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In this reflective writing, the author shares some experiences of learning to teach in higher education, the pathway she has taken on this online adventure, and how her online teaching has been influenced by the pandemic context.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the widespread adoption of virtual care-the use of communication technologies to receive health care at home. We explored the differential impacts of the rapid transition to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic on health-care access and delivery for gay, bisexual and queer men (GBQM), a population that disproportionately experiences sexual and mental health disparities in Canada. Adopting a sociomaterial theoretical perspective, we analysed 93 semi-structured interviews with GBQM (n = 93) in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 (n = 42) and June-October 2021 (n = 51). We focused on explicating how the dynamic relations of humans and non-humans in everyday virtual care practices have opened or foreclosed different care capacities for GBQM. Our analysis revealed that the rapid expansion and implementation of virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic enacted disruptions and challenges while providing benefits to health-care access among some GBQM. Further, virtual care required participants to change their sociomaterial practices to receive health care effectively, including learning new ways of communicating with providers. Our sociomaterial analysis provides a framework that helps identify what works and what needs to be improved when delivering virtual care to meet the health needs of GBQM and other diverse populations., (© 2023 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)

Due to COVID-19, almost all educational institutions were temporarily closed across the globe. As a result, many educators have focused on delivering courses through emergency remote teaching. Preparation for remote teaching was itself a great challenge. In this reflective paper, I have presented my own experience of preparation for emergency remote teaching for one my courses in one of the Canadian universities. I have mentioned in the paper the factors that were helpful in the preparation for remote teaching such as my own background knowledge of online learning, training for remote teaching, designing and developing the course, using synchronous and asynchronous, engaging students, and presences.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been very challenging for those living with overweight and obesity. The magnitude of this impact on sleep requires further attention to optimise patient care and outcomes. This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on sleep duration and quality as well as identify predictors of poor sleep quality in individuals with reported diagnoses of obstructive sleep apnoea and those without sleep apnoea. An online survey (June-October 2020) was conducted with two samples; one representative of Canadians living with overweight and obesity (n = 1089) and a second of individuals recruited through obesity clinical services or patient organisations (n = 980). While overall sleep duration did not decline much, there were identifiable groups with reduced or increased sleep. Those with changed sleep habits, especially reduced sleep, had much poorer sleep quality, were younger, gained more weight and were more likely to be female. Poor sleep quality was associated with medical, social and eating concerns as well as mood disturbance. Those with sleep apnoea had poorer quality sleep although this was offset to some degree by use of CPAP. Sleep quality and quantity has been significantly impacted during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic in those living with overweight and obesity. Predictors of poor sleep and the impact of sleep apnoea with and without CPAP therapy on sleep parameters has been evaluated. Identifying those at increased risk of sleep alterations and its impact requires further clinical consideration., (© 2024 World Obesity Federation.)

Background: Virtual care in Canada rapidly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic in a low-rules environment in response to pressing needs for ongoing access to care amid public health restrictions. Emergency medicine specialists now face the challenge of advising on which virtual urgent care services ought to remain as part of comprehensive emergency care. Consideration must be given to safe, quality, and appropriate care as well as issues of equitable access, public demand, and sustainability (financial and otherwise). The aim of this project was to summarize current literature and expert opinion and formulate recommendations on the path forward for virtual care in emergency medicine., Methods: We formed a working group of emergency medicine physicians from across Canada working in a variety of practice settings. The virtual care working group conducted a scoping review of the literature and met monthly to discuss themes and develop recommendations. The final recommendations were circulated to stakeholders for input and subsequently presented at the 2023 Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Academic Symposium for discussion, feedback, and refinement., Results: The working group developed and reached unanimity on nine recommendations addressing the themes of system design, equity and accessibility, quality and patient safety, education and curriculum, financial models, and sustainability of virtual urgent care services in Canada., Conclusion: Virtual urgent care has become an established service in the Canadian health care system. Emergency medicine specialists are uniquely suited to provide leadership and guidance on the optimal delivery of these services to enhance and complement emergency care in Canada., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP)/ Association Canadienne de Médecine d'Urgence (ACMU).)

Background: Children's educational experiences worldwide have been significantly impacted as a result of global school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic of Spring 2020. A growing number of studies aim to analyse impacts of these changes on social well-being, with limited studies placing an emphasis on the experiences of students with special educational needs (SENs). This article focusses on parent perspectives regarding impacts of school closures on social well-being in Canadian children with SEN., Methods: This study uses a mixed-methods approach, drawing from both qualitative and quantitative survey data from Spring/Summer 2020. Participants (n = 263) were eligible for participation if they were a parent/guardian of a child or adolescent with an SEN. We first conducted a descriptive analysis of the key variables, namely, social well-being, grade level of the child, internet and device availability, and the presence of other school-aged children in the home (single child vs. multiple children). Next, we explored the relationship between these using a bivariate correlation. Finally, open-ended responses were analysed using an inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis., Results: The majority of parents expressed concern for their child's social well-being during the Spring 2020 school closures, with increased concerns for younger children. According to parents, children experienced communication barriers to peer interaction and many experienced emotional difficulties as a result. Technology was described as critical for some in maintaining social connections. Parents raised concerns about the impact of limited peer interaction on broader social skill development, in the short and long term. A small number of participants noted feelings of relief and reduced anxiety among their children with SEN., Conclusions: Findings highlight parent views of the negative impact of the pandemic on social well-being and the critical role in-person schooling plays in supporting peer relationships for children with SEN., (© 2024 The Authors. Child: Care, Health and Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Higher education informatization (HEI) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the use and integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education. This paper provides a bibliometric and visual analysis of the research trends, patterns, and topics in this field. Using the Web of Science database, the authors selected and analyzed 199 SCI and SSCI papers on HEI published from 2000 to 2023 by VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. The results indicate that the publication volume of HEI research has grown significantly in recent years. The author network shows the collaboration and contribution of different researchers and institutions, while the journal network reveals the multidisciplinary nature and scope of the field. The keyword network and the burst keyword analysis identify the main research themes and the emerging hot topics in HEI. The co-citation network of sources illustrates the theoretical and methodological foundations and influences of the field. The paper concludes with some implications and suggestions for future HEI research.

