Virtual Workshops Research Articles

Real-time Scaling Lab Guidelines: Implementing a participatory, adaptive learning approach to scaling

The Real-time Scaling Lab Guidelines help implementers, policymakers, and funders adapt and implement an RTSL process—a participatory, action research approach to collaboratively document, learn from, and support ongoing scaling efforts. An RTSL combines ongoing documentation and analysis of the scaling journey with a series of in-person and virtual convenings and workshops that bring together a diverse group of key stakeholders to collectively plan for sustainable scale; discuss and reflect on data, key challenges, and opportunities faced as they arise; and develop and test adaptations and course corrections to scaling strategies through an iterative learning process. The lab offers concrete opportunities for peer learning and exchange, while also generating knowledge on the “how” of scaling impact

P67 Virtual Nutrition Education for Older Adults: A Food Smarts Intervention in Citywide Congregate Meal Sites

ObjectiveTo evaluate the virtual implementation of Food Smarts, a learner-centered cooking and nutrition curriculum, in citywide congregate meal sites using process evaluation methods.Use of Theory or ResearchOlder adults are at high risk for inadequate nutrition, which can contribute to loss of independence, disease complications, increased healthcare costs and short-term mortality. Virtual nutrition education can be an effective intervention to encourage older adults to adopt behaviors that improve nutritional status and support healthy aging.Target AudienceOlder adults (aged 60 years and older) enrolled in congregate meal programs in San Francisco.Program DescriptionVirtual Food Smarts workshops were delivered via online platform Zoom and participants joined via personal devices from home. Each workshop consists of 4 weekly classes and the duration of each class is 60 minutes. Topics included plant-based eating, nutrition labels and chronic disease prevention. Within a 6-month period, 10 series of classes for 7 congregate meal sites were delivered.Evaluation MethodsAn online post-workshop satisfaction survey was administered via email after the last class. Survey evaluated nutrition-related knowledge and dietary behaviors as a result of class participation.ResultsOut of 477 participants, 331 participants attended 2 or more classes and 108 survey responses were collected. Nearly 100% participants expressed positive behavior change in all measures. Behavior measures with the largest changes included increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (98%), increased knowledge of whole grains and beans (99%) and increased confidence in ability to prepare food for self (99%).ConclusionThe virtual delivery of Food Smarts has demonstrated success in improving dietary behaviors and self-management of nutritional health for nearly all participants. These results can be used as preliminary data for informing future interventions and virtual nutrition education programs for older adult populations. To evaluate the virtual implementation of Food Smarts, a learner-centered cooking and nutrition curriculum, in citywide congregate meal sites using process evaluation methods. Older adults are at high risk for inadequate nutrition, which can contribute to loss of independence, disease complications, increased healthcare costs and short-term mortality. Virtual nutrition education can be an effective intervention to encourage older adults to adopt behaviors that improve nutritional status and support healthy aging. Older adults (aged 60 years and older) enrolled in congregate meal programs in San Francisco. Virtual Food Smarts workshops were delivered via online platform Zoom and participants joined via personal devices from home. Each workshop consists of 4 weekly classes and the duration of each class is 60 minutes. Topics included plant-based eating, nutrition labels and chronic disease prevention. Within a 6-month period, 10 series of classes for 7 congregate meal sites were delivered. An online post-workshop satisfaction survey was administered via email after the last class. Survey evaluated nutrition-related knowledge and dietary behaviors as a result of class participation. Out of 477 participants, 331 participants attended 2 or more classes and 108 survey responses were collected. Nearly 100% participants expressed positive behavior change in all measures. Behavior measures with the largest changes included increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (98%), increased knowledge of whole grains and beans (99%) and increased confidence in ability to prepare food for self (99%). The virtual delivery of Food Smarts has demonstrated success in improving dietary behaviors and self-management of nutritional health for nearly all participants. These results can be used as preliminary data for informing future interventions and virtual nutrition education programs for older adult populations.

