Open Education as a game changer – stories from the pandemic

El estudio presenta ejemplos de iniciativas positivas y cambios en la educación que se originaron como reacción al cierre de escuelas durante la pandemia de 2020 y son parte de lo que se conoce como prácticas educativas abiertas y recursos educativos abiertos.This document presents examples of positive initiatives and changes in education originated as a reaction to the closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and which are part of what is known as Open Educational Practices and Open Educational Resources. The aim of analysis is to gather information about the most interesting and influential Open Education initiatives which could inspire and hopefully permanently revolutionize remote education systems around the world. An important objective is to initiate a discussion on the role played by Open Education during the pandemic and to provide arguments to support public policy making. We describe initiatives from five countries – Greece, Italy, Poland, Uruguay and Brazil. For each country we provide: a) specific stories about the broadly understood Open Education in the pandemic to encourage discussion and inspiration. Each initiative is connected with a corresponding UNESCO Recommendation on OER Objective. b) the reactions by the governments to the pandemic and the actions taken, also from the point of view of using Open Education in remote learning. c) a brief description of the education systems in the days before the pandemic. Story from Greece: - Cooperation changes everything - the community of practice in Greece Stories from Italy: - How to open what is closed – the MOOC “E-collaboration at school and beyond” from Politecnico di Milano - The Didactics of Proximity - the municipality of Turin for parents and educators Stories from Poland: - Invite me to your lesson – a grassroots initiative for the exchange and cooperation of teachers from thousands of Polish schools - Wolne Lektury – a grassroots digital library visited by 1,500,000 readers per month in the pandemic - Pistacja.tv – how to teach millions of maths students during the pandemic - Remote Lessons and Open Educational Network - Polish government initiatives Stories from Uruguay:- Plan Ceibal and Portal Uruguay Educa - how systematic building of national OER repositories can help as a response to emergency remote education - RedREA (OER Network) - how to ensure the continued creation of open resources that feed national repositories Story from Brazil: - Mobile Apps in Education – teachers widely open to mobile communication with students Key conclusions from the study drawn on the basis of the records of discussions between the authors of the report and the activists of Open Education during a two-day workshop in October 2020: a) Resources, institutions and infrastructure built on the Open Education model provide resilience to educational systems. b) Teachers were the first responders during the educational crisis. Networks of teachers were quickly formed, using communication technologies available to them. These networks created and shared teaching resources, and provided teachers with mutual support. c) Grassroots initiatives require support to function for a longer time. Public institutions need to partner with informal initiatives, in order to make them sustainable and help them scale up. d) Actors of many types took action and supported remote education: non-governmental organisations, universities, city governments. Ministries of Education need to adopt a multi-stakeholder model to manage remote education which acknowledges this support. e) Open Education does not solely rely on sharing openly licensed educational resources. It also harnesses practices of collaboration, content creation, networking and mutual support based on values of openness, solidarity and equality. f) At the time of crisis, educators and learners used any technologies and resources available. Over time, remote education requires the provision of necessary public infrastructure, educational services and resources. g) The digital divide – lack of access to equipment and the internet as well as insufficient conditions for teaching and learning – became even more prominent during the pandemicExecutive summary Introduction Context and form Analysis methodology How do we understand Open Education? Key conclusions Story from Greece Cooperation changes everything – the community of practice in Greece Decisions on education in early lockdown – Greece Stories from Italy How to open what is closed – the MOOC ‘E-collaboration at school and beyond’ from Politecnico di Milano The Didactics of Proximity – the municipality of Turin for parents and educators Decisions on education in early lockdown – Italy The day before the pandemic – brief description of Italian educational system Basic information about the educational system Open education in documents, strategies and regulations Infrastructure and digital repositories Stories from Poland Invite me to your lesson – a grassroots initiative for the exchange and cooperation of teachers from thousands of Polish schools Wolne Lektury – a grassroots digital library visited by 1,500,000 readers per month in the pandemic Pistacja.tv – how to teach millions of maths students during the pandemic Remote Lessons and Open Educational Network - Polish government initiatives Decisions on education in early lockdown - Poland The day before pandemic – brief description of Polish educational system Key assumptions of the education systems Open education in documents, strategies and regulations Infrastructure and digital repositories Stories from Uruguay Plan Ceibal and Portal Uruguay Educa – how systematic building of national OER repositories can help as a response to emergency remote education RedREA (OER Network) – how to ensure the continued creation of open resources that feed national repositories Decisions on education in early lockdown – Uruguay The day before the pandemic – brief description of Uruguayan educational system Basic information about the educational system Infrastructure and digital repositories Story from Brazil Mobile Apps in Education – teachers widely open to mobile communication with students 50 Decisions on education in early lockdown – Brazil The day before the pandemic – brief description of Brazilian educational system Basic information about the educational system Open education in documents, strategies and regulations Infrastructure and digital repositorie

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p < 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