Background: Network meta-analyses (NMAs) are statistical techniques used to synthesize data from multiple studies and compare the effectiveness of different interventions for a particular disease or condition. They have gained popularity in recent years as a tool for evidence-based decision making in healthcare. Whether publications in NMAs have an increasing trend is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the trends in the number of NMA articles over the past 10 years when compared to non-NMA articles., Methods: The study utilized data from the Web of Science database, specifically searching for articles containing the term "meta-analysis" published between 2013 and 2022. The analysis examined the annual number of articles, as well as the countries, institutions, departments, and authors associated with the articles and the journals in which they were published. Ten different visualization techniques, including line charts, choropleth maps, chord diagrams, circle packing charts, forest plots, temporal heatmaps, impact beam plots, pyramid plots, 4-quadrant radar plots, and scatter plots, were employed to support the hypothesis that the number of NMA-related articles has increased (or declined) over the past decade when compared to non-NMA articles., Results: Our findings indicate that there was no difference in mean citations or publication trends between NMA and non-NMA; the United States, McMaster University (Canada), medical schools, Dan Jackson from the United Kingdom, and the Journal of Medicine (Baltimore) were among the leading entities; NMA ranked highest on the coword analysis, followed by heterogeneity, quality, and protocol, with weighted centrality degrees of 32.51, 30.84, 29.43, and 24.26, respectively; and the number of NMA-related articles had increased prior to 2020 but experienced a decline in the past 3 years, potentially due to being overshadowed by the intense academic focus on COVID-19., Conclusion: It is evident that the number of NMA articles increased rapidly between 2013 and 2019 before leveling off in the years following. For researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals who are interested in evidence-based decision making, the visualizations used in this study may be useful., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

This paper further explores the findings of a 2020 case study focused on the perspectives of parents of children aged 5-9 years old attending elementary schools in French language programs during the 2020 school closure and the potential legacy of the Coronavirus pandemic on education. In March 2020, the school learning of elementary school children in different school boards in Alberta moved to a novelty style of temporary 'homeschooling' format through virtual learning aided by parental support. Parents played an essential role during this learning process; ten parents shared their experiences in this study. Such experiences may be key to integrating more effective teaching and virtual learning practices and pinpointing potential shortcomings as students return to in-person learning. This paper focuses on three main aspects of coronavirus-induced 'homeschooling': The role of parental support, parents' perspectives of how young children learn in virtual learning environments, and pedagogical practices from curriculum design to implementation of differentiated learning practices. The study is significant as it may contribute to further understanding of how young children learn in virtual settings, the effectiveness of current educational practices, and the problematic legacy of the coronavirus for the future of education.

We evaluate the impact of government-mandated proof of vaccination requirements for access to public venues and non-essential businesses on COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We find that the announcement of a mandate is associated with a rapid and significant surge in new vaccinations (a more than 60% increase in weekly first doses), using the variation in the timing of these measures across Canadian provinces in a difference-in-differences approach. Time-series analysis for each province and for France, Italy and Germany corroborates this finding. Counterfactual simulations using our estimates suggest the following cumulative gains in the vaccination rate among the eligible population (age 12 and over) as of 31 October 2021: up to 5 percentage points (p.p.) (90% confidence interval, 3.9-5.8) for Canadian provinces, adding up to 979,000 (425,000-1,266,000) first doses in total for Canada (5 to 13 weeks after the provincial mandate announcements); 8 p.p. (4.3-11) for France (16 weeks post-announcement); 12 p.p. (5-15) for Italy (14 weeks post-announcement) and 4.7 p.p. (4.1-5.1) for Germany (11 weeks post-announcement)., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the practice of school leadership, requiring greater flexibility, creativity, and innovation. Guided by institutional theory, this paper suggests that leadership adaptations are influenced by environmental pressures such as coercive (e.g., from governmental or regulatory agencies), mimetic (e.g., attempts to emulate best practices from other schools), and normative pressures (e.g., professional standards endorsed by professional societies or unions). By using a qualitative co-constructed autoethnographic approach (See Kempster & Iszatt-White, 2012), the paper presents the Covid-19 timeline in Manitoba, identifying stakeholders and associated environmental pressures. It also features the personal leadership adaptations experienced by a school principal (Susan). The findings suggest that coercive pressures are mostly associated with creativity and inventive leadership practices. Mimetic pressures may lead to copying behaviours, and normative pressures are associated with enhanced foundational knowledges, all depending on contextual factors. The findings also highlight the significant emotional and physical toll the pandemic has taken on school principals.

