Virtual Mode Research Articles

Perception of Early-Career Biology Teachers on the Impacts of Mentoring Modes on Instructional Delivery Effectiveness

Advancements in technology have led to virtual mentoring complementing or replacing face-to-face mentoring, but the perceived effectiveness of each by early-career biology teachers remains understudied. This study investigated the comparative effectiveness of on-site and virtual mentoring modes as perceived by early-career biology teachers. Three research questions and two null hypotheses were answered and tested, respectively. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study involved 80 early-career biology teachers with less than five years of teaching experience, divided into on-site (n=40) and virtual (n=40) mentoring groups. Data was collected through a validated questionnaire having a reliability coefficient of 0.81. Percentages, means, standard deviations, and t-tests were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that on-site mentoring was perceived to significantly improved content knowledge, instructional strategies, and professional rapport. In contrast, virtual mentoring fostered reflective practice and provided extensive resource access but faced challenges such as scheduling conflicts and technological barriers. Significant differences in perceived effectiveness and challenges between the two modes of mentoring led to the rejection of both null hypotheses. On-site mentoring was perceived as more effective due to its immediate, hands-on support, while virtual mentoring offered valuable flexibility and resource access despite its challenges. A blended mentoring approach was recommended to combine the strengths of both modes for early-career biology teachers.

The Sherbrooke-Lyon Research Training Program in Acoustics - Projet Samuel de Champlain 2022-2024

We present the Sherbrooke-Lyon Research Training Program in Acoustics ("Projet Samuel de Champlain" 2022-2024, funded by the FRQNT: Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologies), which brings together teams from Université de Sherbrooke and from Master of Science in Acoustics of Lyon. This project aims to build a joint teaching program in acoustics through joint courses integrated into the graduate programs of the two institutions, research internships, and academic exchanges of students and researchers associated with the project. The joint courses are based on existing activities at the two institutions, whose content and teaching methods (mainly online) are adapted to the project. In the last two academic years, students from Sherbrooke followed the sound perception course of Lyon in co-modal modalities; and conversely, students from Lyon followed the smart acoustic lab module offered at UdeS in virtual mode. Three undergraduate students took also part in the program during their spring/summer internships (in the other partner lab, resp. CRASH and LVA), developing hybrid and virtual content (numerical laboratories). The presentation will focus mainly on how such innovative collaboration modalities can be applied in the context of education and research at university.

Is the Term "Food Consistency" Used Consistently in Consumer Science? An Exploratory Study of Consumer Association and Conceptualization.

The post-pandemic context has changed the modes for collecting data in sensory and consumer science. The objectives of this research were to analyze consumers' associations of food consistency and to study two virtual modes of the Free Word Association test (FWA). This test was administered to 209 consumers (180 women, 29 men, 18-45 years old) asynchronously (i.e. self-administered) and synchronously (i.e. face to face interviews). The Cognitive Salience Index (CSI) was calculated, and the structure of the social representation was analyzed. Correspondence analysis showed that food consistency was a mixture of concepts related to structure, hardness and several aspects of auditory (e.g., Crunchy, Crispy), tactile (e.g. Smooth, Spreadable) and oral texture (e.g., Creamy, Gummy). Slightly consistent food was associated with something soft, liquid or semisolid, and very consistent food to something hard and resistant. Consistent food was more related to "very" than to "slightly consistent." The CSI depended on the stimulus presented (p < 0.05). Regarding the social representation structure, the central core had the highest CSI for all stimuli (CSI ≥ 0.13, p < 0.05). Consumers defined "very consistent, consistent and slightly consistent food" by naming more foods in the synchronous mode than in the asynchronous one. In the asynchronous mode, consumers took more time to complete the test. The virtual FWA test (asynchronous or synchronous) showed some differences in the associations of term consistency, due to the lack of spontaneity in the first minute. It is important to adjust the methodologies to standardize the times in both modes.