In-silico methods applied on druggable proteins to identify transient pockets: new approaches for studying drug-target molecular mechanisms. A case study on CFTR.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common genetical lethal disorder in Caucasians and it is caused by the mutation of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein. Up to now, for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients carrying at least one copy of CFTR deleted of the phenylalanine 508 (F508del-CFTR), the worldwide most frequent mutation, only four drugs have been approved to be used in combination or alone. All the approved compounds have been developed, studied, and are currently commercialized by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Despite the benefits of these marketed drugs, they are still too expensive for many countries, and they cannot be prescribed to all patients. Thus remains a pressing need to better understand the CFTR structure-function relationship, and the binding site and molecular mechanism of already approved drugs, to identify other CFTR modulators for the rescue of the mutated protein, in particular, F508del-CFTR. On these bases my research activity has been focused on a deep study of the protein function, investigating its three-dimensional structure and dynamics in complex with the already approved CF drug lumacaftor and new possible CFTR modulators by means of drug repositioning. An optimized model, obtained before the starting of my PhD, of the F508del-CFTR protein and a library of pockets, in which an interesting large druggable pocket (DP1) was identified using lumacaftor as a template, has been used for the following drug repositioning strategy. An in-house database which included 846 drugs and nutraceuticals approved by AIFA (actually implemented to more than 10000 molecules from AIFA and Drugbank database) was built, drawing their 3D structure with the right protonation state of the drugs, and then screened by docking against F508del-CFTR. Among the best eleven repositioned compounds identified within this procedure, tadalafil was one that has been already taken into consideration for cystic fibrosis therapy, confirming the goodness of this approach. Quercetin emerged as the best ligand among the eleven selected, suggesting that small molecules could give a consistent contribution in the search for new CFTR modulators. Focusing on this concept, the several DP1 sub-pockets surrounding the lumacaftor binding region were explored, searching for the most druggable ones and in the meantime scouting small molecules able to fill the transient druggable DP1 sub-pockets and synergize with lumacaftor. At the end of this procedure, NAM was found as a possible hit. Moreover, during my PhD project, my computational studies have been also focused on two proteins of therapeutical interest, which mutations are causative of rare genetical disorders: the Leucine-Rich and ImmunoGlobulin-like domains 2 (LRIG2) and the Nucleoporin 98 (NUP98), whose mutations lead to the Urofacial Syndrome and a phenotype resembling the Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, respectively. The study of LRIG2 involved the investigation of the role of the first immunoglobulin-like domain (Ig1) of the LRIG2 protein, and its deletion and mutations, in the LRIG2 homodimerization. The LRIG2 homodimerization was predicted in silico and its dimerization interface was computationally characterized. Then, by means of accelerated molecular dynamic simulations, the central role of the Ig1 domain in the LRIG2 dimerization was furthermore validated by studying the impact of the Ig1 domain mutations, described in the literature as pathogenic, in the context of the monomeric LRIG2. This advanced molecular dynamic technique allowed to clarify the role of these mutations in the impairment of the LRIG2 homodimerization. Eventually, regarding the study of NUP98, a novel germline alteration (G28D) located in the unstructured N-terminal of the NUP98, which is characterized by phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeats, was computationally evaluated. Differences in the dynamic behavior between the wild type and G28D mutated protein were observed, which are produced from a dispersion of the intramolecular cohesion elements (FG repeats) leading to more elongated conformational states of the unstructured N-terminal of the NUP98 mutant in comparison to the wild type. Those differences may affect the role of NUP98 as a multi-docking station for RNA and proteins, and its folding process when a specific interaction is required

PERSONNALISER LA PEDAGOGIE DANS LE E-LEARNING

International audienceUne équipe de travail s'est constituée, afin de réaliser une plateforme d'apprentissage sur « la construction d'équipe » et la « gestion de conflits ». L'équipe s'est fédérée autour d'une question: Les contraintes et les opportunités du e-learning offrent-elles de nouvelles perspectives pour personnaliser la pédagogie, en maintenant l'apprenant au centre de la construction pédagogique? Les réponses ont pris en compte les caractéristiques des interactions et des relations ainsi que l'utilité de la médiation induite par un outil et par la nécessité d'appartenance à un groupe. Abstract: A working team has been set up in order to realise a learning plateform on « team building » and « conflict facilitation ». This team has gathered around a question: Do e-learning constrains and opportunities offer new prospects for pedagogical issues maintaining the learner at the center of the pedagogical construction? The answers have taken into account interactions and relationships features as well as the useful mediation induced by the tool and by the group belonging. Riassunto: È stato formato un gruppo di lavoro per la realizzazione di una piattaforma di apprendimento su: " la costruzione di una squadra " e la " gestione dei conflitti ". Il gruppo si è concentrato su una domanda: le difficoltà e le opportunità dell'e-learning offrono nuove prospettive per personalizzare la pedagogia mantenendo lo studente al centro della costruzione pedagogica? Le risposte hanno tenuto in conto le caratteristiche delle interazioni e delle relazioni umane e l'utilità della mediazione indotta dalla presenza di un mezzo iinformatico e dall'appartenenza al gruppo