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Goizueta Faculty Member Uncovers Impact of Remote Learning on Educational Inequality
In 2020, the world went into lockdown. Learning in school became learning from the couch. Rather than listening to teachers in-person behind a desk, high school students had to find a computer to stream their lectures and lessons. What happens to educational inequality in a digital-first, remote-learning environment? Whereas students are traditionally bound by their brick-and-mortar schools and the limitations of funding in those areas, what happens when the walls are removed and students have access to the teachers, knowledge, and peers from other areas? Ruomeng Cui and co-researchers, Zhanzhi Zheng from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Shenyang Jiang from Tongji University, decided to find out. In their 2022 paper, currently under review, Cui and her colleagues looked at the performance of high school students in developing and developed regions of China. We thought that remote learning might reduce the inequality gap in education because when students are learning off-line, they’re restricted by their local resources. “It’s quite obvious that developing regions don’t have good resources, experienced teachers, or competitive peers—they often have inferior educational resources in comparison to developed regions,” explains Cui, associate professor of information systems and operations management. “We thought the accessibility of remote learning could help reduce this knowledge gap and help students in developing regions improve their learning outcomes.” Analyzing Education in Developed and Developing Areas The idea for the paper, “Remote Learning and Educational Inequality,” published earlier this year, stemmed from another of Cui’s papers, which looked at the academic productivity of women as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. “We wanted to study whether the switch to remote learning impacts educational inequality. Does it make it better or worse?” says Cui. “We are the first ones to offer empirical evidence on such a granular level about a large-scale data set.” The group analyzed the Chinese college entrance exam from 2018 through 2020, which students take during the last few weeks of high school; the test score is a requirement for undergraduate admission in China. It’s common for high schools to announce the number of students who scored 600 or higher (out of 750 total points). Using 1,458 high school exam results from 20 provinces, the group found that in 2020, when remote learning became the norm, “the number of students scoring above 600 points in developing regions increased by 22.22 percent,” in comparison to developed regions. Remote learning significantly improved learning outcomes of students in developing regions. We should think about encouraging the adoption of remote learning in education However, Cui and her co-researchers wanted to go a step further. Because the entrance exams are summaries of student data, they surveyed 1,198 students to drill down and ensure that these results came from remote learning rather than other factors. Respondents were asked to rate aspects of their remote-learning experience, such as access to digital devices, their proficiency in using software, how reliable their internet was, how they interacted with peers and teachers, and their access to online educational resources. The researchers found that students in developing regions were able to better connect with peers and teachers, and the students believed that “their learning efficiency was greater” because of the remote learning. Education inequality is not only a problem in China. It’s everywhere. It’s across the world. Having access to better educational resources online can be applied anywhere. However, the one caveat to their findings: Remote learning is beneficial, but students need devices and the infrastructure to support online learning, which is often lacking in developing regions or underserved areas. “We need to support, build, and develop the digital technology capability that enables the effectiveness of remote learning,” says Cui. Are you a reporter looking to know more about the impact COVID had on education and how inequality plays a role in how we educate students during a pandemic? Then let us help with your coverage and questions. Ruomeng Cui is an Associate Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business. Ruomeng is available to speak with media regarding this topic - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Aston University welcomes Mexican Ambassador to campus during Global Trade Conference
Her Excellency Josefa González-Blanco, Mexican Ambassador to the UK visits West Midlands for the Global Trade Conference The ambassador met with representatives of British industry including University Vice-Chancellor Professor Aleks Subic Josefa González-Blanco was appointed as Mexico's representative in London in 2021. Mexican Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena, has visited Aston University during a high-profile visit to the city to attend the Global Trade Conference and meet with representatives of British industry. The Global Trade Conference (15 February) is an annual event hosted by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce which offers businesses the opportunity to build relationships and grow their network. During her visit to campus, she met with Vice-Chancellor Professor Aleks Subic, executive director of business engagement Mark Smith, and Lloyd Broad, head of international affairs at Birmingham City Council. Ambassador González Blanco said: “I was thrilled to visit Aston University and to meet the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Aleks Subic. “We had a chance to review our academic links towards intensifying the research collaboration already in place between Aston Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Conacyt México and Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica.” Professor Aleks Subic said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Her Excellency Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena to Aston University. “We are immensely proud of our international collaborations, and meetings such as this one, are crucial in deepening our understanding of areas of common interest and priorities as we work together to advance global partnerships and trade. “I look forward to working further with relevant higher education institutions and industries in Mexico and around the world in line with our 2030 strategy focused on creating a globally relevant university that can make substantial contributions to innovation and trade at international level.”