Improving benefit-harm assessment of glucocorticoid therapy incorporating the patient perspective: The OMERACT glucocorticoid core domain set

ObjectiveOur primary objective was to develop an Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) core domain set to capture the impact of glucocorticoids (GC), both positive and negative, on patients with Rheumatic conditions. MethodsThe OMERACT Filter 2.1 was used to guide core domain selection. Systematic literature reviews, qualitative studies and quantitative surveys were conducted by the OMERACT GC Impact working group to identify candidate domains for a core domain set. A summary of prior work and Delphi exercise were presented at the OMERACT 2020 virtual GC workshop. A proposed GC Impact core domain set derived from this work was presented for discussion in facilitated breakout groups. Participants voted on the proposed GC Impact core domain set. Results113 people, including 23 patient research partners, participated in two virtual workshops conducted at different times on the same day. The proposed mandatory domains to be evaluated in clinical trials involving GCs were: infection, bone fragility, hypertension, diabetes, weight, fatigue, mood disturbance and death. In addition, collection of disease specific outcomes was included in the core domain set as “mandatory in specific circumstances”. The proposed core domain set was endorsed by 100% (23/23) of the patient research partners and 92% (83/90) of the remaining participants, including clinicians, researchers and industry stakeholders. ConclusionA GC Impact core domain set was endorsed at the OMERACT 2020 virtual workshop. The OMERACT GC Impact working group will now progress to identify, develop and validate measurement tools to best address these domains in clinical trials.

Helping Mothers Survive: Program Evaluation and Early Outcomes of Maternal Care Training in the Dominican Republic.

Introduction: In 2017, approximately 295,000 women died during and immediately following pregnancy and childbirth worldwide, with 94% of these deaths occurring in low-resource settings. The Dominican Republic (DR) exhibits one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean despite the fact that 99% of registered births in the country are reportedly attended by a skilled birth attendant. This paradox implies that programs to support healthcare worker knowledge and skills improvement are vital to improving maternal health outcomes in the DR. Helping Mothers Survive (HMS) is a provider training program developed by Jhpiego and global partners. The goal of HMS is to combat maternal mortality by contributing to quality improvement efforts that reinforce maternal health skills of local healthcare workers.Methods: An international, multisectoral group of stakeholders collaborated in the implementation of two HMS curricula, Bleeding After Birth (BAB) and pre-eclampsia & eclampsia (PE&E). Demographic information as well as pre- and post-training knowledge scores were recorded for each participant. Knowledge score improvement was assessed in order to support effectiveness of the program on knowledge acquisition of healthcare workers.Results: Three hundred and twenty healthcare workers participated in the HMS training workshops between October 2016–August 2020. Of the 320 participants, 132 were trained as master trainers. The majority of participants identified as attending physicians, followed by residents/interns, nurses, students, and “other.” A significant improvement in knowledge scores was observed for both the BAB and PE&E curricula, with a 21.24 and 30.25% change in average score (pre- to post-test), respectively. In response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, flexibility of the local team led to a PE&E virtual training pilot workshop in August 2020.Discussion/Conclusions: Simulation-based training improved the knowledge levels of healthcare workers for both HMS curricula. These results suggest that simulation-based workshops have an impact on knowledge acquisition and skills of healthcare workers immediately following training. For the PE&E curriculum, no significant difference in knowledge acquisition was observed between in-person and virtual training sessions. The ongoing pandemic poses challenges to program implementation; however, these preliminary results provide evidence that conducting virtual workshops may be a viable alternative to in-person training.

Shifting From Sectoral to Integrated Surveillance by Changing Collaborative Practices: Application to West Nile Virus Surveillance in a Small Island State of the Caribbean.

After spreading in the Americas, West Nile virus was detected in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) for the first time in 2002. Ever since, several organizations have conducted research, serological surveys, and surveillance activities to detect the virus in horses, birds, mosquitoes, and humans. Organizations often carried them out independently, leading to knowledge gaps within the current virus' situation. Nearly 20 years after the first evidence of West Nile virus in the archipelago, it has not yet been isolated, its impact on human and animal populations is unknown, and its local epidemiological cycle is still poorly understood. Within the framework of a pilot project started in Guadeloupe in 2019, West Nile virus was chosen as a federative model to apply the “One Health” approach for zoonotic epidemiological surveillance and shift from a sectorial to an integrated surveillance system. Human, animal, and environmental health actors involved in both research and surveillance were considered. Semi-directed interviews and a Social Network Analysis were carried out to learn about the surveillance network structure and actors, analyze information flows, and identify communication challenges. An information system was developed to fill major gaps: users' needs and main functionalities were defined through a participatory process where actors also tested and validated the tool. Additionally, all actors shared their data, which were digitized, cataloged, and centralized, to be analyzed later. An R Shiny server was integrated into the information system, allowing an accessible and dynamic display of data showcasing all of the partners' information. Finally, a series of virtual workshops were organized among actors to discuss preliminary results and plan the next steps to improve West Nile Virus and vector-borne or emerging zoonosis surveillance. The actors are willing to build a more resilient and cooperative network in Guadeloupe with improved relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of their work.