Enhancing Digital Twins with Human Movement Data: A Comparative Study of Lidar-Based Tracking Methods

Digitals twins, used to represent dynamic environments, require accurate tracking of human movement to enhance their real-world application. This paper contributes to the field by systematically evaluating and comparing pre-existing tracking methods to identify strengths, weaknesses and practical applications within digital twin frameworks. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of existing human movement tracking techniques for digital twins in real world environments, with the goal of improving spatial analysis and interaction within these virtual modes. We compare three approaches using indoor-mounted lidar sensors: (1) a frame-by-frame method deep learning model with convolutional neural networks (CNNs), (2) custom algorithms developed using OpenCV, and (3) the off-the-shelf lidar perception software package Percept version 1.6.3. Of these, the deep learning method performed best (F1 = 0.88), followed by Percept (F1 = 0.61), and finally the custom algorithms using OpenCV (F1 = 0.58). Each method had particular strengths and weaknesses, with OpenCV-based approaches that use frame comparison vulnerable to signal instability that is manifested as “flickering” in the dataset. Subsequent analysis of the spatial distribution of error revealed that both the custom algorithms and Percept took longer to acquire an identification, resulting in increased error near doorways. Percept software excelled in scenarios involving stationary individuals. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate tracking methods for specific use. Future work will focus on model optimization, alternative data logging techniques, and innovative approaches to mitigate computational challenges, paving the way for more sophisticated and accessible spatial analysis tools. Integrating complementary sensor types and strategies, such as radar, audio levels, indoor positioning systems (IPSs), and wi-fi data, could further improve detection accuracy and validation while maintaining privacy.

Percepciones sobre educación interprofesional en estudiantes y docentes de primer año en carreras de Ciencias de la Salud a través de Aprendizaje-Servicio en contexto de COVID-19: un análisis mixto

IntroductionInterprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for the training of future health professionals, promoting collaboration and teamwork between disciplines. This study analyzes the perceptions about IPE of students and teachers in first year health sciences courses, using a Service Learning (S-L) methodology, which was conducted online during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodologyA sequential mixed-method approach was implemented involving 88 students and 12 faculty members from Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Speech Therapy. ResultsThe findings revealed significant differences in the disposition towards interprofessional learning and interprofessional education after the intervention, especially in Nutrition and Dietetics students. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis highlighted the favorable perception of students and teachers towards IPE in virtual mode. Key skills such as interaction, communication, commitment, respect, and empathy were highlighted. The triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data showed convergence in “teamwork” and “patient-centeredness”. ConclusionThis study supports the importance of IPE in the undergraduate training of health professionals, even in virtual environments like the present. Students demonstrated an excellent disposition and patient-centered approach. These findings underscore the need to continue developing undergraduate IPE programs, equipping students with skills and competencies for their future professional careers.

Effects of early age of menarche on the health of Indian middle-aged women: A survey study

The age of menarche, which is a sign that a female has reached reproductive maturity, has a significant impact on the health of women. Numerous components, including nutritional status, socioeconomic status, diet, environment, sibling relationship, hereditary and genetic factors, religious group, ethnicity, psychological stress, migration, and chronic illness, have been postulated to influence the age of menarche. Opinions on these theories have varied, both for and against the theory. In a survey it was reported that women complaints joint pains /stiff shoulder and LBA. Risk of musculoskeletal problems and the perception of pain could increase with obesity.To find the prevalence of physiological and psychological health problems in middle-aged females due to early menarche.Women matching the study criteria and willing to participate in the survey were approached and informed consent was taken. An interview was conducted on either a physical or virtual mode by a trained therapist as per the check list designed for this study.The content of the checklist was validated with the help of experts in this study domain and subjected to statistical tests which yielded a Cronbach’s score of 0.967. The participants response on this checklist was analyzed and a strong association of physical and psychological health issue was documented particularly among working women, multiparous women, and with type of delivery women had undergone during 1 pregnancy.The present study documented significant findings with the early age of menarche and its association with physical and psychological health of the women.

