Impact of COVID-19 on Formal Education: An International Review of Practices and Potentials of Open Education at a Distance.

In terms of scale, shock, and disenfranchisement, the disruption to formal education arising from COVID-19 has been unprecedented. Anecdotally, responses from teachers and educators around the world range from heightened caution to being inspired by distance education as the 'new normal.' Of all the challenges, face-to-face and formal teaching have been most heavily affected. Despite some education systems demonstrating resilience, a major challenge is sustaining quality and inclusiveness in formal education suddenly delivered at a distance. In probing these issues, this article profiles international perspectives on the role of open education in responding to the impact on formal school and higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We proceed by highlighting and analysing practices and case studies from 13 countries representing all global regions, identifying and discussing the challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves. Reports cover the period from the beginning of 2020 until 11 March 2021, the first anniversary of the COVID-19 outbreak as declared by the World Health Organization. In our comparative study, we identify seven key aspects of which three (missing infrastructure and sharing OER, open education and access to OER, and urgent need for professional development and training for teachers) are directly related to open education at a distance. After comparing examples of existing practice, we make recommendations and offer insights into how open education strategies can lead to interventions that are effective and innovative¿to improve formal education at a distance in schools and universities in the future

Assessment of Type A Behaviour Pattern Among National Open University of Nigeria Academic Staff

This study focused on assessment of Type A Behaviour Pattern (TABP) among academic staff of Open and Distance Learning. The Type A individuals of both sexes are considered to have the following characteristics: intense sustained drive to achieve set goals, a profound inclination for eagerness to compete, aggressive and hostile feelings and habitual propensity to accelerate the rate of execution of most physical and mental functions. Research have therefore linked Type A behavior pattern to the development of coronary heart diseases. Participants for this study were drawn from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), which is an Open and Distance Learning Institution. A total of 173 lecturers were used for the study with the following statistics: Gender: males = 95, females = 78; age range: 25-45 = 102, 46-65 = 70; academic rank = assistant lecturer = 25, lecturer 11 = 29, lecturer 1 = 39, senior lecturer = 27, associate professor = 25 and professors = 32. Type A Behavior Scale (TABS) was used for the assessment. Study proposed three (3) hypotheses of which two of the hypotheses were accepted. Study revealed that gender does not significantly influence manifestation of Type A among participants, those in the age range of 46-65 manifested higher levels of Type A behavior pattern than those aged 25-45; Senior lecturers and above manifested significantly higher levels of Type A behavior pattern than Lectures 1 and below. Discussions were made in line with the findings while further training and retraining of staff of NOUN on job-specific skills was recommended to reduce ambiguity and pressure on the job. Résumé : L'étude s'est focalisée sur l'évaluation du modèle de comportement de type A (TABP) parmi le personnel académique de la formation continue ouverte et  à distance. Les individus de type A des deux sexes sont considérés comme ayant les caractéristiques suivantes : une intense volonté soutenue d'atteindre les objectifs fixés, une profonde inclination pour la concurrence, des sentiments agressifs et hostiles et une propension habituelle à accélérer le taux d'exécution de la plupart des fonctions physiques et mentales. La recherche a donc établi un lien entre le comportement de type A et le développement de maladies coronariennes. Les participants à cette étude ont été tirés de l’Université Nationale Ouverte du Nigeria (NOUN), qui est une institution ouverte de formation à distance. Un total de 173 enseignants ont été utilisés pour l'étude avec les statistiques suivantes: Genre: hommes - 95, femmes - 78; tranche d'âge : 25-45 ans : 102 ;  46-65 ans : 70 ; Grade académique : Professeurs adjoints : 25 ; Professeurs de grade I : 29 ;  conférenciers : 39 ;  maîtres de conférence : 27 ; professeurs agrégés : 25 et professeurs  titulaires : 32. L'échelle de comportement de type A (TABS) a été utilisée pour l'évaluation. L'étude a proposé trois (3) hypothèses dont deux des hypothèses ont été acceptées. L'étude a indiqué que le genre n'influence pas de manière significative la manifestation du type A parmi des participants, ceux dans la gamme d'âge de 46-65 ans ont manifesté des niveaux plus élevés de modèle de comportement de type A que ceux âgés de 25-45 ans. Les conférenciers et ceux de rang supérieur ont manifesté des niveaux sensiblement plus élevés de modèle de comportement de type A que des professeurs de grade I et inferieur. Des discussions ont été faites conformément aux constatations, tandis que la formation et le recyclage du personnel de NOUN sur les compétences spécifiques à l'emploi ont été recommandés afin de réduire l'ambiguïté et la pression au travail

