Times Of Social Isolation Research Articles

Management of the Teaching Process in Higher Education in COVID-19 Pandemic: Socio-Cultural and Economic Aspects

Purpose: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and an increasing share of technology, there has been a shift to online higher education. It was considered justified to know the assessment of the quality of teaching in changing conditions, particularly the influence of the human factor and technology. The research aimed to identify the most important factors determining students' expectations of the teaching process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approach/Methodology/Design: The study was based on the classical experimental design. The empirical material was collected using online surveys (Computer-Assisted Web Interview). Data were statistically analyzed using factor analysis and the test of the homogeneity of variance. Findings: The students found the most critical determinants of the learning process related to the lecturer and then to the technology, confirmed by the model using factor analysis. Data analysis also shows that there are differences in the assessment between blended and online students. Practical Implications: Managing the teaching process requires mindfulness and adaptation to dynamic changes, as well as investment in lecturers' skills and solutions used in an international environment. The results may be useful for the implementation of systemic solutions in higher education in times of social isolation. Originality/Value: The proposed solutions should contribute to remodeling the teaching process at universities.

Mobile learning in teaching radiology in times of social isolation.

Mobile learning in teaching radiology in times of social isolation.

I'm alone but not lonely. U-shaped pattern of self-perceived loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and Greece

ObjectivesIn the past months, many countries have adopted varying degrees of lockdown restrictions to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. According to the existing literature, some consequences of lockdown restrictions on people's lives are beginning to emerge yet the evolution of such consequences in relation to the time spent in lockdown is understudied. To inform policies involving lockdown restrictions, this study adopted a data-driven Machine Learning approach to uncover the short-term time-related effects of lockdown on people's physical and mental health. Study designAn online questionnaire was launched on 17 April 2020, distributed through convenience sampling and was self-completed by 2,276 people from 66 different countries. MethodsFocusing on the UK sample (N = 325), 12 aggregated variables representing the participant's living environment, physical and mental health were used to train a RandomForest model to estimate the week of survey completion. ResultsUsing an index of importance, Self-Perceived Loneliness was identified as the most influential variable for estimating the time spent in lockdown. A significant U-shaped curve emerged for loneliness levels, with lower scores reported by participants who took part in the study during the 6th lockdown week (p = 0.009). The same pattern was replicated in the Greek sample (N = 137) for week 4 (p = 0.012) and 6 (p = 0.009) of lockdown. ConclusionsFrom the trained Machine Learning model and the subsequent statistical analysis, Self-Perceived Loneliness varied across time in lockdown in the UK and Greek populations, with lower symptoms reported during the 4th and 6th lockdown weeks. This supports the dissociation between social support and loneliness, and suggests that social support strategies could be effective even in times of social isolation.

Approaching a New Normal: Lessons Learned Transitioning Family Education Programming to a Virtual Environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting deep-rooted health inequities. While the virus itself does not discriminate, gaps in access to services and disparities in health outcomes are prevalent. Concerns over worsening mental health outcomes and increases in family violence exist. Thus, service organizations have faced an unprecedented call to rethink services, with many transitioning to virtual programming to ensure the needs of their clients can be met. This brief highlights lessons learned as one organization pivoted to meet critical client needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests atypically high engagement and retention in family education and family violence reduction programming under Safer at Home orders when compared with pre-COVID engagement. Findings suggest key tenants for program success are tied to strong programming, staff engagement, and participation retention and satisfaction. Program adaptations create opportunities for increasing service equity, improving engagement and satisfaction, and improving family and mental health outcomes by maintaining connections, while providing a model for delivering services to reduce child maltreatment during times of social isolation and increased hardship.

Urban nature exposure in the time of COVID-19: associations between visitation patterns, mental health and perceived value

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for people worldwide experiencing restrictions and social isolation. The present study focuses on the exploration of the health benefits from visits to urban green (UGS) and urban blue spaces (UBS) during the third wave of COVID-19, as well as practices and perceptions towards urban nature in pre- and post-lockdown Greece. METHODS: In February 2021 we conducted an online survey among 925 participants (18-65 years old, 30% male) on the engagement with UGS and UBS (proximity, ease of access, frequency, duration, motivation and types of UGS/UBS visited, as well as view of UGS and UBS from home) pre- and post-lockdown. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and subjective questions were used to determine the value participants attach to urban nature. RESULTS:Lockdown measures resulted in a reduction of visitation and availability of different types of UGS and UBS, while the time spent in nature was either unchanged or slightly increased. The main motivation for using urban nature was walking and relaxing both pre- and post-lockdown. Participants’ wellbeing was negatively affected during lockdown; however, access and view of UGS and/or UBS were perceived as helpful for coping with negative emotions, while visitation was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. The presence of UGS and/or UBS within the urban fabric was perceived as highly important by 89% of participants, who attached a higher value to urban nature after having experienced social isolation at home. Finally, a clear preference for continuing visiting UGS and UBS after the lifting of the lockdown was observed. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings show the positive association between UGS and/or UBS exposure and mental health improvement in times of social isolation, highlighting the need to integrate ecosystem services into urban design. KEYWORDS: built environment, green space, blue space, COVID-19, mental health outcomes