ℛSCZ: A Riemannian schizophrenia diagnosis framework based on the multiplexity of EEG-based dynamic functional connectivity patterns

Abnormal electrophysiological (EEG) activity has been largely reported in schizophrenia (SCZ). In the last decade, research has focused to the automatic diagnosis of SCZ via the investigation of an EEG aberrant activity and connectivity linked to this mental disorder. These studies followed various preprocessing steps of EEG activity focusing on frequency-dependent functional connectivity brain network (FCBN) construction disregarding the topological dependency among edges. FCBN belongs to a family of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices forming the Riemannian manifold. Due to its unique geometric properties, the whole analysis of FCBN can be performed on the Riemannian geometry of the SPD space. The advantage of the analysis of FCBN on the SPD space is that it takes into account all the pairwise interdependencies as a whole. However, only a few studies have adopted a FCBN analysis on the SPD manifold, while no study exists on the analysis of dynamic FCBN (dFCBN) tailored to SCZ. In the present study, I analyzed two open EEG-SCZ datasets under a Riemannian geometry of SPD matrices for the dFCBN analysis proposing also a multiplexity index that quantifies the associations of multi-frequency brainwave patterns. I adopted a machine learning procedure employing a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation (LOSO-CV) using snapshots of dFCBN from (N-1) subjects to train a battery of classifiers. Each classifier operated in the inter-subject dFCBN distances of sample covariance matrices (SCMs) following a rhythm-dependent decision and a multiplex-dependent one. The proposed ℛSCZ decoder supported both the Riemannian geometry of SPD and the multiplexity index DC reaching an absolute accuracy (100 %) in both datasets in the virtual default mode network (DMN) source space.

Crystallisation: Solving crystal nucleation problem in the chemical engineering classroom based on the research grade experiments deployed in virtual mode

Crystallization via nucleation can isolate active pharmaceutical ingredients from their crudes. While chemical engineering textbooks provide theoretical knowledge on crystallization and nucleation theories, they often fall short in providing provide practical insights on the nucleation mechanism. To bridge this gap, we introduced a virtual experiment on nucleation in second-year chemical engineering classrooms. The main goal is to educate students on crystallization procedures in research and process industries, teaching them how to analyse and manage collected data while integrating theoretical knowledge. This includes conveying the kind of information that can be obtained from a crystallisation process and instructing students on how to analyse and manage the data collected in the light of the theories learned. We devised an original chemical engineering problem on nucleation, derived directly from the raw data collected in the classroom from virtual experiments. This method differs from the conventional approach of solving standard textbook problems. The textbook problems, regrettably often lack crucial information on how nucleation rate or surface free energy are directly obtained from raw data. By the conclusion of the virtual experiment, students have acquired a comprehensive understanding encompassing both practical and theoretical aspects of crystallization, with a particular focus on nucleation. The methodologies elucidated in this study can be applied across a spectrum of chemical engineering modules, including process engineering, unit operations in chemical engineering, mass transfer, and can even be integrated into specialized courses dedicated to crystallization.

Impacts of a spherical video-based virtual reality-integrated problem-based learning mode on working staff’s counseling competences in professional training

ABSTRACT Immersing learners in authentic scenarios to prompt them to apply what they have learned to problem solving is an essential learning approach in medical and nursing education. However, nurses often do not have the opportunity to experience many specialized or emergency situations in the real world, such as providing grief counseling to terminally ill patients and their families. Therefore, this study proposed a model of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Virtual Reality (VR) which allowed learners to experience the sorrowful scenario of dealing with families facing a “patient nearing end of life,” and to learn grief counseling strategies. To validate the effectiveness of this learning method, a quasi-experimental design was conducted in a nurse preceptor training course in a teaching hospital. The participants were 34 nurses from a teaching hospital in Taiwan, randomly assigned to two groups; the experimental group adopted a Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality-integrated Problem-Based Learning (SVVR-PBL) model, while the control group utilized a Conventional PBL (C-PBL) model. Experimental results indicated that the SVVR-PBL model can better enhance nurses’ professional knowledge in palliative care, and supports superior memory retention. Simultaneously, in terms of attitudes toward palliative care, problem-solving orientation, and perceived value, it also significantly outperformed the C-PBL model.

Connecting affordances of physical and virtual laboratory modes to engineering epistemic practices

Connecting affordances of physical and virtual laboratory modes to engineering epistemic practices

Evaluation of a 4-week interdisciplinary primary care cardiovascular health programme: impact on knowledge, Mediterranean Diet adherence and biomarkers

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second-leading cause of death among Canadians. Clinical practice guidelines suggest that improvements to lifestyle, including dietary intake, can reduce the risk of CVD.ObjectivesThe primary aim...