In this response, Suzanne Smythe imagines the role of new technologies in community-based education as we settle into a "new normal." This article builds upon and extends Jen Vanek's suggestions in Part 1 by drawing upon research and practice oriented to digital justice. Smythe describes her experiences as an adult literacy researcher in Canada, working closely with community-based educators and researchers to map new pedagogies, as well as fissures of digital inequality, that have deepened during the pandemic. She considers how concepts of digital equity and digital justice may help educators think through the benefits and problematics of technology integration in adult and community-based education. This article adds new considerations for technology integration to Vanek's questions and principles. [For Part 1, see EJ1344704.]

The COVID pandemic forced universities worldwide to shift to remote and online formats of teaching delivery. In design education, this shift has impacted Experiential Education (EE) pedagogical approach to studio teaching, an approach that gives students an opportunity to apply theory to a concrete experience in a reflective manner and provides cross-disciplinary learning opportunities. This paper discusses Global Design Studio (GDS), a collaborative cross-disciplinary teaching initiative between three design disciplines across three continents: Industrial Design in Australia, Interaction Design in Canada, and User Experience Design in Germany. The objective was to develop a support framework during emergency situations to facilitate cross-disciplinary EE to design students. This paper discusses the three teaching experiences as case studies that offer opportunity for deep analysis and reflection of challenges and enablers to EE education in the shift from traditional design studio to remote and online delivery. While navigating COVID-19 barriers to EE education, GDS aimed to achieve these objectives by sharing resources, ideas, and expertise across the three universities. Each unit dedicated the entire academic term to a first exploration of GDS through a semester-long project 'Interactive Mannikin for children to learn CPR techniques'. This article discusses the context and outcomes of EE teaching and learning experiences at each unit. This paper also reviews the lessons design educators learned about: inter disciplinarity, inter-intra-cultural issues, group working, timing, remote collaboration, and proposing a GDS model for cross-disciplinary EE.

In September of 2020, seven school divisions in Western Manitoba developed a remote learning program to support medically fragile families whose children could not return to classrooms. The coalition of these school divisions, known as the Westman Consortia Partnership (WCP), needed to investigate what beliefs, practices, and strategies were critical to this new rural remote learning program, hence the collaboration with researchers to answer that question. From action research perspectives, this paper unpacks opportunities and challenges researchers faced in pre-, peri-, and post- research contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper explores action research aspects that were both followed and disrupted given the social, cultural, and historical context of the participants in the study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Numerous pandemic-related stressors experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities may have impacted their ability to thrive, which has been linked to mental health outcomes. The current study examined the associations among COVID-19 stressors, thriving, and mental health problems among youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities., Method: Caregivers of 159 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities between 12 and 35 years of age from Canada completed an online questionnaire., Results: A mediation analysis revealed that COVID-19 stressors were positively associated with mental health problems, and that thriving partially mediated this association., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that experiences of thriving may be an important target for mental health support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) is a rare condition temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using national surveillance data, we compare presenting features and outcomes among children hospitalized with PIMS by SARS-CoV-2 linkage, and identify risk factors for intensive care (ICU)., Methods: Cases were reported to the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program by a network of >2800 pediatricians between March 2020 and May 2021. Patients with positive versus negative SARS-CoV-2 linkages were compared, with positive linkage defined as any positive molecular or serologic test or close contact with confirmed COVID-19. ICU risk factors were identified with multivariable modified Poisson regression., Results: We identified 406 children hospitalized with PIMS, including 49.8% with positive SARS-CoV-2 linkages, 26.1% with negative linkages, and 24.1% with unknown linkages. The median age was 5.4 years (IQR 2.5-9.8), 60% were male, and 83% had no comorbidities. Compared to cases with negative linkages, children with positive linkages experienced more cardiac involvement (58.8% vs. 37.4%; p < 0.001), gastrointestinal symptoms (88.6% vs. 63.2%; p < 0.001), and shock (60.9% vs. 16.0%; p < 0.001). Children aged ≥6 years and those with positive linkages were more likely to require ICU., Conclusions: Although rare, 30% of PIMS hospitalizations required ICU or respiratory/hemodynamic support, particularly those with positive SARS-CoV-2 linkages., Impact: We describe 406 children hospitalized with paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) using nationwide surveillance data, the largest study of PIMS in Canada to date. Our surveillance case definition of PIMS did not require a history of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, and we therefore describe associations of SARS-CoV-2 linkages on clinical features and outcomes of children with PIMS. Children with positive SARS-CoV-2 linkages were older, had more gastrointestinal and cardiac involvement, and hyperinflammatory laboratory picture. Although PIMS is rare, one-third required admission to intensive care, with the greatest risk amongst those aged ≥6 years and those with a SARS-CoV-2 linkage., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.)