Veterans and animals: A review of the literature on well-being and social isolation and recommendations during COVID-19

LAY SUMMARY Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative consequences of social isolation on well-being, the authors wanted to better understand the impact animals have on Veteran well-being during times of social isolation. The authors searched current articles to find the answer. What was found was limited, but the findings support that human-animal interaction has beneficial effects on Veteran well-being ameliorating the consequences of social isolation.

Watching Muratova in a Time of Social Isolation

Watching Muratova in a Time of Social Isolation

The Six Lessons of Mises

From the perspective of the market as a process, the market only exists to the extent that exchanges take place. So, what is better in times of social isolation: intervene to ensure that the market works or let the market freeze freely? Moreover, to what extent is it possible to intervene in the market in times of pandemic, preserving the principles of economic freedom? Based on the principles of cooperation and economic calculation proposed by Mises, the objective of this paper is to analyze the possibilities of public policy in a situation of social isolation. Among the main public policy devised in this time of the pandemic, the following measures have provided the continuity of the market process: credit, tax deferrals, and emergency assistance or paycheck protection program. The concern with the preservation of the economic calculation extends to all supply chain linkages, including final customers, for to companies continue to do their economic calculation.

Formação do professor no ensino da Matemática em tempos de isolamento social no ensino híbrido: uma revisão sistemática

Em tempos de isolamento social as atividades escolares vivem um novo formato de ensino, exigindo esforços de toda uma equipe escolar, onde professores e estudantes buscam alternativas para construção de conhecimento e desenvolvimento educacional na modalidade híbrida. Diante disso, ressalta-se a importância da formação continuada para o aperfeiçoamento de metodologias e utilização de novas tecnologias no ensino da matemática, analisando sistematicamente como o espaço escolar tem auxiliado neste momento. Esta pesquisa objetivou analisar e refletir o desenvolvimento do ensino de matemática na modalidade híbrida e remota em tempos de isolamento social, bem como a formação docente inicial e continuada e suas competências didáticas necessárias. A metodologia se deu pela busca em meio científico de artigos, documentos, e-books publicados nos últimos cinco anos, utilizando-se da plataforma Google Acadêmico. Após a leitura dos respectivos resumos foram selecionados 28 artigos científicos em função de sua importância ao contexto educacional. Os resultados revelaram que a produção científica vem evidenciando a importância para uso de novas tecnologias no ensino hibrido, bem como a formação continuada do professor com inserção de novas propostas de ensino. Assim, a pesquisa aponta para necessidade de novos estudos, direcionando a reflexão do leitor para uma verificação da prática docente em relação ao uso de novas tecnologias. Pois, a realidade demonstrada não evidencia existência de inserção, novas propostas pedagógicas, bem como acessibilidade às exigências que o novo cenário em tempos de pandemia exige a implantação do ensino híbrido e remoto na educação brasileira.

Using iPads for Video Analysis Physics Labs in Times of Social Isolation

For science students doing traditional laboratory experiments, often it may feel as if the apparatus and experiment have been specifically chosen for good results. They suspect that the science they are learning in the classroom will not match nearly as well in the real world. However, many educators have observed that student motivation and learning are improved when students make a connection between the classroom and the real world. Connecting the physics classroom to the real world can be accomplished, even in times of social isolation, with video analysis lab projects using videos taken by students based upon their interests.

Dance as Lifeline: Transforming Means for Engagement and Connection in Times of Social Isolation.

Over the past 20 years, dance has emerged as a safe, effective, and evidence-based community intervention that helps thousands of people living with Parkinson's disease around the globe maintain well-being and improve quality of life. From its initial emergence to the present, COVID-19 has posed fundamental challenges to people living with Parkinson's, forcing them to balance the need and desire to stay active and socially connected with the requirement to adhere to strict shelter-at-home orders. As cities and towns worldwide began shutting down in early 2020, people living with Parkinson's found themselves unable to access live dance activities that had provided consistent, reliable physical support; joyful cognitive stimulation; emotional connection; and social engagement. Government sanctioned closures and stay-at-home orders increased the potential for apathy, isolation, anxiety, and stress-factors that are already heightened in people with Parkinson's. COVID-19 also exacerbated disparities based on race, language, socioeconomic background, and age, inequities already present in the Parkinson's community and in Parkinson's-focused dance programming. In this article, the authors provide a description and analysis of ways one dance for Parkinson's program addressed multiples challenges through three key initiatives: online group classes in English and Spanish, telephone-based resources for people without internet access, and robust online training opportunities for teaching artists. The authors outline ways in which the pandemic has increased the inclusive nature of dance for Parkinson's programming and suggest that changes implemented during the pandemic will permanently alter program delivery for the better when it is safe to restore group classes in community settings.

PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHODRAMATISTS IN EDUCATION: AN ONLINE PROJECT DEVELOPED DURING THE PANDEMIC

This article presents the socionomic project Ouvindo a Escola (Listening the School) and its developments, a set of socio-psychodramatic practices carried out during the year 2020, generated in remote mode and in times of pandemic. We start by making a brief history of Educational Psychology and continue pointing Psychodramatic Pedagogy as a transformative perspective in the socio-educational field. The project involved 11 psychodramatists, 39 teachers and 15 public school workers. We intend to give visibility to referenced practices that can contribute to Critical School Psychology within the scope of public education and propose ways of action, in times of social isolation.

Teletrabalho na atualidade: quais são os impactos no desempenho profissional, bem-estar e contexto de trabalho?

From the pandemic imposed by the new coronavirus, teleworking proved to be a promising and desirable work arrangement alternative in times of social isolation, so that it has received increasingly priority attention in human resources management research agendas in the public sector. Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) was one of the pioneers in adopting teleworking in Brazil and, therefore, it was the locus of this study. This study explored the positive and negative sides of teleworking in Serpro from the point of view of managers, teleworkers and colleagues and also compared teleworkers and no teleworkers with regard to the professional performance, work context and work well-being. The research method included questionnaires and textual analysis, analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney tests. About the positive sides of teleworking, the most relevant points were productivity increase and quality of life increase. About negative sides, technical difficulties and social interaction limitations can be pointed out. Results also showed that teleworkers have more positive perceptions about work context, professional performance and work well-being. This study provides a reflective look on adopting and implementing teleworking for public managers.

The Rope

The Rope

ENSINO REMOTO EMERGENCIAL E A DISCIPLINA DE SOCIOLOGIA EM TURMAS DA MODALIDADE EJA: UM RELATO SOBRE ESTÁGIO DOCENTE EM CEILÂNDIA, DF

The present essay is an empirical report regarding a teaching internship in Sociology in a public high school located in Ceilândia, a subarban area of Brasilia, Brazil’s capitol. The internship was realized online because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The internship was conducted under the supervision of Thais Ferreira Brayner, a sociology teacher in the CEM 03 de Ceilândia, the school chosen for the teching practice. The activities were conducted in EJA’s classes, a modality destined to the education of youngsters and adults who ahd previously abondonned their studies. The classes were composed by students of the second year of high school distributed between two shifts. Based on the empirical data collected during the internship, it is possible to present new information about the difficulties and social obstacles to education in times of social isolation and online activities.

Older people and technology: Time to smarten up our act

The NHS faces challenges today that it was not designed to tackle at its conception in 1948. The UK demographic has changed considerably with higher life expectancy and 'an ageing population'. Keeping this demographic healthy through prevention and management of age-related degeneration is crucial to their independence and improving resource utilisation. The Department of Health and Social Care's agenda for digital transformation of the NHS is facilitating a move towards preventative healthcare and greater community care, which will likely be supported by virtual healthcare delivery models. Despite views on digital illiteracy in the older population, this demographic may stand to benefit the most. Research has shown that the older demographic adopts technology in line with the technology acceptance model if their needs are carefully considered. Executed successfully, the deployment of virtual healthcare could save transformational costs to the NHS and support better quality of life for the senior members of society. This is particularly relevant in the current COVID-19 pandemic with patients facing challenges in accessing outpatient appointments. With many hospitals kickstarting virtual outpatient clinics to ensure continuity of care during a time of social isolation; we await to see the ingenuities that arise from the current pandemic.

O uso do google maps como tecnologia educacional para mapeamento da área no processo de territorialização virtual na atenção básica: um relato de experiência

Objetivo: objetivo demonstrar a importância do uso do Google Maps como recurso didático aplicado na territorialização em saúde de forma virtual. Metodologia: Trata-se de um relato de experiência, o qual descreve reflexões e aspectos vivenciados em relação à aplicação do Google Maps na territorialização em atenção básica. Resultados: A possibilidade oferecida pelo Google maps de realizar a territorialização em saúde de forma virtual, propiciou ao aluno a oportunidade de conhecer o território mesmo em tempos de isolamento social e se mostrou uma ferramenta geotecnológica muito eficaz no processo de territorialização, comtemplando dessa forma todos os objetivos propostos no roteiro para territorialização virtual. O mapeamento e o georreferenciamento, através do Google maps, objetivam tornar o processo de territorialização algo contínuo, favorecendo a aproximação entre profissionais e população. Conclusão: o Google maps tem grande potencial como recurso didático, pois se mostrou eficaz promovendo uma aproximação com a realidade espacial e social, contribuindo para um melhor entendimento dos alunos nos aspectos abordados durante processo de territorialização em saúde realizado na atenção básica.