Distributed auto disturbances rejection resilient control of permanent magnetic maglev trains based on the optimized deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm

AbstractDue to time‐varying external disturbances and uncertain system models, distributed cooperative controllers with poor adaptability are unable to meet the cooperative control requirements of multiple permanent magnetic maglev trains in virtual coupling mode. In this work, a new effective distributed auto disturbance rejection resilient controller based on the optimized deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm (DDPG) is proposed. The DDPG algorithm is used to improve the adaptability of the controller against the time‐varying disturbances. An adaptive particle swarm optimization method (APSO) is also proposed to optimize the hyperparameters of DDPG in the search space. The simulation results show that, compared to the particle swarm optimization (PSO)‐actor‐critic (AC), PSO‐policy gradient (PG), and PSO‐DDPG algorithms, the proposed APSO‐DDPG algorithm performs better during training and verification. The proposed method achieves adaptive online adjustment of the controller parameters effectively and greatly improves the stability of cooperative control.

Navigating Emergency Online Learning: A Comparative Study of University Students in Bangladesh and Indonesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study compares the university student’s experiences of learning in virtual mode during unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 in Bangladesh and Indonesia with a focus on the enjoyment, performance, satisfaction, and cost of online learning.This was quantitative cross-sectional research conducted by using an online survey with the participation of 438 and 529 university students in Bangladesh and Indonesia. The findings reveal that university students in Bangladesh have little more comfortable with online learning compared to those in Indonesia. The students in both countries have no problem with adaptation to avant-garde online learning platforms. University students in Bangladesh appear little more satisfied with online teaching while those in Indonesia tend to be less satisfied. University students either in Bangladesh or in Indonesia consider online learning as an expensive learning mode. The present study depicts an early online remote learning experience of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of the descriptive comparative study focusing on Bangladesh and Indonesia, the results of this study may not be generalised. Specific factors underlying their experiences are in need of further investigation. In future endeavours, lectures are urged to actively harness proper technologies, mix between conventional and virtual learning or blend synchronous and asynchronous learning to provide more enjoyable and interesting online learning thus the students can be more satisfied.

A comparison of students' preferences for face-to-face and online laboratory sessions: insights from students' perception of their learning experiences in an immunology course.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has prompted educators in universities to reconsider their teaching methods, mainly due to the social distancing measures imposed within the classroom settings. On the other hand, the growing importance of continuing education opportunities for adult learners after graduation has seen the need to transform traditional teaching modes that primarily depend on face-to-face interaction into virtual modes, which are deemed more time- and cost-efficient. These major shifts in social and economic developments have a significant impact on the evolution of curriculum planning in higher education. Education that has scientific inquiry components inevitably comes into question, as conventional beliefs that experiments should be hands-on and will not be as effective if conducted virtually cast doubts on the move to the online space. This paper discusses the background of an impending shift in a university's approach to more online-based laboratory classes in an immunology course, as well as the exploration of the potential of conducting online laboratory experiments based on student perceptions.

Influence of Virtual Learning Environments on Student Achievement for Sustainable Development

As a result of the global pandemic, in-person lecture delivery method was interrupted and thus, the necessitated adoption of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for the continuity of learning. However, considering that architectural education is hands-on and field-dependent, continuous design studio mentoring is expedient. This study therefore explored the potential of adopting VLE, especially in hands-on related disciplines and how this fosters student achievement in driving sustainable development. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse quantitative data gathered from a randomly selected sample of architecture students representing three private universities in Nigeria. Findings from this research revealed that learning continued during the lockdown within the subject discipline. Notably, 86.6% of respondents utilized virtual meeting software like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco WebEx, while 12.4% utilized Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle. Additionally, accessible facilities like comfortable study areas, a steady power supply, internet connectivity, and studio materials contributed to a successful VLE experience. This research strongly advocates for the continuation of hybrid learning in architectural education, combining physical and virtual modes to deliver enriching and memorable learning experiences to enhance education for sustainable development.