3-OR: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Diabetes Technology Use in Young Adults (YA) with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): Multidisciplinary Stakeholder Perspectives and Solutions

Background: Black and Hispanic YA with T1D are less likely to use insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors than White peers, which may be contributing to disparities in glycemic and long-term outcomes. Methods: We conducted a series of interactive focus groups to elicit perspectives on racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes technology use, patient-centered barriers and facilitators, and solutions to enhance uptake. We invited multidisciplinary panels of stakeholders to participate, including YA T1D patients, physicians, nurses, psychologists, and community health workers. Sessions were recorded and analyzed for common themes. Results: We convened 7 virtual 2-hour workshops and recruited 32 stakeholders from 11 states (5 Black and 7 Hispanic YA, 20 other stakeholders). Notably, many patients stated that they had never been offered technology until recent engagement in a specialized YA T1D clinic. Once offered technology, multiple barriers were present across a chronological journey consisting of three phases: 1) learning about and deciding to get technology; 2) initiating use; and 3) managing ongoing problems. Some barriers included a lack of knowledge about devices, mismanaged expectations for device wearability and use, and insurance coverage benefits. Facilitators included family support, T1D peer partnership, and a supportive healthcare team. Co-created solutions to address barriers were categorized into four main themes: 1) more equitable system of offering technology; 2) visual and hands-on education; 3) peer support; and 4) insurance navigation assistance. Discussion: Engaging multiple stakeholders with lived experience of the problem is an important approach to diabetes disparities research. Inadvertent provider bias may be preventing equal access to technology for minority YA with T1D, while extra support for device use through the technology journey is needed to sustain use. Disclosure S. Agarwal: None. G. Crespo-ramos: None. S. Leung: None. M. Finnan: None. T. Park: None. J. S. Gonzalez: None. J. A. Long: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (K23DK115896)

College students’ educational experiences amid COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: While lockdown and shelter-at-home strategies enforced by governments were critically needed to contain the rapid progression of the COVID-19 virus, in the U.S., hundreds of millions of learners and higher education institutions were significantly impacted with their daily operations. This study looks at the COVID-19 impact on higher education, with an emphasis on technology, mental health, and resources provided by the university. Methods: We utilized primarily qualitative research methods to assess students’ responses of our survey and examined emerging themes. We analyzed each question for word order and identified phrases and keywords students provided. Results: Our findings show that 42% of the participants did not find online education to be difficult nor did they have any technical difficulties, and this is promising for the future of virtual education. On the other hand, 58% of the students found the whole experience to be challenging, owing to a number of reasons (internet access, Blackboard knowledge, lacking motivation, and instruction related challenges). In terms of stress/anxiety levels, at least 88% of the students were stressed due to multiple factors (i.e., catching COVID-19, financial difficulties, staying engaged, finding childcare, maintaining relationships, losing family members). Interestingly, 82% of the students reported not using campus-provided virtual workshops. Conclusion: Recommendations for improvement are provided.

Joven y Fuerte (J&F): Multidisciplinary distance care program in Mexico for young women with breast cancer (YWBC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

