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Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Post-pandemic future: what does Covid-19 mean for global HE? starts in 1 day

« on: May 04, 2020, 11:55:22 AM »

This situation is a warning to HEIs to be proactive and keep themselves always ready to face and strongly tackle such pandemics with prior managed initiatives
   
The reputation of HEIs will depend on how they handle the international students after this situation 
   
Online teaching-learning opportunities and platforms need to be strengthened and emphasized. Universities should charge less for online education and include collaborative learning in their virtual courses.
   
Cross govt. initiatives and actions need to be taken to decide the International students' tuition fees soon after the pandemic situation. Waiver for international students may need to be extended.
   
Universities’ ability to communicate well with students and parents and to offer reassuring messages may be of critical importance
   
Universities should focus on introducing more flexible admissions processes and strengthening their communications strategies to mitigate any potential damage from the coronavirus crisis 
   
Graduating on time culture needs to be implemented to get rid of any session mismatch
   
Govt. and Universities need to invest more in R&D on human health and tackling natural pandemics like COVID 19   
   
The coronavirus crisis helped to understand more that international students add value to universities and the whole economy.
   
Universities rethinking patterns in this crisis management plan is vital because, in the coming days we may face more severe situations (Hope ALLAH will save us from all odds, In Sha ALLAH). In this case, we need to think about it, considering long-term plans so that we may get prepared for ourselves to resume the operation properly.
   
We also need to think about our international students as it needs to be considered by us that greater numbers of students will face growing uncertainty about their travel plans (case of international students). Major areas are travel restrictions; university closures; flight cancellations; difficulties with obtaining scholarship interviews, visa applications, or language tests; exam cancellations or postponements; and health concerns.
   
University needs to search out how students feel about changes in educational delivery and the rise of online learning.
   
As DIU is working on COVID 19, it will add more to our acceptability, internationally (responding to this global health emergency).

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Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় শিক্ষা কার্যক্রম কীভাবে চলতে পারে

« on: May 03, 2020, 01:48:01 PM »

একটি জাতির বিবেক হলো তার বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়গুলো। আর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় বন্ধ থাকা মানে হলো জাতির বিবেক ঘুমিয়ে থাকা এবং বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তির অন্য দিকগুলো এড়িয়ে যাওয়া, যা তথ্য ও প্রযুক্তির এই যুগে এসে কোনো অবস্থাতেই কাম্য নয়। এভাবে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় অনেক দিন বন্ধ থাকলে শিক্ষার মান অনেক কমে যেতে পারে, যার প্রভাব পড়তে পারে জাতীয় জীবনে। রাষ্ট্র ব্যর্থ হতে পারে দক্ষ মানবশক্তি তৈরিতে।

এখন প্রশ্ন হলো, প্রযুক্তির এই স্রোতোধারায় ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশের সব বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের পাঠদান পদ্ধতি অব্যাহত রাখতে কর্তৃপক্ষের করণীয় কী হতে পারে? তার একমাত্র সমাধান হলো অনলাইনে পাঠদান, যা ইউরোপ ও আমেরিকার প্রতিটি দেশে সব সময়ই করে থাকে। অনলাইনে জ্ঞান অর্জন বরঞ্চ শিক্ষার্থীদের জ্ঞান ও দক্ষতা অর্জনে এক ধাপ এগিয়ে নিয়ে যাবে। আজ লিখব আমার নিজের অভিজ্ঞতার আলোকে।

এবার আসুন কীভাবে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষা কার্যক্রম চালু রাখা যেতে পারে।