Objective: In the context of COVID-19, Canadian healthcare workers (HCWs) worked long hours, both to respond to the pandemic and to compensate for colleagues who were not able to work due to infection and burnout. This may have had detrimental effects on HCWs' mental health, as well as engagement in health-promoting behaviours. This study aimed to identify changes in mental health outcomes and health behaviours experienced by Canadian HCWs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Nine representative samples (N total = 1615 HCWs) completed the iCARE survey using an online polling firm between April 2020 (Time 1) and February 2022 (Time 9). Participants were asked about the psychological effects of COVID-19 (e.g., feeling anxious) and about changes in their health behaviours (e.g., alcohol use, physical activity)., Results: A majority of the HCWs identified as female (65%), were younger than 44 years old (66%), and had a university degree (55%). Female HCWs were more likely than male HCWs to report feeling anxious (OR = 2.68 [1.75, 4.12]), depressed (OR = 1.63 [1.02, 2.59]), and irritable (OR = 1.61 [1.08, 2.40]) throughout the first two years of the pandemic. Female HCWs were more likely than their male counterparts to report eating more unhealthy diets (OR = 1.54 [1.02, 2.31]). Significant differences were also revealed by age, education level, income, parental status, health status, and over time., Conclusion: Results demonstrate that the impacts of COVID-19 on HCWs' mental health and health behaviours were significant, and varied by sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., sex, age, income)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To describe parental experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the COVID-19 restrictions. We explore what parents found most challenging, the impact these restrictions had on them and their infant, and how they coped., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by parents of infants who required care in a Canadian NICU during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from 3 questions were coded using thematic analysis., Results: Participants ( n = 161) were primarily mothers (93%), with an average length of stay of 32.1 days. Three themes were identified from responses: (1) emotional and physical closeness of the parents to their infant; (2) physical and psychosocial well-being of the infant and parent; and (3) how parents coped, and strategies for moving forward. Parents reported that parental restriction policies adversely impacted their perceived physical and emotional closeness with their infant and their infant's physical and psychosocial well-being. Parents reported that being able to be present with their infant, having their partner able to be present with them, and effective communication helped them cope., Conclusion: Despite the need for some restrictive policies to control the spread of the virus, the benefits and risks to the overall well-being of the parents and infants must be weighed., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Canadian blood donations declined during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, vaccine demand outpaced supply during the initial stages of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Canada. This study investigates public perceptions regarding vaccine-incentivized blood donation, among COVID-19 and future pandemics, in Canada., Materials and Methods: A 19-question survey was developed and distributed in person and online to Canadians during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked questions about demographics, blood donation eligibility, previous donations and sentiments towards vaccine-incentivized blood donation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics., Results: In total, 787 respondents completed the survey with representation from all sexes, ages, races, locations of residence and work employment. Overall, 176 (22%) participants self-identified as working or living in healthcare settings, 511 (65%) were currently able to donate blood products, 247 (31%) previously donated blood and 48 (6%) donated blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the exception of ineligible blood donors, many Canadians, particularly previous blood donors, were agreeable with this incentivization proposal. Many participants claimed they would donate blood products for vaccines during COVID-19 and future pandemics but raised concerns about the equitableness of such approach., Conclusion: Vaccine-incentivized blood donation was viewed positively by many Canadians in our study. Future research must investigate the equity and feasibility of this strategy. In the interim, further strategies should be explored to encourage blood donation in Canada., (© 2023 The Authors. Vox Sanguinis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Blood Transfusion.)

Objectives: Public health systems have been centre stage during the COVID-19 pandemic, but governments invest relatively little in public health as compared to curative care. Previous research has shown that public health expenditures are under pressure during recessions and could be politically determined, but very few studies analyze quantitatively their determinants. This study investigates the political and fiscal determinants of public health and curative care expenditures., Methods: After constructing a dataset building on disaggregated health expenditures in the Canadian provinces from 1975 to 2018, we use error correction models to study the short-run and long-run influence of fiscal and political determinants on public health expenditures and on curative expenditures. Fiscal determinants include measures of public debt charges and federal transfers. Political determinants include government partisanship and election cycles. We also explore whether curative expenditures crowd out public health expenditures., Results: We find no difference between left and right governments in curative care expenditures but show that left governments spend more on public health if we control for past spending decisions in favour of curative care. Fiscal austerity reduces both public health and curative expenditures, and provincial governments use additional intergovernmental transfers to increase their curative care budgets. A growth in the proportion of curative care relative to total health budgets is associated with a decline in public health expenditures., Conclusion: Even though they have low political salience, public health expenditures remain driven by partisanship and electoral concerns. Despite their widely acknowledged importance, public health programs develop in the shadow of curative care priorities., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive license to The Canadian Public Health Association.)

Canadian lockdown response to the COVID-19 pandemic has included province-wide school shutdowns and frequent individual school closures to contain outbreaks. A number of scientists and political figures have shared their concerns about the medium- and long-term effects of school closures/shutdowns on student academic achievement, learning loss, and learning gaps. Unfortunately, there are no pan-Canadian studies to date to help define the scope of the problem. In this commentary, we report the results of a number of longitudinal research studies conducted in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and the United States. Using these studies as a basis for comparison, we extrapolated a "Canadian" hypothesis on the unintended academic consequences of school closures, keeping in mind the unique nature of each province. We continue with recommendations on the types of research required to validate this hypothesis, and conclude with implications on public health and education should learning loss and gaps prove true., (© 2021. The Canadian Public Health Association.)

COVID-19 has caused a change in the demography of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) teaching fraternity. This paper problematizes the ECE curriculum delivery gap created by the influence of COVID-19. Central to this paper is the assumption that online learning might limit the stimulation of children's holistic development. Reflecting on their experiences, the authors examine the influence of COVID-19 on pedagogy for ECE preservice and kindergarten curriculum through the lens of design thinking theory. The reflections are based on one open and distance learning institution in South Africa and one kindergarten program in Canada. The findings reveal challenges, such as digital inequality brought on by socioeconomic imbalances and opportunities. The authors suggest the digital literacy skills needed to mitigate the influence of COVID-19 in the ECE preservice and kindergarten curriculum delivery.