Aston University turns red to highlight World Encephalitis Day
• Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) researchers support World Encephalitis Day on 22 February • Aston University library will be lit up in red – the official campaign colour • Staff and students are encouraged to wear red and tweet their photos in support of the campaign Researchers and staff at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) are marking World Encephalitis Day (22 February) by lighting up the Aston University library on its campus near Birmingham city centre. The library will be lit up in red – the official colour of the campaign - to support and raise awareness of encephalitis and all those affected by the condition. The global awareness campaign, introduced by the charity the Encephalitis Society, is based on the theme of Code Red – an emergency alert code used in hospitals. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. It is caused either by an infection invading the brain or through the immune system attacking the brain in error. According to the Encephalitis Society, anyone at any age can develop the condition, with up to 6,000 cases in the UK each year and potentially hundreds of thousands worldwide. In the USA there were approximately 250,000 patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of encephalitis in the last decade. Researchers at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment are working closely with patients affected by the disease through their child-focused research programme. Dr Sukhvir Wright, honorary consultant neurologist at Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Wellcome Trust clinical research career development fellow at IHN, said: “IHN researchers know first-hand what children and families affected by encephalitis go through on a daily basis. That’s why we are fighting to answer the questions that matter most to this community through our work. “Our research includes, developing disease models to help try and improve treatments. We do brain imaging to identify biomarkers that might help predict outcomes and at the bedside of our patients we contribute up-to-date practical information and support for children and their families. This work is carried out closely in partnership with the Encephalitis Society.” As part of the awareness campaign IHN researchers are calling upon staff and students to show their support by wearing red on Wednesday 22 February - and share their pictures on social media. Please use the hashtags #Red4WED #WorldEncephalitisDay #TeamAston and remember to tag @Aston_IHN. For more information about Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) please visit our website.
Optometry researchers to improve understanding of short sightedness management strategies in kids
• Optometry researchers funded to assess the impact of myopia interventions on vision and visual behaviour in children • Research partnership will improve understanding of myopia management strategies in children • Two-year collaboration between Aston University and industry Researchers at Aston University specialising in myopia - or short sightedness - are starting work on a project with industry partners to better understand how myopia management strategies affect children. The research team based in the College of Health and Life Sciences has secured a £500,000 grant to determine the impact of myopia management interventions on vision and visual behaviour in children, for example, looking at how their vision responds to an intervention such as spectacles when they view objects at different distances. The new grant builds upon the team’s portfolio of research in the field of myopia, where clinical studies are underway with children between the ages of six and 15 years old. The researchers are working on slowing the progression of myopia in children. The interventions under trial include low dose atropine eye drops, contact lenses and spectacle lenses. Myopia is an eye condition where distant objects appear blurry. It typically occurs in childhood and progresses through the teenage years. It can lead to eye disease in later life, as the eye grows longer with myopia, it causes stretching in parts of the eye. Myopia is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world and it has been predicted to affect approximately 50 per cent of the world's population by 2050, based on trending myopia prevalence figures. Myopia is an overlooked but leading cause of blindness, particularly among the working age population. The two-year programme of research is being led by an internationally recognised team of academics from the School of Optometry, including Professor Leon Davies, Professor Nicola Logan, Dr Amy Sheppard, and Professor James Wolffsohn. The research grant will also support the appointment of two clinical research optometrists. Professor Leon Davies, professor of optometry and physiological optics at Aston University and president of the College of Optometrists said: “As Aston University has an established, internationally recognised track record in myopia research, we are pleased to be able to continue our work in this area to further our understanding of myopia management strategies for the benefit of patients.” Professor Nicola Logan, professor of optometry and physiological optics, at Aston University added: “As an advocate for evidence-based advancements, this research collaboration will further our scientific understanding of myopia progression. The work will increase our knowledge and better facilitate translation to clinical practice to manage young children more actively with myopia.”