প্রথমত, আমরা সবাই জানি যে গুগল প্লে–স্টোরে অনেকগুলো ভিডিও কনফারেন্স অ্যাপস রয়েছে। যেখানে প্রায় এক শ জন বা তার অধিক শিক্ষার্থী একই সঙ্গে অনলাইন ক্লাসে অংশগ্রহণ করতে পারেন। রুটিন অনুসারে নির্দিষ্ট সময়ে সম্মানিত শিক্ষকেরা অনলাইন ক্লাসে আসতে পারেন। সব শিক্ষার্থী একই সময়ে ভিডিও কনফারেন্সে ক্লাসে যোগ দিতে পারেন। এ ক্ষেত্রে শিক্ষার্থীদের সম্মানিত শিক্ষকদের লেকচার শোনার মনোযোগ বাড়াতে পারে বলে আমার মনে হয়। যেহেতু প্রায় শিক্ষার্থী হোম কোয়ারেন্টিনে রয়েছেন সেহেতু ক্লাসে অংশগ্রহণের সংখ্যাও হতে পারে বেশি। হ্যাঁ, অনেকে বলবে, তাহলে প্রয়োজনীয় বই পাবে কোথায়? একেবারে সহজ উত্তর, সম্মানিত শিক্ষকেরা ওনাদের লেকচার ও বই ই-বুকের মতো করে বা ফাইল আকারে সব শিক্ষার্থীকে মেইল করে দিতে পারেন বা নির্দিষ্ট অনলাইন পোর্টালে পোস্ট করে দেবেন। অথবা ফেসবুক গ্রুপে দিয়ে দেবেন। আর না হয় ডিপার্টমেন্টের ওয়েবসাইটে দিয়ে দিতে পারেন। শিক্ষার্থীরা ডাউনলোড করে পড়ে নিতে পারবেন। একেবারে সহজ উপায়।

ইউরোপ ও আমেরিকাতে সব বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের বেশির ভাগ শিক্ষা উপকরণ ও সহায়ক বই অনলাইনেই পাওয়া যায়। এ ক্ষেত্রে শিক্ষার্থীদের বই কেনার টাকাও বেঁচে যায় এবং সহজে ঘরে বসে সব উপকরণ পেয়ে যায়। অনেক শিক্ষার্থী এই নিয়মের বিপক্ষে গিয়ে বলতে পারে আমরা ইন্টারনেট কিনব! কারণ হিসেবে বলতে পারে, আর্থিক অসচ্ছলতা। এই ক্ষেত্রে মোবাইল কোম্পানিগুলো শিক্ষার্থীদের জন্য কম মূল্যে বান্ডেল প্যাকেজ দিতে পারে। যেহেতু প্রায় শিক্ষার্থীর হাতে এনড্রয়েড সেট রয়েছে, সেহেতু কেউ এই শিক্ষার প্ল্যাটফর্ম থেকে বঞ্চিত হবে বলে আমার মনে হয় না। কিন্তু স্কুল শিক্ষার্থীদের ক্ষেত্রে ভিন্ন বিষয়। তাদের অনেকের মোবাইল সেট নেই বা দরিদ্র্যের কারণে সম্ভব না–ও হতে পারে। তাদের জন্য সরকারের বিটিভির মাধ্যমে পাঠদানই যথেষ্ট বলে মনে হয়।