This paper provides a historic overview of the crises that have faced the Canadian professoriate since the 1950s. Historic periodization is used to identify the eras, defined by broader societal movements, in which the nature of academic work in Canada has changed. Key narratives of crisis are identified, including: the post-WWII perspective that professors' work was elite but mundane; the 1970s emphasis on poor working conditions and unionization; and the 1990s emphasis on diversity and inequity. The paper concludes by examining the current crisis in which a fragmented professoriate is facing market-driven working conditions, exacerbated by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper argues that crises in academic work are sparked when there is tension between society's expectations of professors and professors' self-perceptions of their role and contributions.

Teacher federations are often criticized as "roadblocks" to educational change. It is arguable, however, that their advocacy work has been paramount in securing safer return to school conditions across Canadian Educational jurisdictions. Utilizing Carter et al. (2010) framework of union responses to changing policy environments, this paper draws on publicly available documents and social media posts from March through to October of 2020 to examine the ways in which teacher unions in various Canadian contexts have responded to the issue of school reopening plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the paper analyzes the extent to which Canadian teacher unions have been able to move into the realm of union renewal as a means of building internal capacity and developing external networks to strengthen their public advocacy work.

This paper explores the ways in which face-to-face classroom communities were disrupted and/or transformed by the move to online platforms and the effect of this disruption on equitable access to a quality education. Quality education is defined as engaged pedagogy, where students learn to interact with other students and engage with ideas in a way that promotes their ability to be part of a community while still feeling free to disagree with, critique, and take care of each other. To examine the extent to which such communities were created when schooling migrated online during the pandemic, this paper examines online schooling communities in terms of sense of belonging, trust, shared purpose, and quality of interactions. The analysis of the experiences of 11 teachers in Ontario, Canada, whose face-to-face classes were moved to online formats, establishes that equity was one of the first casualties of the change, with the most vulnerable students facing disproportionate academic, psychological, and social consequences.

When the COVID-19 pandemic required all higher education learning to move to remote or online formats, students were challenged to maintain a sense of community and to advance in their education. By focusing on the immediate, human needs of students, IdeasCongress -- a community-engaged experiential learning course with a curricular emphasis on transferable skills -- flourished in the remote synchronous format. The only significant change was to shift the topic of the course to #RecoverTogether to guide our students in imagining a path through the pandemic while supporting local charities by developing plans for mitigating the impact that the pandemic was having on their service model. This paper outlines a case study of the course and reflections upon the experience of teaching during the pandemic restrictions, supported by student feedback from the September-December (Fall) 2020 semester. Based on this evidence, the approach appeared to be effective for student retention and engagement, and increased student feelings of connectedness to both the campus and the local community. The paper highlights key lessons learned while teaching and learning during challenging times and describes the teaching approaches used to support students.

The COVID-19 pandemic brings to the fore strengths and weaknesses in many public policies, including higher education. There are at least three separate but related areas where institutions of higher learning have been stressed by COVID-19: financing, issues related to the logistics of learning, and inequality. These problems are especially pronounced in countries that suffer from high levels of inequality, such as Chile. This editorial offers a review of some of these challenges and their implication for long-term education policy, touching on the cases of Chile, Canada, and the United States.

This rapid systematic review aims to examine emerging evidence on the effects of COVID-19 on educational institutions and assess the prevalence of e-learning changes in the sector. This paper reviews literature on learning, teaching, and assessment approaches adopted since the COVID-19 outbreak, and assesses the impact on the sector, staff, and students, summarizing findings from peer-reviewed articles. It categorizes these into five key themes: (1) digital learning; (2) e-learning challenges; (3) digital transition to emergency virtual assessment (EVA); (4) psychological impact of COVID-19; and (5) creating collaborative cultures. This represents the first systematic review of COVID-19's impact on education, clarifying current themes being investigated. The author suggests that the term 'emergency virtual assessment' (EVA) is now added for future research discussion. Finally, the paper identifies research gaps, including researching the impact on lesser developed countries, the psychological impact of transition, and the important role of leadership and leadership styles during the transition and handling of the pandemic.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced instructors and students to work together under constantly evolving circumstances. The abrupt transition to online education has contributed to making the educational experiences of instructors and students more emotionally complex and intense. Growing attention has been directed toward understanding the challenges international students face and their impact on the students' learning experiences, considering the unprecedented difficulties the global pandemic has posed for international student mobility. In this context, instructors are in a unique position to support international students. One way to do so is by being (more) empathetic. Empathy is important because it not only helps us feel for and with the other, but also improves the academic outcomes of students. This paper discusses the importance of empathy in teaching international students by expanding on the concept of teacher empathy. This paper also critically examines the experiences of international students in higher education in several domains of lived experience, such as the linguistic, academic, social, cultural, and psychological. Other aspects of empathy presented are its contagious nature and the concept of radical empathy. This paper concludes by highlighting the practical application of empathy in light of international students' experiences.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of students' learning journey. Teachers' perceptions of SEL have been associated with teaching outcomes and the effectiveness of its implementation in classrooms. In Ontario, SEL is a mandated component in certain areas of the curriculum. It is therefore important to consider teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding SEL because a teacher who is confident in implementing SEL strategies as part of the curriculum may contribute to positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for their students. This study explored teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding SEL before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three elementary teachers in Ontario implementing SEL practices took part in a semi-structured interview that was informed by the CASEL (n.d.b) framework, and it followed a modified version of Seidman's (2019) three-interview protocol. Research findings revealed the participants' perceptions of SEL and the various informal strategies they used to teach it during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. This paper discusses the benefits and barriers of teaching students the SEL competencies and describes potential implications for practice informed by the collected data.

Child care and school are similar and interrelated, yet the comparison of school to child care seems contentious. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed pressure points in labeling these educational and care institutions essential--or not. This paper encourages collaboration between schools and child care as a vital component to reimagining education.