Georgia Southern recognized as top 100 degree producer for diverse students
Georgia Southern University has ranked in the top providers nationally for degrees conferred to diverse students among higher education institutions. For several years, Diverse Issues In Higher Education has produced the Top 100 Degree Producers rankings of the institutions that confer the most degrees to diverse students. The data was reported at the end of 2022 for the previous year of 2020-2021. Georgia Southern ranked highly in the following categories: #2 for international (temporary resident) students receiving doctoral degrees in public health #3 for African American and total minority students receiving doctoral degrees in public health #5 for African American students receiving bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences #6 for African American students receiving bachelor’s degrees in communications disorder sciences #6 for African American students receiving bachelor’s degrees in parks and recreation “We are proud to be ranked in the top 20 in a variety of disciplines and categories,” said Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D., associate vice president for inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer. "Along with our designations as a First-gen Forward Institution and Military Friendly School, this highlights the University’s success in providing education to students in our diverse state and region, and it reaffirms the importance of inclusion as a value at Georgia Southern.” The number of combined bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees awarded increased by over 55,000 degrees from 2019-2021 to 2021-2022 for diverse students nationwide. Underrepresented students of color received 35% of the combined degrees. The data comes from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data system survey known as IPEDS, which are collected by the U.S. Department of Education. Georgia Southern detailed diversity rankings: Rank Category Degree Level Discipline #2 Temporary Resident Doctorate Public Health #3 African American Doctorate Public Health #3 Total Minority Doctorate Public Health #5 African American Bachelor’s Physical Sciences #6 African American Bachelor’s Communication Disorders Sciences #6 African American Bachelor’s Parks, Recreation, Leisure #8 African American Bachelor’s Engineering #9 African American Bachelor’s Marketing #10 African American Bachelor’s Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Sciences #13 African American Bachelor’s Finance #13 African American Master’s Parks, Recreation, Leisure #14 African American Bachelor’s Family And Consumer Sciences #14 Two or More Races Bachelor’s Communication Disorders #15 African American Bachelor’s Education #19 African American Bachelor’s All Disciplines Combined View the Top 100 Diverse Report Here For more information about the Top 100 Diverse Report or to speak with Dominique A. Quarles — simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Craig M. Harvey, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as the new dean of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing beginning July 1. “I am excited to welcome Dean Craig Harvey to Georgia Southern University as the next generation of leadership for the College of Engineering and Computing,” said Carl L. Reiber, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Dean Harvey brings with him an understanding of what a vibrant and growing research university will need to move to the next level as our region expands in its engineering and computing needs.” Harvey comes to Georgia Southern University from Louisiana State University, where he serves as the associate dean for academic affairs of the College of Engineering, professor of Industrial Engineering and is the holder of the Donald W. Clayton University Professorship. He brings to Georgia Southern a wealth of knowledge in leadership, student growth and expansion and advanced engineering studies. “It will be a great honor to serve as the next dean of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, a college that prepares graduates in engineering, construction and computing to be ready to take on the challenges facing Georgia and the country in the 21st century,” Harvey said. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry to position the college to meet the future demands in both education and research in the state where my engineering career began.” His research interests include human computer interaction, usability engineering, human collaboration within complex environments, human factors engineering and safety engineering. Harvey worked full time as a maintenance engineer and captain at Grand Forks Air Base in North Dakota and served in the United States Air Force Reserves while earning a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Purdue University. He holds a bachelor's in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's in industrial engineering degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. For more information — simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Experts in the Media: Georgia Southern investing $1.2 million to upgrade campus security cameras