e13536 Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic represents unprecedented new challenges for healthcare systems, care programs and especially for vulnerable populations like oncologic patients. The J&F Program, developed at the National Cancer Institute (INCan) in Mexico City, provides multidisciplinary care and navigation support for YWBC patients. During the first months of 2020, the whole mexican healthcare system, including the INCan and programs like J&F had to undergo structural adjustments to offer distance care attention (DCA) and face the Pandemic challenges. Methods: From March to September 2020, 196 patients received DCA (phone and video calls, text messages and virtual workshops), which addressed navigation, unmet psychological needs, psychoeducation, oncology and sexual support provided by different healthcare professionals (oncologists, psychologists, sexual specialists). Seventy agreed to participate in this study (intervention group, IG). Forty-three recently diagnosed breast cancer patients could not be contacted by the Program (control group, CG). The patients from the IG completed the emotional distress thermometer and were interviewed about stressors, coping strategies during the Pandemic, and satisfaction with the multidisciplinary support given by the J&F Program. We compared thestandard care given within the institutional facilities and the multidisciplinary support provided virtually by J&F Program for YWBC during the COVID-19 Pandemic regarding their perceived stressors and emotional distress. Results: The CG had more concerns about oncology treatments and their side effects (nausea p = 0.031, fever p = 0.007, anorexia p = 0.006) than the IG. Emotional distress was present in 77% and 86% in the IG and the CG respectively. The IG received significant navigation guidance and multidisciplinary support with the J&F Program’s DCA strategy during the Pandemic than the CG (p < 0.01 and p = 0.019). The J&F Program's psychological care significantly helped YWBC manage their distress (p = 0.001); 70% of the IG patients considered that the support given by the J&F Program dealt with the COVID-19 Pandemic challenges successfully (p < 0.01). Conclusions: DCA by theJ&F Program showed feasibility and benefit in the COVID-19 Pandemic context for YWBC. These findings suggest that multidisciplinary care could be preserved by combining care provision physically and virtually depending on patients' resources or unmet needs.

IMERS: Interactive Mentoring to Enhance Research Skills Grant‐Writing Workshops for Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions

The overarching goalsof the University of Kentucky (UK) IMERS workshops, supported by an IPERT grant, are to empower faculty at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to develop and submit competitive research proposals through intensive grant-writing skills training; to build research-related individual and institutional capacity through training on mentorship of student researchers; and to sustain workshop momentum by embedding multiple levels of mentored proposal development support during and after each workshop. We hypothesize that this targeted training will enhance the research environment at MSI's, increase the diversity of NIH-funded investigators and improve the training of underrepresented students in biomedical research, thus providing a feed-forward mechanism to expand the diversity of the US biomedical workforce in future years. A hallmark of IMERS is to engage participants in hands-on, active-learning style grant-writing training for faculty who are poised to submit NIH proposals ranging from development/exploratory to R01s. This training is provided by UK faculty and experienced research development professionals. The IMERS model incorporates guided writing, participatory training, and active learning. Training is comprised of several modalities. First, IMERS offers two 3-day grant-writing retreats/year on the UK campus. These workshops are designed for highly motivated investigators who have submitted proposals to NIH without success and those who have been actively planning NIH submission; ~25 faculty are selected for each workshop via an on-line application. On-site workshops include consultation with actively funded UK investigators and staff from the UK Proposal Development Office; we strive to maintain post-workshop interactions between participants and UK faculty/staff. Three 2-day off-site workshops/year are also offered. The IMERS staff will work with off-site institutions to tailor the workshops to specific needs. In-person workshops have been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but will resume when safe to do so. However, we have developed an active series of virtual workshops and seminars during this time, and we anticipate that these and additional on-line activities will continue as a third arm of training even after restriction are lifted. Travel and lodging expenses for faculty to attend UK workshops, for the IMERS team to travel, are covered by the grant. Workshop sessions cover numerous topics, including: using NIH resources for program/funding information, budget issues, the proposal review process, writing a high-impact specific aims page and an effective research strategy, rigor and reproducibility, responsible conduct of research, NIH Biosketch, navigating the NIH resubmission process, and mentoring student researchers. Program evaluation, based in part on participant survey data, communication email and an active ListServ and subsequent submission rate and success, validates that program participants have increased confidence in their grant-writing abilities and are succeeding in obtaining NIH funding.

(Des)conexiones y Pandemia: entre las políticas de educación pública remota de emergencia y las escuelas de enseñanza media en Uruguay

