classroom are also discussed. The research methodology entailed an assessment instrument developed for teachers. Teachers highlight the contents of Smile and Learn platform and their motivational characteristics for the students’ learning. The assessment points out the limitations that many teachers face while using these resources.

Data Quality and Recall Bias in Time-Diary Research: The Effects of Prolonged Recall Periods in Self-Administered Online Time-Use Surveys

Previous research has shown that a prolonged recall period is associated with lower data quality in time-diary research. In these studies, the recall period is roughly estimated on the basis of the period between the assigned diary day and the agreed collection day. Because this is so rudimentary, little is known about the duration of the mean recall period and its consequences for data quality. Recent advances in online methodology now allow a better investigation of the recall period using time stamps. Using a refined indicator, the authors examine the duration of the recall period, to what extent this duration is related to socioeconomic characteristics, and how a prolonged recall period affects data quality. The authors demonstrate that using online time-diary data collected from 8,535 teachers in Belgium, the mean recall period is less than 24 hr for most respondents, although respondents with many time constraints have extended recall periods. Additionally, a prolonged recall period indeed has negative consequences for data quality. Quality deterioration already arises several hours after an activity has been completed, much sooner than previous research has indicated.

ONLINE COURSE "FROM IDEA TO FINAL PRODUCT": ORGANIZATIONAL, CONTENT, AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented changes and challenges to the ways of learning, teaching, and communicating within educational institutions. Prophylactic isolation measures, adopted globally, have discontinued face-to-face teaching and precipitated distance learning. This reality highlighted the importance of online courses as creative initiatives to overcome space and time constraints in a limited pedagogical context. It was in this scope that the Project "Exploration of online methodologies in the development of competencies in the audiovisual area" emerged, proposing the creation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in the audiovisual area (from the idea to the final product) and the development of the online platform LOOP for the implementation and availability of this and other courses held afterward. The project involves three Portuguese higher education institutions and one Spanish one, motivated to develop innovative proposals, both in research and education. Moreover, this network presents a diversity of training in degree courses, master's, and technological specialization programs, which allows us privileged contact with the students and helps us establish priorities and needs. This paper focuses on the survey and analysis, at the national and international level, of MOOCs dedicated to the themes of audiovisual production to expose parameters of both organizational and content scope. The methodological approach will be divided into two phases: a) identification of the criteria for analyzing courses through the literature review; b) and selection of the courses to be analyzed. This selection will be conducted through a database search, identifying the keywords in Portuguese, English, and Spanish: audiovisual online course; audiovisual free course; filmmaking course; scriptwriting course; video editing course; and other derivations. It is hoped to present a set of guidelines for developing the course related to the organization and the content.

Five-year-old children show cooperative preferences for faces with white sclera

The cooperative eye hypothesis posits that human eye morphology evolved to facilitate cooperation. Although it is known that young children prefer stimuli with eyes that contain white sclera, it is unknown whether white sclera influences children’s perception of a partner’s cooperativeness specifically. In the current studies, we used an online methodology to present 5-year-old children with moving three-dimensional face models in which facial morphology was manipulated. Children found “alien” faces with human eyes more cooperative than faces with dark sclera (Study 2) but not faces with enlarged irises (Study 1). For more human-like faces (Study 3), children found human eyes more cooperative than either enlarged irises or dark sclera and found faces with enlarged irises cuter (but not more cooperative) than eyes with dark sclera. Together, these results provide strong support for the cooperative eye hypothesis.

Consensus of the Brazilian Headache Society (SBCe) for the Prophylactic Treatment of Episodic Migraine: part I.

The Brazilian Headache Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Cefaleia, SBCe, in Portuguese) nominated a Committee of Authors with the aim of establishing a consensus with recommendations regarding prophylactic treatment for episodic migraine based on articles published in the worldwide literature, as well as personal experience. Migraine affects 1 billion people around the world and more than 30 million Brazilians. In addition, it is an underdiagnosed and undertreated disorder. It is well known within the medical community of neurologists, and especially among headache specialists, that there is a need to disseminate knowledge about prophylactic treatment for migraine. For this purpose, together with the need for drug updates and to expand knowledge of the disease itself (frequency, intensity, duration, impact and perhaps the progression of migraine), this Consensus was developed, following a full online methodology, by 12 groups who reviewed and wrote about the pharmacological categories of the drugs used and, at the end of the process, met to read and establish conclusions for this document. The drug classes studied were: anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, monoclonal anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (anti-CGRP) antibodies, beta-blockers, antihypertensives, calcium channel inhibitors, other antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs, and dual-action antidepressants), other drugs, and polytherapy. Hormonal treatment and anti-inflammatories and triptans in minimum prophylaxis schemes (miniprophylaxis) will be covered in a specific chapter. The drug classes studied for part I of the Consensus were: anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, monoclonal anti-CGRP antibodies, and beta-blockers.