Physical Activity, Loneliness, and Meaning of Friendship in Young Individuals - A Mixed-Methods Investigation Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Three Cross-Sectional Studies.

Meaningful social interactions and regular physical activity are inversely associated with loneliness. Using a mixed-methods research design employing quantitative and qualitative research approaches, this research aimed to explore loneliness, physical activity, friendship, and experiences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic both prior to and during the pandemic. Quantitative data of (1) n = 363 first-year university students assessed in 2018/2019 and of (2) n = 175 individuals aged 18–29 years assessed in 2020 were gathered using independent self-administered online surveys. In addition, (3) n = 4 students were recruited for semi-structured, qualitative interviews in 2020 during the onset phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlation and regression analyses as well as analyses of variance were conducted. Thematic analysis as a qualitative method was used to explore the role physical activity, friendship, and social interactions played in loneliness, particularly in times of social isolation and social distancing. Results revealed associations of varying strength between physical activity and loneliness in 2018/2019 (r = −0.09, p ≤ 0.05) and 2020 (r = −0.20, p < 0.01). In 2020, n = 73 (41.7%) participants felt that their loneliness had increased since the COVID-19 social and physical distancing guidelines were introduced, but this was not associated with a perceived change in physical activity (r = −0.05, p > 0.05). Analyses of qualitative data revealed three main themes: (1) the lack of deep friendships at university, (2) the positive perceived impact of team sports on feelings of loneliness, and (3) the need for real connection in times of crisis. Thus, with regard to feelings of loneliness during the pandemic, being physically active seems to be a small but potentially relevant factor among young individuals. The qualitative study suggests that first-year university students might buffer the lack of deep friendships and meaningful interactions by building social bonds in team sports. In times of physical distancing, young individuals vulnerable to loneliness may therefore require special support such as doing sports with physical distance and perceiving connected with their team for instance by digital devices and emotional coping.

Mental well-being profiles and physical activity in times of social isolation by the COVID-19: a latent class analysis

ABSTRACT The aim was to identify mental well-being profiles emerged during the COVID-19 home isolation. Given the multifaceted and multidirectionality of mental well-being, depressive symptoms, affect and resilience were selected as factors (indicators) and gender, age, Body Mass Index and physical activity as correlates. A second goal was to uncover the connections between these profiles and physical activity practice. 2423 Spanish citizens (870 males, 1553 females), age range 16–88 years, participated. They answered an online questionnaire released one week after the shelter-at-home health order (14 March 2020), and data were collected during one full week (21–28 March 2020). Latent class analyses showed three mental well-being profiles: High: Class 3, 22.1% population, 40–54 years, men=women, normal weight, significantly lower depressive symptoms and negative affect, and higher resilience. Low: Class 1, 18.7% population, 40 years, more females, intermediate levels in all variables. Results also showed that more individuals in the High group performed physical activity prior to the confinement (81.1%), significantly more vigorous and moderate physical activity during the isolation and met WHO recommendations on physical activity practice (60%). On the contrary, in the Low group, fewer individuals performed physical activity prior to the confinement (69.6%), significantly less vigorous and moderate physical activity during the isolation and met WHO recommendations (30.5%). Conclusion, resilience and physical activity seemed to act as “protective elements” in stressful situations. They should be promoted.

Impact of social isolation by Coronavirus disease 2019 in food: a narrative review

ABSTRACT The objective of this narrative review, with a systematic survey, was to investigate the impact of social isolation on food (eating habits) during the 2019 Coronavirus disease pandemic. A retrieval of studies published from January 1st, 2019 to June 18th, 2020 was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases. The screening was structured using the terms corresponding to Coronavirus disease 2019, social isolation and food. All steps were carried out independently by three reviewers. Twelve studies were included, totaling 20,789 people assessed, with a predominance of cross-sectional studies of adult population. The studies reviewed had been carried out in Italy (n=4), Spain (n=2), Poland (n=1), China (n=1), India (n=1), United States of America (n=1), South Africa (n=1) and in a continental multicenter (n=1). The analysis of the studies included showed that most people reported that they did not change their usual diet; in addition, an increase in cooking habits, consumption of fruits and vegetables and a decrease in the consumption of alcoholic beverages was observed. A decrease in fish consumption and an increase in comfort foods were also reported. It was found that food habits changed in times of social isolation. We suggest that new investigations be carried out in different socioeconomic and demographic frameworks. We propose to continue the study on this theme, with a systematic review with or without meta-analysis.