অনেকে প্রশ্ন করতে পারেন, বিজ্ঞান বিভাগের শিক্ষার্থীদের তো প্র্যাকটিক্যাল ক্লাস/ল্যাব আছে এইটা কীভাবে নেওয়া সম্ভব! আমি বলব যে এখন যেহেতু মানবিক বিপর্যয়, ল্যাবে যাওয়া সম্ভব নয়, সেহেতু এখন থিউরিটিক্যাল বিষয়গুলো আগে শেষ করে নেওয়া অথবা একেবারে দুই সেমিস্টারের থিউরিটিক্যাল বিষয়গুলো একসঙ্গে শেষ করে নেওয়াটা ভালো হতে পারে। পরের সেমিস্টারে যখন পরিস্থিতি স্বাভাবিক হবে তখন ওই সেমিস্টারকে শুধু ল্যাব ক্লাস বানিয়ে নিতে পারেন। এতে আমার মনে হয় শিক্ষার্থীদের দক্ষতা বৃদ্ধি পেতে পারে।প্রতীকী ছবিএবার আসি দ্বিতীয় ধারায়, তা হলো সেমিস্টার শেষে পরীক্ষা পদ্ধতি কেমন হওয়া চাই? আমি এই ক্ষেত্রে জার্মানিতে আমার বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের পরীক্ষা পদ্ধতির কথাই বলতে পারি। এই করোনাময় সেমিস্টারে বিভিন্ন উপায়ে পরীক্ষা নেওয়া যেতে পারে। প্রথমত, শিক্ষকেরা প্রতিদিন ভিডিও কনফারেন্সে ১০–১৫ মিনিট করে ওনার সিলেবাসকে ভাগ করে শিক্ষার্থীদের কাছ থেকে অনলাইনে এককভাবে বা গ্রুপ করে প্রেজেন্টেশন নিতে পারেন এবং তা রেকর্ড করতে পারেন। শিক্ষার্থীদের প্রেজেন্টেশনের তথ্য–উপাত্তের ওপর ভিত্তি করে নম্বর দিতে পারেন। তারপর, রিসার্চ পেপার বা টার্ম পেপারের জন্য অফার করতে পারেন এবং তার ওপর ভিত্তি করে নম্বর বণ্টন করে দিতে পারেন। সেই সঙ্গে শিক্ষার্থীরা যেন প্লেজিয়ারিজমের দিকে না ঝোঁকে, সে জন্য অবশ্যই তাদের সতর্ক করে দিতে পারেন। পরীক্ষা পদ্ধতিতে সিলিবাসের পাঠ্যবইয়ের ওপর এমসিকিউ পরীক্ষার ব্যবস্থা করা যেতে পারে ভিডিও কনফারেন্সে একসঙ্গে। এ ক্ষেত্রে সময় দিতে হবে খুবই কম। এ ক্ষেত্রে মোবাইল ও ল্যাপটপের ক্যামেরা যেন নড়াচড়া না করে, সে বিষয়ে সতর্ক করে দেওয়া যেতে পারে। লিখিত পরীক্ষার ক্ষেত্রে শিক্ষকেরা একটি নির্দিষ্ট সময়ে সৃজনশীল পদ্ধতিতে পরীক্ষা নিতে পারেন। কিন্তু সময় থাকবে খুব কম আর প্রশ্ন এমনভাবে করতে হবে যাতে সরাসরি বই থেকে উত্তর পাওয়া দেওয়া না যায়। শিক্ষার্থীদের যাতে নিজের অবলোকনের ওপর ভিত্তি করে উত্তর দিতে হয়। এতে শিক্ষার্থীর মেধা ও বিচক্ষণতার প্রসার ঘটতে পারে। প্রশ্নের মান যেন ৩-৫ নম্বরের বেশি না হয়, সেটাও ভেবে দেখা যেতে পারে। এবং তা খুব কম সময়ের মধ্যে ছবি তুলে বা স্ক্যান করে নির্দিষ্ট পোর্টালে আপলোড দিতে পারে বা ই–মেইল করে দিতে পারে নিদিষ্ট সময়ের মধ্যে। সবশেষে অনলাইনে ভাইভা নেওয়ার মাধ্যমে সেমিস্টার শেষ করতে পারেন। প্রতিটি ধাপে নির্দিষ্ট নম্বর বণ্টনের মাধ্যমে।

আমাদের দেশে যেহেতু পরীক্ষার ফি, প্রাইভেট বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে সেমিস্টার ফি দিতে হয়, সেহেতু এগুলো কীভাবে আদায় করা সম্ভব? এই ক্ষেত্রে ফি–সমূহ অনলাইন ব্যাংকিংয়ের মাধ্যমে নেওয়া সম্ভব। পাবলিক বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে যেহেতু শুধু পরীক্ষার ফি ও অন্যান্য ফি দিতে হয় সে ক্ষেত্রে বিকাশ, নগদ বা অন্যান্য যত পেমেন্ট সিস্টেম আছে, তা অনুসরণ করা যেতে পারে।

আরেকটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কথা, এখন যেহেতু মানুষের আয়রোজগার নেই বললে চলে সেহেতু টিউশন ফি কমানোর বিষয়ে মানবিক হওয়া যেতে পারে।