Evaluation of Nature of Domestic Violence and Coping Strategies Adopted by Women Suffering Domestic Violence in Anambra State of Nigeria

A study of nature of domestic violence and coping strategies adopted by women of child-bearing age in Anambra State of Nigeria was conducted with the aim of identifying the nature of domestic violence and coping strategies adopted by the women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage sampling technique to randomly select 400 women. Data collection was by self-administered questionnaire. Findings revealed that sexual assault was 22.55% while physical assault was 13.24%. The most adopted strategy seems to be seeking help from religious leaders (mean accounting 4.07), followed by drinking and using drugs to numb the pain (mean accounting 3.98), confiding in family and friends (mean accounting 3.96), then reporting to agencies/authorities (mean accounting 3.92). Sometimes victims just hope that the situation will improve (mean accounting 3.83), while others prefer not talking to anyone about the violence (mean accounting 3.76). In conclusion, cases should be reported appropriately and policies should be put in place to check it.  Recommendations was that Health professionals should always be on the lookout for symptoms of abuse and should include some questions on abuse in the routine history taking of adult patients; victims should be treated and referred to counselors and psychotherapists; punishment given to grievously offending husbands should be publicized to serve as deterrence to others; NGOs, media, churches and mosques should enlighten the people on the need for a violence free society with the home as the cradle. In conclusion, cases should be reported appropriately and policies should be put in place to check it

Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception of Pregnant Women Entrepreneurs Towards Attending Antenatal Care Clinic At Chika/Aleyita, Abuja Municipal Area Council

Background: Poor antenatal care attendance has continued to affect maternal and child health against Sustainable Development Goal to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio, end preventable deaths of newborns, and decrease neonatal death.Objectives: This study assessed pregnant women entrepreneurs' knowledge, attitude, and perception towards attending antenatal care clinics in Chika/Aleyita Area.Methodology: About 200 women entrepreneurs who gave informed consent were recruited into the study. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on knowledge, perception, and attitude towards antenatal clinic visits. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and Chi-Square analysis.Results: The respondents aged 25-35 years were 57.6%, 94.9% were married, and 50% had a secondary education certificate. Some were selling fruits and vegetables (39.3%), while 28% were into cosmetics. Majority (89.3%) attended antenatal clinic in the hospital. The awareness of antenatal before pregnancy (p<0.001), need for tetanus immunization (p<0.001), routine medication intake (p<0.001), hospital as the best delivery place (p<0.001), and awareness of the need for at least five antenatal attendance (p<0.001) were significantly associated with antenatal attendance. However, the number of pregnancies was not associated with antenatal attendance (p=0.31).Conclusion: Public health workers, nurses, and midwives should intensify their health education strategies to help mothers understand the implication and the benefit of antenatal care

I failed because I was Playing Videogamesâ€: An Examination of Undergraduate Males Videogame Addiction and Academic Performance

Many factors affect the academic performance of undergraduate students. Playing videogames among male students vis-Ã -vis their academic performance was assessed in this study. This study employed two hundred and fifty male undergraduate students (250) aged between 15 and 23 (M =17.44, SD=1.37), selected from a Nigerian private University. Academic performance was assessed using Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) collapsed into three groups (viz: 1= 1.25 to 3.49, 2 = 3.50 to 4.49 and 3 = 4.50 to 5.00). Pathological playing of videogames was assessed using the Problem Video Game Playing questionnaire (PVP). A statistical significant difference at the p < .05 level was observed F (2, 250) = 5.15, p = .01. The small effect size of 0.04 was obtained using the partial eta squared. A Post-hoc comparison using Tukey HSD test indicated that group 1 differed significantly in their mean scores from group 2 and 3. Further analysis with Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient showed r = -.262, n = 250, p <.000 and r = .261, n = 250, p <.000 for CGPA and self-reported grades respectively. It was concluded that videogame addiction has a significant effect on the academic performance of male undergraduate students