This paper aims to establish if any of the following characteristics are associated with a difference in student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: online lecture attendance, study time and performance; gender, class standing "(freshman (1st year), sophomore (2nd year), junior (3rd year)and senior (4th year))" and having one's own room. A Learning Management System was used to measure students' study times and performance on the assessments. A survey instrument was used to obtain information about their gender, class standing, whether they had their own room and their perceptions of online education. The study found a positive correlation between study times and performance, except for test 1 and its study time, and a positive relationship between academic performance and having their own room. There was also a difference noted between class standing and performance, however, there was no difference based on gender in the performance of the students.

This paper focuses on the experiences of Indigenous learners at Athabasca University. Having access to online education provided a sense of normalcy for students during the global pandemic while many post-secondary institutions and Indigenous communities were closed. The purpose of the research was two-fold: (1) to determine the dynamics of reaching Indigenous learners and measuring their adaptability in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) to understand the effects of the pandemic on the mind, body, spirit, and social environment of Indigenous distance education learners and their families. This research included qualitative and quantitative methods, specifically, a survey, focus group, and individual interviews. We share the results of online research involving Indigenous students during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We concluded that listening to Indigenous students supported their online education while giving them an outlet to express their experiences. This research identified Indigenous student adaptations towards their spirituality in specific ways inherent to their culture given the reactions to COVID-19, their responses, and reflections.

Learning management systems (LMSs) have long been adopted by tertiary education providers to be the conduit through which courses are delivered. However, debates about the capacity of the LMS to meet all the required current and future needs of both students and educators have become more pronounced over the past few years, particularly given the rapid shift to online learning during COVID-19. This qualitative study aimed to examine practitioners' current experiences in using the LMS for formal teaching and learning in tertiary environments. To discern the possibilities and issues, a focus group was held with fourteen practitioners from Australasia (Australia and Singapore), Canada, and the UK (England and Scotland) attending virtually. Adopting a novel and recognised approach to thematic analysis, a Delphi process was adopted on the de-identified webinar and chat transcripts. Analysis revealed several key themes ranging across pedagogical, technological, and managerial issues with the LMS. The findings in this paper have become even more pertinent as a result of COVID-19 with institutions urgently reviewing standards for teaching in the LMS whilst also reviewing their overall technology ecosystems to ensure a suite of complementary teaching and learning tools to enable best teaching and learning practices. It appears the LMS still has a key role to play in contemporary learning ecosystems.

This paper presents the results of a collaborative study highlighting the pedagogical approaches used by faculty during visits to the Musée acadien de l'Université de Moncton (MAUM). This qualitative-based study was conducted with a sample of nine participants representing various disciplines from three major faculties. Thematic analysis revealed the main themes related to the pedagogical practices used by the participants: teaching and learning models, pedagogical approaches, and methods. The results indicate that the faculty preferred collaborative, project-based, experiential, and inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches. This study initiated discussions among professors about teaching practices used by faculty members during distance learning. Innovative thoughts have emerged from e-learning practices used by faculty during the Covid-19 pandemic. Feedback from students contributed greatly to enriching and evolving the approaches. The cross-referencing of the results has made it possible to identify tools for inspiring pedagogical approaches, whatever the subject being taught.

In this paper, we report on data from 40 middle and secondary school mathematics teachers and teacher candidates as they begin to articulate the intersection of language-friendly pedagogy, mathematics teaching, and a multilingual technological tool by way of a two-hour introductory workshop. We use an Anthropological Theory of the Didactic which recognises that mathematics instruction and language instruction are done differently under distinct institutional conditions (curriculum, culture, language, etc.) to analyse our data. Our findings suggest that teachers' beliefs and perspectives regarding their multilingual students guide their choices about how to use a powerful digital multilingual platform to either remediate what they perceive as deficits in their students or leverage the assets of multilingual learners.

This paper considers the social role of collaborative ethnographic research amid our current intersecting social, political and ecological crises. It investigates how the multi-sited, arts-based, ethnographic study, "Global Youth (Digital) Citizen-Artists and their Publics: Performing for Socio-Ecological Justice (2019-2024)," adopts drama as a tool to at once respond compassionately and imaginatively to crisis, and envision alternative social, political and ecological futures in its wake. A "metho-pedagogical" paradigm is mobilized as a framework to consider how drama is put to work, methodologically and pedagogically, at a time of climate emergency and pandemic. This framework is illustrated across two vignettes, which attend to the social challenges and impacts of emergent drama-based ethnographic research across two years of the study, in varying geographic locations with different cultural orientations, in live classrooms and in virtual theatre spaces. Attention, risk, desire, trust and reciprocity emerge as important proposals for engaging in arts-led research with youth in these times.

This paper is located within a larger study of children's voice and storytelling. The focus is on how children use artifacts, such as special objects and photographs, to tell stories about their lives. We studied the collaborative learning of educators, in two schools in Eastern Canada, as they used sharing circles and multimodal pedagogies, and worked to elevate and listen to children's voices during a period of pandemic teaching. This study examines children's things/artifacts as material culture and relates things/artifacts to artifactual literacies. The action research design included a consideration of children's voice in early years research alongside the collaborative professional development inquiry undertaken by educators in the study. An analysis of key findings as they relate to evolving pedagogies, including how artifacts were used to tell stories, and how voice can be viewed through this artifact sharing is presented. We argue that building voice and collaboration can result from pedagogies of classroom sharing and listening. Educators' challenges in this research and their classroom teaching during a constantly shifting set of teaching conditions are fore fronted. Insights from children's particular artifacts and their stories enhanced educator and peer awareness of difference, and of cultural practices in families. Finally, implications for practice, and future research possibilities are presented, along with an argument for viewing children's voice as emergent alongside classroom multimodal pedagogical practices that augment children's voices.