Georgia Southern University is planning a major upgrade to its campus security cameras and video technology. With approximately $1.2 million budgeted, the University will upgrade the cameras in the resident halls and other buildings in Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville to bring the current cameras from analog to a digital platform. Additionally, new cameras will be placed at entrances to theirr campuses that can tie into those from other law enforcement agencies. The end result will be an interconnected network of cameras across the region. The new technology package includes state-of-the-art Flock cameras, which are motion-activated and record license plate numbers of any vehicle that comes into the hall parking lots. Flock Safety’s “Vehicle Fingerprint” technology lets police search the video by vehicle make, color, type, license plate, state of the license plate, missing plate, covered plate, paper plate, and unique vehicle details such as roof racks, bumper stickers, and more. The cameras can be used to look for a specific suspect or a vehicle that has been entered into law enforcement databases. Additionally, the University can use Flock for investigative purposes as well by going back and looking for any cars that fit a certain profile if it was associated with a crime or if there was a gunshot detected nearby. “This upgrade allows us to add more cameras, extend our reach, add storage and searching capabilities and better integrate our cameras into other video surveillance networks in use by local law enforcement,” said Georgia Southern University Police Chief Laura McCullough. “This is a major step forward in our ongoing work to keep our campus safe.” The new equipment will add to, and augment, Georgia Southern’s network of more than 1,800 video cameras on its three campuses. The project will begin in the coming weeks and is expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2023 semester. The announcement has garnered a lot of attention, especially with local media and publications covering security. If you're a journalist looking to know more about this announcement or speak to an expert about campus security and safety - then let us help with your coverage. Georgia Southern University Police Chief Laura McCullough is available - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Episode 14| CorpusCast with Dr Robbie Love
CorpusCast is the podcast about corpus linguistics and what it can do for society. Join Dr Robbie Love as he speaks with top researchers in the field to find out more about how corpus linguistics – the study of linguistic patterns in large samples of language – is applied to a diverse range of areas including health, social justice and education. On this episode of CorpusCast, Robbie chats to Professor Bas Aarts. Bas is director of the Survey of English Usage, an internationally recognised and highly regarded centre of excellence for research in the area of English Language and Linguistics. Dr Robbie Love ? https://bit.ly/3Zcgo36 Professor Bas Aarts ? https://bit.ly/3YfFxsv Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics ? https://bit.ly/3QKHcSF School of Social Sciences and Humanities ? https://bit.ly/3JCRAd1 Find out more about courses related to this show ? https://bit.ly/3pR705k #TeamAston #CorpusCast #linguistics
Choreographing Love: Pulling Back the Curtain on Staged Intimacy
Picture this... You're watching your favorite romantic comedy. It's reached the best part; the leads go in for that famous relationship-affirming kiss and bam, happy ending. Everything on screen feels so natural and easy. Well, not quite. The intimate moments we see depicted in movies, on television and in theatre are carefully discussed and staged before and during production, with intimacy professionals leading the way. To unpack all the romantic details, we turned to Bess Rowen, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre at Villanova University and trained intimacy choreographer. On set, intimacy choreographers (theatre) and intimacy coordinators (film and television) make sure that the intimate contact viewers see is agreed upon beforehand with actors and the director. "In other words, we don't want to surprise an actor," says Dr. Rowen. The cast and crew work hard to make the romantic moments feel real and spontaneous within the predetermined and agreed-upon guidelines. While intimacy coordination is a relatively new field, it has really grown in the last several years. "In 2020, SAG-AFTRA (the largest professional union for screen actors and radio actors) laid out guidelines for the use of intimacy coordinators for all union productions," says Dr. Rowen. And there are many organizations that train and produce qualified intimacy professionals, ensuring that they are engaging with new practices as the field continues to grow and evolve. And, akin to real-world encounters, consent is the backbone of intimacy on stage and screen. "Instead of feeling forced, possibly by a power imbalance in the room to simply agree to the director's vision, intimacy coordinators empower actors to identify their boundaries," Dr. Rowen says. "Actors can feel pressured to seem 'easy to work with,' thus creating situations where their consent may get lost. To keep everyone accountable, intimacy coordinators will introduce self-care cues, boundary practice and other consent-based practices to create a space that foregrounds an actor's boundaries for any and all physical contact." As an intimacy choreographer, Dr. Rowen understands the importance of the role. "This job is essential because it adds an advocate to set. An actor might hesitate to tell a director they're uncomfortable doing something, but if I'm there and can directly ask an actor about something, then the individual can end up feeling a lot more in control of the situation," she says. "That consent-based, trauma-informed practice leads, in my experience both as a professional and as an audience member, to more fully integrated scenes of intimacy." An actor's comfort translates to the viewer, creating a more enjoyable experience for everyone. This type of oversight is exciting. "For years we have trained actors to expect the unexpected and be ready for anything, so it takes a minute for them to realize that this training is the opposite of that," says Dr. Rowen. "There aren't surprises or jump-scares in this work. It's about transparency. And once that's made clear, you tend to see people relax in their bodies. It's really powerful."