Reimagining Multiliteracies for Science and Mathematics Teacher Candidates during the Pandemic

The researchers used a duo-ethnographic approach to examine mathematics and science teacher-candidates (TCs) experiences with a Multiliteracies Across the Curriculum course during the pandemic and how the shift to online delivery impacted their attitudes. Through one researcher’s course reflections and students’ anonymous course survey comments in 2020, the research revealed that some TCs lack of exposure to literacy-based teaching impacted their literacy identities and initial resistance to the course. However, the shift to online learning, increased course relevance, exposure to diverse online methodologies and multiliterate tools seemed to have positively impacted mathematics and science TCs attitudes toward Multiliteracies Across the Curriculum compared to previous years.

Intercultural discussion of conceptual universals in discourse: joint online methodology to bring about social change through novel conceptualizations of Covid-19

The present article addresses the professional conclusions of an international platform of education in intercultural discourse in the European Union’s EDUC Project. In flagging social issues and concerns, cross-cultural academic collaboration is a powerful tool to bring about social change. In our educational project participants encounter different cultures, so the discussed topics, and especially the metaphors for the Covid-19 pandemic, receive instant reflections from different cultural perspectives, multiplying the potential sphere of valid interpretations, yielding novel perspectives in intercultural pragmatics and communication. This gives birth to a novel methodology that builds on the open-minded integration of different points of view, understanding universal traits of human cognition and differences in culture in the linguistics of discourse.

E-Portfolio as an Evaluative Tool for Emergency Virtual Education: Analysis of the Case of the University Andres Bello (Chile) During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic had serious implications for university education, specifically due to the transition from face-to-face teaching to online methodologies. This article analyzes the perception of students undergoing speech therapy from a Chilean University about the E-portfolio incorporation as an evaluative tool during the emergency virtual teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From quantitative research, a survey of 38 questions based on Likert scales was applied to 108 penultimate year undergraduate students. The survey demonstrated that there is an improvement in the methodology and teaching support, as well as in the creativity and professionalism of the students.

Board-Game-Based Online Methodology Improves Student Learning and Sense of Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Board-Game-Based Online Methodology Improves Student Learning and Sense of Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Motherhood in Academia during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Online Photovoice Study Addressing Issues of Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education.

Combining motherhood and academic work in higher education has been discussed for decades with the pandemic further exposing the inequalities. This crisis has significantly impacted the daily life of mothers in academia as they devote more time to keep their careers on track, produce papers, and take on other parenting and schooling responsibilities. This paper employs photovoice as an online methodology to document the real-life experiences of 68 women from nine countries who work and parent children in the sudden transition to remote working and learning environments. By explaining the photographs from their perspective, the participants in this study were able to capture their lived experiences, discuss working from home while guiding children in online learning, and create suggestions for ways academic institutions can alleviate gender inequality. The article explores the critical issues of academic work and childrearing drawing international attention to address issues of equity and inclusion in higher education among researchers, policymakers, and institutions.

Effective soundscape characterisation of an acoustic metamaterial based window: A comparison between laboratory and online methods