The COVID-19 crisis has led to widespread temporary school closures and a deep economic recession. School closures have threatened children's ability to learn and later return to school well prepared. The impact of the economic recession is going to be even more devastating: first for students, but also for the ability of some Catholic schools to maintain their enrollment and remain sustainable financially in countries where they do not benefit from government support. This paper, the first in a set of two, looks at some of the likely impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on Catholic Schools in developed countries with a particular focus on the United States, a country not only hard hit by the crisis but also where Catholic schools are especially vulnerable to downturns. While Catholic schools may be able to respond to the immediate challenge of school closures among others through distance learning options, their ability to maintain enrollment during the economic downturn is less clear. How schools will respond to the twin challenges of ensuring learning during school closures and beyond, and remaining affordable for families at a time of economic stress, may affect whether they are able to maintain their comparative advantage. A key aim of the paper is to make Catholic school teachers and leaders aware of some of the discussions on how to respond to the crisis, and provide links to online resources that may be useful. [For Part II of the series, see EJ1278501.]

As the world reacts to the impact of COVID-19, work-integrated learning (WIL) programs globally are similarly affected. Across Canada and Australia, thousands of WIL students either shifted to working remotely or dismissed from their WIL experience. This disruption impacted student learning, program delivery, risk management, staff capability, and industry engagement, and posed significant challenges for institutions. This paper presents the responses to COVID-19 by the University of Waterloo, Canada, and RMIT University, Australia, each guided by quality WIL principles and different WIL organizational structures. This paper outlines how each institution: mobilized staff, introduced program changes while maintaining quality, engaged industry partners and presented WIL program-based solutions to COVID-19 challenges. The paper concludes with discussion on challenges and opportunities that events such as COVID-19 has upon WIL programs, implications for other institutions and student outcomes. Consideration is given to post-COVID scenarios, and how WIL might need to be re-imagined.

Government investment in preparing for pandemics has never been more relevant. The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated debate regarding the trade-offs societies are prepared to make between health and economic activity. What is not known is: (1) how much the public in different countries are prepared to pay in forgone GDP to avoid mortality from future pandemics; and (2) which health and economic policies the public in different countries want their government to invest in to prepare for and respond to the next pandemic. Using a future-focused, multi-national discrete choice experiment, we quantify these trade-offs and find that the tax-paying public is prepared to pay $3.92 million USD (Canada), $4.39 million USD (UK), $5.57 million USD (US) and $7.19 million USD (Australia) in forgone GDP per death avoided in the next pandemic. We find the health policies that taxpayers want to invest in before the next pandemic and the economic policies they want activated once the next pandemic hits are relatively consistent across the countries, with some exceptions. Such results can inform economic policy responses and government investment in health policies to reduce the adverse impacts of the next pandemic., (© 2023 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the representation of women and persons of colour (POC) authors of COVID-19 manuscripts submitted to, accepted in, and rejected from the Journal and to evaluate trends in their representation during the pandemic., Methods: All COVID-19 manuscripts submitted to the Journal between 1 February 2020 and 30 April 2021 were included. Manuscript data were retrieved from Editorial Manager, and gender and POC status were obtained through: 1) e-mail communication with corresponding authors; 2) e-mail queries to other coauthors; 3) NamSor software, and 4) Internet searches. The data were described using percentages and summary statistics. A two-sample test of proportions was used for comparisons and trends were analyzed with linear regression., Results: We identified 314 manuscripts (1,555 authors), 95 (461 authors) of which were accepted for publication. Of all authors, 515 (33%) were women, and women were the lead and senior authors of 101 (32%) and 69 (23%) manuscripts, respectively. There were no differences in women's representation as authors between accepted and rejected manuscripts. Overall, 923/1,555 (59%) authors were identified as POC, with a significantly lower proportion of POC authors among accepted vs rejected manuscripts (41%, 188/461 vs 67%, 735/1,094; difference, -26%; 95% CI, -32 to -21; P < 0.001). We did not observe significant trends in the proportion of women and POC authors over the study period., Conclusion: The proportion of women authors of COVID-19 manuscripts was lower than men's representation. Further research is required to determine the factors that account for the higher proportion of POC authors across rejected manuscripts., (© 2023. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.)