Augusta University’s second annual Healthy Georgia Report has been released, offering a snapshot of health in the Peach State as compared to not only neighboring states, but also the entire country. While Georgia’s population is doing well in some key health factors, researchers also found areas that could benefit from more awareness and public policy action. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health and the Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Population Health Sciences, collaborated with other IPPH faculty and staff to update the report and add new categories this year. The goal of the report is to connect with lawmakers, community leaders and researchers, stimulate conversations about public health needs and promote action, such as greater community engagement, research for informing effective policies and appraisal of required funds. “We need to make lawmakers aware of the public health situation in the state of Georgia,” said Datta. “We hope this report will help identify areas that need policy attention. It can also play an important role in bridging the gap between researchers and policymakers.” Using 2021 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system, the National Survey of Children’s Health, the American Community Survey and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker website, the report was compiled on numerous health topics. Some categories studied include high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, alcohol consumption, diabetes and more. It also broke down each category by age, sex, race, income level and other socioeconomic indicators to get a full representation of the data. New to the study this year is an in-depth look at health insurance coverage, COVID-19 vaccinations, breastfeeding, child maltreatment, and unmet healthcare need of children. Georgia ranks 49th in the nation when it comes to health insurance coverage. That was a surprise to Datta. “I didn’t expect the numbers to be that bad, but I think it also indicates the scope of work that we need to undertake to improve insurance coverage in Georgia,” he said. Another surprise was the low rate of flu vaccination in Georgia. “We know there is a difference between whites and Blacks in the U.S. But when we look at and compare Black people in Georgia with Blacks in the rest of the southeastern states, we see the flu vaccination rate was significantly lower among Blacks in Georgia. This is an issue that warrants further research to understand the underlying causes of such disparity,” said Datta. As it was a year ago, hypertension remains a concern. There are several issues involved when talking about hypertension but there are also straightforward ways to improve the condition Datta said. “I think one of the core components of hypertension control is just changing some behavioral stuff. If we just reduced the sodium content in our daily diet, if we do regular physical exercise for a certain amount of time that will significantly improve our hypertension management. Community-level initiatives to make people aware of these things can make a real difference,” said Datta. Residents in Georgia are doing better in several areas such as obesity, cancer rates, asthma prevalence and depressive disorders. Datta said it’s important to recognize these improvements so we can learn from them. “We need to figure out where we are doing well and use that experience in areas where we are not doing so well. It will help us move toward the right direction.” He added it’s important to always be looking for ways to evolve the study, and that includes adding new categories when enough data is available. “We didn’t cover sexually transmitted diseases in this year’s report, which we would like to add when data will become available. We’d also like to add teenage pregnancy, maternal health issues, gun violence and opioid use,” he said. Looking to learn about health in the Peach State? Then let us help. Biplab Datta is available to speak with media regarding this important topic. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