Qualitative investigation of the sound environment from human perception has lately reached wider attention through psychophysical and Soundscape descriptors; However, laboratory or in situ questionnaire can only reach a limited amount of demographic backgrounds, as, in a limited variety of cultural and geographical variation in a medium-short time, risking to bias/influence the results of the analysis. Starting from a related paper, the authors illustrated how to include human perception and psychoacoustics in evaluating an acoustic metawindow (AMW) unit effectiveness. This paper investigates the robustness of the mixed laboratory and online methodology and proves the validity of the exclusively online-based soundscape questionnaire method according to a number of headset setups. For this reason, a first Laboratory experiment with a fixed and controlled setup was followed by an Online 1 experiment, where the same participants took the same questionnaire (with a three weeks' time difference). Finally, the Online 2 experiment was used to broaden the sample background (results concerned the online method only). The setups mostly influenced the participants' responses by neutralising it (in 48% of the cases) while reporting a rate with an acceptable error (45% of Δrate = 0/5 and 39% of Δrate = 1/5). Wired headphones based rates agreed with the laboratory one consistently (36% of Δrate = 0 and overall CV = 2–25% through soundscape descriptors). Wired earphones had a similar Δrate percentage but with an overall more neutralised soundscape perception (overall CV = 1–40% compared with Laboratory rates). Wireless earphones caused the extremer Δrate (54% of Δrate = 3). Finally, natural and human noises are more detectable spontaneously, while traffic or other artificial noise are mostly recognised when directly addressed to the participants. This additional analysis gives more precise information about how efficient is the online method compared to the laboratory one. If accounted accordingly, an online-based soundscape questionnaire setup could also be viewed as a solid alternative to grasp a wider range of human perception points of view according to a broader cultural and geographical background.

Editorial: Impact of Education 4.0 for Second Language Learning and Teaching

The change in worldwide mobility is a natural and inevitable feature today as we are in the digital era now. Education 4.0 is driven by the commencement of Industry 4.0, which is a present trend of digitalization and automation of industries. Technology integrated teaching and learning (Education 4.0) is useful for effective education. The concept of Education 4.0 has gained popularity in recent days. Education 4.0 methodologies have prompted areas of scholarly inquiry, new communicative practices, increasing opportunities for intercultural engagement, supporting new instructional formats and changing the day-to-day communication and learning practices of both teachers and students.Without a doubt, there is no exemption for Second Language Learning and Teaching too. The adoption of Education 4.0 helps support the acquisition of Second Language Learning and Teaching easier. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to publish articles that focus on second language learning and teaching concerning digital integration and online methodologies (Education 4.0).This Special Issue intends to include a range of studies that consider diverse theoretical and instructional practices for second language learning and teaching using technologies. This special issue is not only limited to empirical research but also welcomes conceptual articles that discuss multiple research approaches to investigations of digital writing and examine relevant theoretical frameworks and constructs, which guide empirical research and research-informed pedagogies for second language learning and teaching. Besides, it also welcomes articles related to linguistics/literary discourse.

Impact of COVID-19 on cancer caregivers: Results from the Global Carer Well-being Index.

460 Background: Caregiver burden has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Carer Well-being Index is a global research study commissioned by Embracing Carers, a partnered initiative with nine global caregiving organizations. The study sought to explore and delineate the impact of the pandemic on the health and well-being of caregivers across the globe, including those caring for persons with cancer. Methods: The survey was conducted via online and phone methodologies in September and October 2020, with over 9,000 unpaid carers across 12 countries, including the United States and Canada. Unpaid carers were defined as those who care for someone with a long-term illness (e.g., cancer), physical disability (e.g., spinal cord injury), or cognitive/mental condition (e.g., Alzheimer’s). The base sample size for cancer caregivers from the global surveyed population was n=1035. Statistically significant differences between cancer carers and non-cancer carers were evaluated using the Chi-square test with p ≤ 0.05. Results: 63% of all caregivers were women, with a 60/40 female to male split in the cancer carer group. While the average age of started caregiving was 37.2 years, and 39.0 in cancer carers, caregivers caring for someone with cancer were more likely than the average caregiver to be in the 60+ age group. Compared to non-cancer caregivers surveyed, a higher percentage of cancer caregivers became carers in the last year (26 vs 13% of non-cancer caregivers). Providing emotional support, managing doctor appointments, preparing meals, home maintenance and housekeeping, transportation, and giving/managing medications were more likely to be among cancer caregivers' primary responsibilities, compared to non-cancer caregivers. Cancer carers were significantly more likely than non-cancer carers to have reported negative impacts because of COVID on their emotional/mental, physical, and financial health, and paid work responsibilities. Overall, cancer caregivers were significantly more likely to report that COVID has made caregiving harder than non-cancer caregivers (71 vs 63%), and were more likely to report never receiving support from a variety of organizations, such as insurance organizations (71 vs. 66% non-cancer caregivers) and local/state government (73 vs. 66%). Of note, cancer carers were more likely to report a positive impact on the relationship with the person being cared for (61 vs. 56%). Conclusions: These results highlight the burdens that have been intensified for cancer carers. Actions are needed to help with health and well-being such as offering and promoting mental health services, respite care; providing financial support to take leaves from paid work, access to equipment and services such as housecleaning. By working together with health care providers, organizations, and government on these types of initiatives, the burden upon cancer caregivers can be lessened.