El artículo aborda los desafíos que tuvieron las escuelas públicas de enseñanza media y de contexto vulnerable en Uruguay para mantener las conexiones (mediáticas y presenciales) con los estudiantes y las familias en el contexto de Pandemia y suspensión de clases declarada por el gobierno nacional como medida de emergencia sanitaria. Los hallazgos que se presentan en este artículo forman parte de una investigación regional en Argentina, Chile, Colombia y Uruguay: “Jóvenes, Habilidades Digitales y Brechas de Contenido en América Latina (HabLatam)”[1], coordinado por Lionel Brossi y Mauricio Olivera. La investigación se sostiene desde un enfoque metodológico cualitativo, construida a partir de investigación documental, entrevistas en profundidad y talleres virtuales. El artículo concluye que, si bien Uruguay es uno de los países de la región que más recursos ha invertido en políticas de inclusión digital en la educación, los resultados de una enseñanza remota de emergencia no fueron los esperados. Los responsables de los centros educativos observados manifestaron que los retos no solo fueron sostener las conexiones tecnológicas con los estudiantes (internet, equipamientos, clases modalidad virtual, etc.), sino también mantener las conexiones con las familias para no perder el vínculo con los estudiantes. La pandemia visibilizó problemas en las conexiones tecnológicas de los estudiantes y la escuela, pero también en la conexión de la escuela con las familias, relacionadas con dimensiones tales como las desigualdades socioeconómicas, educativas y culturales. Palabras claves: Educación. Uruguay. Pandemias. Enseñanza asistida por ordenador. TIC. [1] Financiado por el Fondo Sectorial "Inclusión Digital: Educación con Nuevos Horizontes" (Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación-ANII de Uruguay).

Challenges for asthma units in response to COVID-19: a qualitative group dynamics analysis

Objective To develop a set of recommendations for the management of severe asthma during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Eleven pneumologists and allergologists who were staff members of officially accredited asthma units in Catalonia (Spain) participated in a cross-section study based on three 2-hour virtual workshops (first: brainstorming, second: identification of impacts and challenges summarized in 10 topics, third: establishment of final recommendations by consensus). Results Impacts and challenges identified were improvement of referral protocols between different levels of care; assessment of the minimum number of function tests to be performed and promote the performance of spirometry in primary care; implementation of videoconferencing, mobile apps, telephone calls, or integral virtual platforms for the follow-up of patients, and definition of the model of care (face-to-face, telematics, mixed) according to the patient’s individual needs; self-administration of biologics for domiciliary treatment; and empowerment of the role of nursing and hospital pharmacy in particular for follow-up and self-administration of biologics. The main recommendations included coordination between primary care and specialized care consultation, optimization of lung function testing, implementation of telemedicine, and the role of nursing and hospital pharmacy. Conclusion The specific proposals in response to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic focused on four areas of interest (coordination between primary care and specialized care, optimization of lung function testing, implementation of telemedicine, and empowerment of the role of nursing and hospital pharmacy) may be generalized to other health care settings, and help to introduce new ways of caring asthma patients in the COVID-19 context.

Black scientists gather to form communities and boost diversity in science

Black scientists have been historically underrepresented in academia and science. A 2018 study of the National Center for Education Statistics found that only 6% of faculty in the USA were Black. Systemic racism and other issues that translate into a lack of diversity in research often cause unwelcoming environments for Black scientists. Last fall, sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement and triggered by the #BlackBirdersWeek virtual event, several scientific communities took to social media to create ‘#BlackIn...’ movements. Over the course of a week, organizers offered virtual talks, workshops and social events highlighting Black scientists in their fields. We spoke with the founders of four of these ‘#BlackIn...’ movements to learn how they are empowering the Black scientific community to start conversations about being Black in science, and to discuss strategies for continuing to diversify scientific research.

Endorsement of the OMERACT core domain set for shared decision making interventions in rheumatology trials: Results from a multi-stepped consensus-building approach

ObjectiveTo gain consensus on the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) core domain set for rheumatology trials of shared decision making (SDM) interventions. MethodsThe process followed the OMERACT Filter 2.1 methodology, and used consensus-building methods, with patients involved since the inception. After developing the draft core domain set in previous research, we conducted five steps: (i) improving the draft core domain set; (ii) developing and disseminating white-board videos to promote its understanding; (iii) conducting an electronic survey to gather feedback on the draft core domain set; (iv) finalizing the core domain set and developing summaries, a plenary session video and discussion boards to promote its understanding; and (v) conducting virtual workshops with voting to endorse the core domain set. ResultsA total of 167 participants from 28 countries answered the survey (62% were patients/caregivers). Most participants rated domains as relevant (81%-95%) and clear (82%-93%). A total of 149 participants (n = 48 patients/caregivers, 101 clinicians/researchers) participated in virtual workshops and voted on the proposed core domain set which received endorsement by 95%. Endorsed domains are: 1- Knowledge of options, their potential benefits and harms; 2- Chosen option aligned with each patient's values and preferences; 3- Confidence in the chosen option; 4- Satisfaction with the decision-making process; 5- Adherence to the chosen option and 6- Potential negative consequences of the SDM intervention. ConclusionWe achieved consensus among an international group of stakeholders on the OMERACT core domain set for rheumatology trials of SDM interventions. Future research will develop the Core Outcome Measurement Set. Clinical significancePrior to this study, there had been no consensus on the OMERACT core domain set for SDM interventions. The current study shows that the OMERACT core domain set achieved a high level of endorsement by key stakeholders, including patients/caregivers, clinicians and researchers.

