Children and COVID-19 Research Library

This report examines the role that digital technologies and online solutions can play in ending child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in the Asia-Pacific region. Based on an in-depth literature review and key informant interviews, it explores the ways in which Plan International Asia-Pacific Regional Hub (APAC) and other child-rights based development organisations have integrated digital technologies in their programmatic and influencing approaches towards eliminating CEFM in the region. It also introduces some of the digital technologies that have been developed by the private sector, which can be effective in CEFM prevention. Drawing on these insights, the report develops a series of recommendations about how digital technologies can be leveraged most effectively to reach scale and generate impact in eradicating CEFM.

COVID-19 significantly affects all our normal life daily especially health care services, so it’s important to find and implement innovative approaches to help individuals at a high risk to resume normal life daily. The usage of digital technologies and social networking has grown rapidly over the last decades, and these technologies are increasingly being incorporated into health education. In this study, we discussed the importance of using the mHealth technology for schoolchildren with chronic disease during the COVID-19 era, and we have used Social Learning Theory and Technology Acceptance Model from the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as the theoretical framework for the present study. The previous study concluded the mobile device being studied is a reliable way of helping schoolchildren increase awareness their disease, but further research efforts should assess the impact of application usage on disease outcomes over a more extended follow-up period as compared to traditional care.

2.2 billion children and young people aged 25 years or less do not have internet access at home, according to the How Many Children and Youth Have Internet Access at Home report, a joint effort by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Using the latest available household survey data, the report finds significant inequities between countries, regions, wealth groups and urban-rural settings. For example, only 5 per cent of children and young people in West and Central Africa have internet access at home compared to the 33 per cent global average. Differences are starker yet between rich and poor countries, with only 6 per cent of children and young people in low-income countries having internet access compared to 87 per cent in high-income countries.

Significantly expanding internet access is vital for ensuring that all children and young people are learning and acquiring the knowledge and skills they need to support a sustainable future. To this end, UNICEF has joined forces with ITU to launch Giga, an ambitious global initiative to connect every school to the internet. With the support of Generation Unlimited, UNICEF is also working under the Reimagine Education initiative, which aims to address the learning crisis and transform education by giving children and young people equal access to quality digital learning.

In 2017, the National Association of School Psychologists described tele-assessment as the least researched area of telehealth. This became problematic in 2020 when COVID-19 curtailed the administration of face-to-face assessments. Publishers began to offer computer-adapted tele-assessment methods for tests that had only previously been administered in person. Recommendations for adapted tele-assessment practice had to be developed with little empirical data. The current study analyzed recommendations from entities including professional organizations, test publishers, and governmental offices.

This report, and the survey findings behind it, provides a unique insight into the perspectives of EdTech experts regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education in Africa. It is based on the findings of a survey of the eLearning Africa network, which attracted approximately 1650 responses from respondents in 52 countries in Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic is asking specialists in the field of child neuropsychiatry and rehabilitation to at least partially shift to tele-medicine programs. This unprecedented period of healthcare and socio-economic crisis can become an opportunity. Indeed, by improving our ability to use innovative technologies to respond to the special healthcare needs of children with disability and their families, we may proceed forward to build more inclusive societies and smarter healthcare systems.

This case study explores the role of technology in education among low-income Latino residents living in a mobile park in Silicon Valley. Through surveys and in-person interviews with parents and children, qualitative data on home Internet access and availability of technological devices utilized for school-related purposes are reported. The results of this study indicate that despite having a baseline level of access to technology as well as an understanding of its importance in the context of a child’s education, our study population currently faces significant barriers to having adequate access to technology at home due to socioeconomic barriers.

Smart phone applications are the debatable and burning issue of different organizations during Covid-19, which is focusing on learning activities of students. This paper aims to implement the Smart phone applications towards the learning activities of both primary and secondary level education. Primary data was collected by firsthand (Primary source of information) producing the set of questions in English language consisting of two factors of variables using five point measuring scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree). Whereas, Secondary data has also been used for literature review that justifies our research work; in the light of numerous academic articles of various authors.

The purpose of this review is to provide evidence on four effective distance learning modalities that can be implemented in USAID-recipient countries during and beyond emergencies. These four distance learning modalities—radio/audio, video/television, mobile phone programming, and online learning—are examined alongside the technologies used to access distance learning (radios, mobile phones, televisions, tablets, and, to a lesser extent, computers). While these modalities can be implemented in conflict settings and during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic when learning institutions are closed, their utility also extends beyond these extreme circumstances in order to promote inclusion and to increase access to quality teaching and learning.