Background: The focus of this paper is exemplary gerontological nursing interventions that effectively supported families and long-term care residents in Canada during visiting restrictions resulting from COVID-19., Objective: The aim was to describe exemplary gerontological nursing interventions that families and long-term care residents in Canada found supportive during visiting restrictions resulting from COVID-19., Methods: An analysis of data artefacts including news reports, blogs and social media postings was completed., Results: Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: dedication amidst challenge, innovation and continuous learning, living their nursing values and purposeful knowledge sharing. These themes are described using a framework that depicts four pillars of exemplary nursing practice: professionalism, scholarly practice, leadership and stewardship (Riley, Beal, & Ponte, 2021)., Conclusions/implications for Practice: A link is made between these pillars of exemplary practice and enactment of family-focused care. Recommendations focused on gerontological nursing approaches that facilitate family-focused care for older adults residing in long-term care are included., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Older People Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy (VH) in maternal decision-making is important to understand to achieve community immunity targets and optimize pediatric COVID-19 vaccine adoption. COVID-19 is exacerbating the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) for women in abusive relationships, a known risk factor for maternal VH. This project aimed to: (1) determine if IPV impacts maternal VH in Canada; and (2) understand maternal attitudes towards routine childhood vaccines and a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine in Canada., Methods: As part of a cross-sectional, quantitative study, 129 women completed an online survey. IPV was assessed using the Abuse Assessment Screen and the revised, short-form Composite Abuse Scale. The Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines scale evaluated maternal attitudes towards routine vaccinations and a COVID-19 vaccine. Questions informed by the World Health Organization's Increasing Vaccination Model (IVM) evaluated perceived barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination., Results: In total, 14.5% of mothers were hesitant towards routine childhood vaccines, while 97.0% were hesitant towards a COVID-19 vaccine. Experiencing IPV was significantly associated with maternal COVID-19 VH (W = 683, p < 0.05). Social processes were identified as instrumental barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination, meaning that social norms and information sharing among social networks are critical in maternal vaccination decision-making., Conclusions for Practice: This study provides novel evidence of maternal IPV significantly impacting VH and the presence of strong maternal VH specific to a COVID-19 vaccine in the Canadian context. Further research is required to fully understand the factors that build confidence and mitigate hesitancy in mothers, especially mothers who have experienced IPV., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and teaching strategies away from the comfort of traditional formats, but many more that are negative, primarily relating to the impact on faculty and student health and well-being, and the accompanying stress. It identifies issues that need to be addressed in the recovery and redesign stages of the management of this crisis, and it sets a new research agenda for studies in accounting education.

Systemic disruptions from COVID-19 have transformed the assessment landscape in Canada and across the world. Alongside repeated shifts to emergency remote teaching, large-scale assessments and summative evaluations were cancelled in many jurisdictions, and repeated concerns were raised about ensuring equity and access to quality education. This paper investigates the rapid -- and in many cases innovative -- responses teachers offered to these challenges at the height of the pandemic. Drawing on prolonged semi-structured interviews with 17 secondary school teachers in Ontario, Canada, the paper provides a detailed account of Ontario's approach to assessment during COVID-19, exemplified by participants' lived experiences. Results highlight the notion of emergency remote assessment, the vital role of assessment in stemming widening equity and well-being gaps, and emerging consequences from this period. These data offer critical insights into the future of our forever-changed education landscape, and position classroom assessment as a priority player in this work.

The demands arising from the COVID-19 pandemic have amplified the importance of resilience not only for students, but also for academics. This narrative review examines a phenomenon which has received little research attention, despite its significance during the pandemic, namely the resilience of academics in higher education. We refer to this as 'academic resilience'. The review investigates how academic resilience in higher education has been addressed in scholarship, with particular attention to the five major pandemics from 2001 to 2020. A review of fourteen relevant papers shows a lack of attention to the resilience of university teaching staff. Uncovering how academics overcome and withstand adversity on the one hand, and how higher education institutions have managed and supported the resilience of their staff on the other, this paper offers a conceptualisation of academic resilience that goes beyond the individual/environmental binary in scholarship.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented disruption to education and schooling at the end of the 2019-20 school year. Operating in a context of great uncertainty, education leaders were tasked with making key decisions with potentially far-reaching impacts on the educational and mental and physical health of students and families. Drawing on 9 cross-sectoral focus groups with school board administrators, representatives from education industry partners, and K-12 educational policy research organizations, this paper provides a historical record of the evolution of decision-making and points to promising lines of inquiry and lessons that can be learned from this moment in education.

The 2020 outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic imposed emergency remote teaching on adult English as a second language (ESL) programs globally, creating unprecedented challenges not only for language learners but also for instructors. Immense difficulties were produced in the collision between a biological hazard (the novel coronavirus) and the power-inflected social structures that organize language teaching in different locales. In this paper I explore some impacts of the pandemic on three instructors in the single largest adult ESL program in Canada, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC). Grounded in an account of the historical origins and development of the LINC program, a reflexive thematic analysis of instructor responses to vignettes of resonant challenges identified three major issues that were intensified by the pandemic: navigating digital inequities, balancing the teaching of digital literacies and language teaching in an accountability framework, and managing boundaries and expectations. These results are contextualized in the larger conversations around LINC and adult ESL programming globally, and some implications and new directions for the post-pandemic landscape now visible on the horizon are also considered.

This paper focuses on eight conditions that kept international master's students (IMS) in a Southern Ontario university happy and engaged in their studies during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the first phase of the Appreciative Inquiry's (AI) 4-D cycle--i.e., discovery--this doctoral study conducted 14 individual interviews and three focus group discussions to identify conditions that made the IMS students happier and more engaged despite pandemic-related challenges. The study is crucial in advancing positive experiences of IMS because existing literature has focused primarily on their challenges and problems. The study's use of AI, a strength-based theoretical and methodological approach, suggests the need to highlight the quality experiences of this minoritized group. Data revealed specific factors that brought about happiness and boosted IMS engagement in their studies, namely: financial and emotional support from family; responsive instructors; employment opportunities during the pandemic; and learning and engaging in extracurricular activities with colleagues and friends. Other conditions also proved crucial to participants' happiness and engagement in their studies, including: professionalism of non-teaching staff; the institution's learning management system and supporting online platforms; virtual access to campus software and other learning resources; and reduced travel time. Study findings aim to inform international student policy and enrich the international student experience literature.