On the Edge of the Perceptible: Microacting, imaginary worlds and cognitive estrangement in virtual performance

Microacting is a performance technique originated by the author in 2009 in collaboration with the jazz vibraphonist/actor Krystof Krasa, with subsequent contribution from neuroscientist Inna Tsirlin. It plays with the irregularities in human perception to build collectively imagined spaces, usually in a domestic setting. This text – part scholarly article, part research-as-practice reflection – contextualizes the latest series of experiments in perception and microacting brought about by the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic. We build imaginary worlds by inducing processes of cognitive deterritorialization. In the absence of normally available techniques due to the pandemic, we have been experimenting with how far our audience can carry the imaginative process on their own. During a series of virtual workshops conducted during the pandemic, the participants were guided via Zoom by an unseen voice through a perceptional de/reconstruction of their homes. The resulting observations along with the imaginary maps created by the participants are presented in the article.

A process of engagement: Using government documents in open pedagogy

An education information librarian, a government documents librarian, and an instructional designer collaboratively developed a lesson plan to engage researchers with open educational resources (OER). They selected and curated freely available, online United States federal government documents on topics that would engage their audience. During the lesson, they wanted to inspire workshop attendees to become researchers through a collaborative group project and share this lesson plan with students and library patrons. This article will describe the process used to collect resources, develop the lesson plan, and assess engagement of participants during seven workshops. These face-to-face and virtual workshops were given to educators and librarians from K-12 through the university level.

Why should I use a multi-hazard app? Assessing the public's information needs and app feature preferences in a participatory process

In the age of nearly instant information and high-bandwidth communication, public expectations regarding the availability of authoritative short-term and real-time hazard information are evolving rapidly. Despite the existence of numerous apps covering hazard information, little research has been conducted to assess what the public actually expects from such an app. Perceived usefulness is crucial as the public will only use apps offering an added value to them. Several studies have identified that people prefer an app combining relevant hazards instead of single hazard apps. Therefore, we focused our analysis on multi-hazard apps. With seven virtual interactive workshops, we assessed the public's information needs and app feature preferences. With respect to the content of multi-hazard apps, our results show that participants would mainly combine natural hazards but also have an interest in integrating anthropogenic and socio-natural hazards. To this end, participants advocate sending push notifications for low-probability hazards via general-purpose apps (e.g., weather apps) to reach a larger audience. Despite the desired diversity of hazard information, participants wish for an app focusing on relevant information only and redirecting users to other authorized sources for further information. Participants define the following as relevant information: location, time, hazard severity, behavioral recommendations and the contact details of emergency services. In addition, they wish for the following features: push notifications, a help button, a sharing function, a chat forum, an “I am safe” button, and a “Report an event” button.

Maximizing Students’ Critical Reading through Virtual Literature Circle Strategy: A Conceptual Framework

With the advancement of the 21st century, Indonesia, like other countries, is also facing challenges in education, particularly for primary and secondary school students. Undoubtedly, literacy is one of the crucial skills in 21st-century education, which encompasses critical thinking and critical reading skills. In an effort to maximize students’ critical reading skills, the researchers conducted virtual conferences and workshops for the teachers of English in primary and secondary schools on the practice of Literature Circle Strategy (LCS) to maximize students’ skills in critical reading. In total, 25 teachers from Malang City and 183 teachers from the Kediri area were included in the study. In Kediri, a one-day conference was held that focussed on the concepts and rules of practicing the LCS in online classes. In Malang, a virtual conference was held on the first day followed by a workshop on the second. While the first day was spent explaining the LCS to the participants, on the second day, they practiced the strategy, in offline sessions. At the end of the workshop, the participants shared their perceptions on this strategy by filling in a questionnaire, stating what they thought would be the process of practicing this strategy both in online and face-to-face classes. This study therefore reports the results of the analysis on their perceptions.
 Keywords: EFL teachers, perceptions, LCS, virtual