সরকারি ও বেসরকারি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়গুলো শিক্ষার্থীদের হাতে ই-বুক ও শিক্ষা উপকরণ তুলে দেওয়ার জন্য দেশের বা দেশের বাইরের বিভিন্ন লাইব্রেরির সঙ্গে চুক্তি করতে পারে যেন আমাদের শিক্ষার্থীরা দেশের বাইরের বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়গুলোর অনলাইন রিসোর্স পড়তে পারেন। যেই সুবিধাটি জার্মানিতে আমরা নিজেরাও পাই। চাইলে অন্যান্য অনেক বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের লাইব্রেরি থেকে অনলাইনে ঘুরে আসতে পারি।

পৃথিবী প্রযুক্তিতে অনেক দূর এগিয়ে গেছে, যা কল্পনাতীত। শুধু কোভিড-১৯ ভাইরাসের কাছে পৃথিবী স্থিমিত হয়ে আছে। কিন্তু অন্যান্য প্রযুক্তির সহায়তায় জ্ঞানের প্রসারতার দিকটি চালিয়ে নিয়ে যেতে হবে আমাদের।

লেখাটি আমার একান্ত মতামত, সম্মানিত শিক্ষকেরা তাঁদের মতো করো শিক্ষাদান ও পরীক্ষা পদ্ধতি অনুসরণ করতে পারেন। বাংলাদেশের সব শিক্ষক ও শিক্ষার্থীদের জন্য শুভকামনা। ঘরে থাকুন, নিরাপদে ও সুস্থ থাকুন।

*লেখক: শিক্ষার্থী, ফিলিপস ইউনিভার্সিটি, জার্মানি।


Source: https://www.prothomalo.com/international/article/1654228/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87

33

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: May 03, 2020, 12:59:46 PM »

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) OUTBREAK: RIGHTS,ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTHWORKERS - WHO

34

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Easy, affordable and healthy eating tips during COVID-19 - UNICEF

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:43:08 PM »

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is upending life of families around the world. As schools and childcare centers close, many parents are finding themselves stuck at home for most of the day juggling childcare, full-time work and other competing responsibilities. Figuring out “What’s for dinner?” can be yet another daily challenge.

  To make things even harder, panic buying and disruptions to food
 supply systems mean some foods can now be difficult to find. And for many people, unemployment and lost income are making food shopping an additional financial challenge.

  While many parents are understandably looking to ready meals and processed foods as a quick and low-cost way to feed the family, there are convenient, affordable, and healthy alternatives. Here are five ways to help feed your children a varied, nutritious diet that will support their growth and development, all while building healthy eating habits.

5 healthy eating tips

1. Keep up fruit and vegetable intake

Purchasing, storing, and cooking fresh vegetables can be challenging in a lockdown, especially when parents are advised to limit trips outside of the home. But wherever possible, it’s important to ensure children are still getting plenty of fruit and vegetables in their diet.

Whenever it is possible to get hold of fresh produce, do so. As well as being eaten fresh, fruits and vegetables can be frozen where possible and will retain most of their nutrients and flavor. Using fresh vegetables to cook large batches of soups, stews, or other dishes will make them last longer and provide meal options for a few days. These can also be frozen where possible and then quickly reheated.

2. Swap in healthy dried or canned alternatives when fresh produce is not available

Fresh produce is almost always the best option, but when it is not available there are plenty of healthy alternatives that are easy to store and prepare.

Canned beans and chickpeas, which provide an abundance of nutrients, can be stored for months or even years and can be included in meals in many ways. Canned oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon are rich in protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and a range of vitamins and minerals. These can be used cold in sandwiches, salads, or pasta dishes, or cooked as part of a warm meal.

Canned vegetables, such as tomatoes, do tend to contain lower quantities of vitamins than fresh produce, but they are a great fallback option when fresh produce or frozen vegetables are hard to come by.

  Dried goods like dried beans, pulses, and grains such as lentils, split peas, rice, couscous or quinoa are also nutritious, long-lasting options that are tasty, affordable, and filling. Rolled oats cooked with milk or water can serve as an excellent breakfast option and can be spiced up with yogurt, chopped fruits, or raisins.