Evaluation of the COVID-19 Lockdown-Adapted Online Methodology for the Cytology and Histology Course as Part of the Degree in Veterinary Medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown brought numerous teaching challenges requiring innovative approaches to teaching and learning, including novel modes of content delivery, virtual classrooms, and online assessment schemes. The aim of this study is to describe and assess the efficacy of the methods implemented at the University of León (Spain) to adapt to lockdowns in the context of the Cytology and Histology (CH) course for veterinary medicine undergraduate students. To evaluate the success of lockdown-adapted methodologies, we used inferential statistical analysis to compare the academic outcomes of two cohorts: 2018–2019 (traditional face-to-face—presential—learning and evaluation) and 2019–2020 (some face-to-face and some online lockdown-adapted learning and online lockdown-adapted evaluation). This analysis considered scores in both theoretical and practical exams and students’ final subject score. We also evaluated the number of logs onto the Moodle platform throughout the 2019–2020 period, as well as performing a student satisfaction survey in both courses. The use of explanatory pre-recorded lectures, continuous online self-assessment tests, and virtual microscopy (VM) may have produced significant improvements in the acquisition of histology competencies among students in the lockdown cohort. However, we need to implement further strategies to improve the assessment of students’ true level of knowledge acquisition. According to the student feedback, VM is a well-accepted resource that is perceived as a flexible and enjoyable tool to use. However, while students found that the resource enhances their ability to learn about microscopic structures, they felt that it should not completely replace optical microscopy.

Online Education in Early Primary Years: Teachers’ Practices and Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions around the world were forced to close and the academic process continued online. Online teaching can support students’ learning, but little research exists in the foundational early primary years (children aged 4–8). The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ practices and experiences in implementing online teaching during the pandemic period. The participants were 14 Greek teachers of early primary years, and data were collected via interviews. The findings indicated that most of the teachers used a combination of teaching practices-approaches, while the learning activities implemented mainly regarded language, psychomotor activities, display of videos, mathematics and interdisciplinary activities. Teachers’ feelings were initially negative, while afterwards they experienced more positive feelings. Disadvantages of online education, as experienced by teachers, mainly regarded technical problems, followed by limited resources/support for children at home, and limited training in online methodology. Teachers’ positive experiences regarded children’s familiarization with the technology and maintenance of contact with the school environment, while the role of the parents was revealed as essential. Implications and suggestions for future online education in early primary years include maintenance of good high-standard teaching practices, enhancement of digital culture and parents’ involvement with children’s activities at home.

The Sociological Confessional: A Reflexive Process in the Transformation From Face-To-Face to Online Interview

This aim of the article is to reflect on a new quality in the researcher-participant relationship caused by the transformation from a face-to-face to an online interview (on the Zoom platform during two first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic). It reports methodological learnings from autoethnography. The concept of an interaction order (Goffman) provides a theoretical lens through which the researcher-participant encounter is being analysed. The study is based on the reflections referring to 31 online in-depth interviews with women (mothers in an ‘empty nest’) conducted by a team of five female researchers. Online research was depicted in literature as an option of a second choice for conducting qualitative studies before 2020 and an online methodology as one in need to be tested. In order to provide the context of our methodological learnings, we will present an overview of our study. Our study consisted of 31 online in-depth interviews with women (mothers in an ‘empty nest’) and was conducted by a team of five female researchers. After having reflected on our experience from the field, called ‘the sociological confessional’, we claim that online interviews have potential to be the option of the first choice to conduct in-depth interviews. We do not see the lack of immediate presence in remote interviews as a setback. On the contrary, we believe that thanks to introducing practices of care about the participant, the revised methodology not only meets the criteria of the qualitative IDI standards, but diminishes emotion work ( Hochschild, 1983 ) on the part of the researcher as well. We find our ‘report from the field’ unique: (1) our study was not planned to be conducted online and (2) it has succeeded in gathering equivalent data during the first stage of the pandemic.