Research on the Dual-Creation Talent Training Model of New Energy Automobile Based on Virtual Simulation

At present, as China vigorously develops new energy automobiles, the social demand for related talents has increased significantly, so the relevant institutions need to optimize and adjust the talent training mode to help the development of new energy automobiles. This paper summarizes the existing problems of China’s new energy automobile talent training mode, and analyzes the significance of the virtual simulation-based dual-creation talent training mode of new energy automobile and its specific implementation strategies, in order to provide references for the relevant personnel.

Elevating students' presentation skills with Indonesian local wisdom in virtual teaching mode

Elevating students' presentation skills with Indonesian local wisdom in virtual teaching mode

Comparative effectiveness between two types of head-mounted magnification modes using a smartphone-based virtual display.

This work shows the benefits of using two different magnification strategies to improve the reading ability of low-vision patients using a head-mounted technology. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of two magnification strategies in a head-mounted virtual reality display. Eighty-eight eligible low-vision subjects were randomized into two arms: (1) the full-field magnification display or (2) the virtual bioptic telescope mode. Subjects completed baseline testing and received training on how to use the device properly and then took the device home for a 2- to 4-week intervention period. An adaptive rating scale questionnaire (Activity Inventory) was administered before and after the intervention (home trial) period to measure the effect of the system. A Simulator Sickness Questionnaire was also administered. Baseline and follow-up results were analyzed using Rasch analysis to assess overall effectiveness of each magnification mode for various functional domain categories. Both magnification modes showed a positive effect for reading, visual information, and the overall goals functional domain categories, with only reading reaching statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. However, there were no significant between-group differences between the two modes. The results of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire showed that the magnification modes of the head-mounted display device were overall well tolerated among low-vision users. Both the full-field and virtual bioptic magnification strategies were effective in significantly improving functional vision outcomes for self-reported reading ability.

Implementación de un programa de escuela para familias en una institución educativa durante la contingencia sanitaria COVID-19

The study aimed to implement a program of School for Families in virtual mode in an educational institution in the city of San Juan de Pasto- Colombia. The research is qualitative, with a critical-social paradigm and takes up phases of action (AI) research: planning, execution and evaluation of results. The program involved 90 Colombian and immigrant families, using documentary review techniques, group interview and focus group. For the analysis of the information, systematization, categorization and triangulation of the information with the frame of reference was performed. The software used was ATLAS.ti version 9. The results indicated that the implementation of the program is functional to strengthen the role of the family in the healthy development of children and adolescents in the educational institution.

CYBER INFRINGEMENTS: ANALYZING JUDICIAL AND LEGISLATIVE SAFEGUARDS FOR WOMEN'S PRIVACY RIGHTS IN INDIA

Privacy is one of the necessary requirements that cannot be arbitrarily implemented in any society. People in the same continent may understand privacy as an individual right to privacy in different ways. Appreciation of privacy at global level can be interpreted in Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a liberty right, which is an inherent part of the mankind. With that is evident that privacy violation is not limited to the physical spaces; rather, a person can be violated in all types of computer media. As dependency on internet grows and, therefore use of virtual modes, there are several considerations since people may not be prepared for new technologies I n performing everyday tasks. The matter becomes more complicated when privations are committed against the most helpless in the society. Women and sexual minorities take most of the heat of privacy violations since the society today is embedded in a patriarchal system. Women may face various other sub-violations on the internet which may be included under the title of Technology Facilitated gender-based violence (TFGV). Infringement of privacy is a violation of fundamental rights as recognized under the right to life and personal liberty but privacy violations that take place on digital platforms is not acknowledged and recognized yet. Women are vulnerable to a range of sub-violations, referred to as Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence while using the internet. Infringing on someone's privacy is a violation of their fundamental rights, such as the right to life and personal liberty. However, privacy violations that occur on digital platforms are yet to be fully recognized and acknowledged. It is imperative to address these issues to ensure that women are safe and secure while using digital platforms. In this paper, research examines the adequacy of current Indian legal frameworks in protecting women's privacy in digital spaces. Its purpose is to propose legal reforms that enhance the protection of women's digital privacy rights, taking into account global standards and best practices. The research objectives underscore the discrepancies between statutory provisions and their practical enforcement, offering a critical analysis of the existing legal framework and proposing enhancements to more effectively safeguard women against cybercrimes.