Virtual Scholarship and Real Academics:

Like many other regional universities in Australia, the authors’ university is well equipped to deal with distance and technology (Chugh, Ledger & Shields, 2017), with staff distributed across more than 10 campuses, and many working from home on a regular basis in a non-COVID year. Yet despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 presented challenges, as staff are not immune from the digital divide issues of bandwidth speed and stability, especially as the whole world moves to a video conferenced meeting solution. This presentation will discuss how our university handled this new triple headed challenge of a renewed focus on Scholarship of Learning & Teaching (SoLT) in relation to Australian government advice (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2020), along with a desire for upskilling in TEL, but simultaneously the limitations of technology in the pandemic, with a view to providing guidance for other institutions looking to mount this challenge.
 In tackling this issue in 2020, we were fortunate that our university already provided several avenues for staff to engage in and learn about SoLT. Among these, the Scholarship of Tertiary Teaching (SoTT) conference ran over two days via Zoom and offered several virtual concurrent sessions and topics allowing staff to share the results of their systematic evaluations into their teaching practice and student’s learning. Each session is recorded and made available via a YouTube channel, providing opportunity for conference participants to watch sessions they were unable to attend and this year we recognised the work of our presenters, abstract reviewers, and session facilitators with digital badges.
 Based on this successful model, we realized we had the essential tools already to move our other major training avenue, the Intro to SoLT workshops (previously delivered face-to-face), online. The aim of the workshops is to provide staff with a collegial environment to discuss and develop research ideas. The virtual environment makes this harder to achieve however the SOTT conference showed us that smaller sessions (four hours over four days), along with the use of breakout rooms could provide opportunity for small group discussion and that the value of Zoom Chat as a back channel for discussion was essential and should be encouraged amongst participants to provide an environment where we could maintain consistent support (Soon & Cowling, 2019).
 Attendance and feedback showed us that this worked. Over 50 staff attended the event over four days, and feedback was universally positive, and this led us to rethink how our L&T events should be offered. Specifically, the success of the changes suggests the development of a hyperflexible model of delivery, asynchronous but with guided support and local contacts (assisting to build campus networks), and the foundation knowledge of how to complete a systematic evaluation turned into an online module/micro-credential as a prerequisite for face-to-face and virtual workshops. The result being a L&T model that leverages the lessons learnt during the pandemic into a new blended model, bringing the best aspects of face-to-face and online delivery into a new academy of best L&T practice.

Virtual Growing Pains: Initial Lessons Learned from Organizing Virtual Workshops, Summits, Conferences, and Networking Events during a Global Pandemic

AbstractFor many, 2020 was a year of abrupt professional and personal change. For the aquatic sciences community, many were adapting to virtual formats for conducting and sharing science, while simultaneously learning to live in a socially distanced world. Understandably, the aquatic sciences community postponed or canceled most in‐person scientific meetings. Still, many scientific communities either transitioned annual meetings to a virtual format or inaugurated new virtual meetings. Fortunately, increased use of video conferencing platforms, networking and communication applications, and a general comfort with conducting science virtually helped bring the in‐person meeting experience to scientists worldwide. Yet, the transition to conducting science virtually revealed new barriers to participation whereas others were lowered. The combined lessons learned from organizing a meeting constitute a necessary knowledge base that will prove useful, as virtual conferences are likely to continue in some form. To concentrate and synthesize these experiences, we showcase how six scientific societies and communities planned, organized, and conducted virtual meetings in 2020. With this consolidated information in hand, we look forward to a future, where scientific meetings embrace a virtual component, so to as help make science more inclusive and global.

Interactive Workshops in a Pandemic: The Real Benefits of Virtual Spaces.

In this article, we reflect on two virtual workshops that we held during the ACM AutomotiveUI 2020 conference, where we aimed to provide participants an experience similar to in-person meetings, while at the same time making use of digital services for group collaboration. In particular, we elaborate on relevant differences, advantages, and disadvantages of virtual and physical workshops, discuss which important aspects of in-person meetings can be substituted with virtual activities (and which ones cannot), and how they might change collaboration in the future. Further, we examine the impact of virtual workshops on organizing committees who have to deal with issues of different time zones and durations of activities. The lessons learnt through organizing these events provide an outlook that could enrich workshop experiences for both scientific and educational purposes in the future.