3. Build up a stock of healthy snacks

Children often need to eat a snack or two during the day to keep them going. Rather than giving kids sweets or salty snacks, opt for healthier options like nuts, cheese, yogurt (preferably unsweetened), chopped or dried fruits, boiled eggs, or other locally available healthy options. These foods are nutritious, more filling, and help build healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

4. Limit highly processed foods

While using fresh produce may not always be possible, try to limit the amount of highly processed foods in your shopping basket. Ready-to-eat meals, packaged snacks and desserts are often high in saturated fat, sugars, and salt. If you do purchase processed foods, look at the label and try to choose healthier options containing less of these substances. Try to also avoid sugary drinks and instead drink lots of water. Adding fruits or vegetables like lemon, lime, cucumber slices or berries to water is a great way to add an extra twist of flavor.

5. Make cooking and eating fun and meaningful part of your family routine

Cooking and eating together is a great way to create healthy routines, strengthen family bonds and have fun. Wherever you can, involve your children in food preparation – small children can help with washing or sorting food items while older children can take on more complex tasks and help to set the table.

  Try as much as possible to stick to fixed mealtimes as a family. Such structures and routines can help reduce anxiety for children in these stressful situations.

Advice for breastfeeding children

Breastmilk remains a great food for children between 6-24 months. Women with COVID-19 can continue to breastfeed if they wish to do so. They should, however, practice respiratory hygiene during feeding, wearing a mask where available; wash their hands before and after touching the baby, and routinely clean and disinfect surfaces they have touched. If too unwell to breastfeed due to the virus or other complications, mothers should be supported to safely provide newborns with breastmilk in any way possible.

Source: https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/easy-affordable-and-healthy-eating-tips-during-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak

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Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / How to Survive a Recession and Thrive Afterward - Harvard Business Review

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:39:45 PM »

In early 2000, a five-year-old online bookseller called Amazon.com sold $672 million in convertible bonds to shore up its financial position. One month later, the dot-com bubble burst. More than half of all digital start-ups went out of business over the next few years—including lots of Amazon’s then-rivals in e-commerce. Had the bubble burst just a few weeks earlier, one of the most successful companies ever might have fallen victim to that recession.

Recessions—defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth—can be caused by economic shocks (such as a spike in oil prices), financial panics (like the one that preceded the Great Recession), rapid changes in economic expectations (the so-called “animal spirits” described by John Maynard Keynes; this is what caused the dot-com bubble to burst), or some combination of the three. Most firms suffer during a recession, primarily because demand (and revenue) falls and uncertainty about the future increases. But research shows that there are ways to mitigate the damage.

In their 2010 HBR article “Roaring Out of Recession,” Ranjay Gulati, Nitin Nohria, and Franz Wohlgezogen found that during the recessions of 1980, 1990, and 2000, 17% of the 4,700 public companies they studied fared particularly badly: They went bankrupt, went private, or were acquired. But just as striking, 9% of the companies didn’t simply recover in the three years after a recession—they flourished, outperforming competitors by at least 10% in sales and profits growth. A more recent analysis by Bain using data from the Great Recession reinforced that finding. The top 10% of companies in Bain’s analysis saw their earnings climb steadily throughout the period and continue to rise afterward. A third study, by McKinsey, found similar results.

The difference maker was preparation. Among the companies that stagnated in the aftermath of the Great Recession, “few made contingency plans or thought through alternative scenarios,” according to the Bain report. “When the downturn hit, they switched to survival mode, making deep cuts and reacting defensively.” Many of the companies that merely limp through a recession are slower to recover and never really catch up.

Decentralized firms were better able to adjust to changing conditions.

How should a company prepare in advance of a recession and what moves should it make when one hits? Research and case studies examining the Great Recession shed light on those questions. In some cases, they cement conventional wisdom; in others, they challenge it. Some of the most interesting findings deal with four areas: debt, decision making, workforce management, and digital transformation. The underlying message across all areas is that recessions are a high-pressure exercise in change management, and to navigate one successfully, a company needs to be flexible and ready to adjust.

Deleverage Before a Downturn

Rebecca Henderson (of Harvard Business School) likes to remind her students, “Rule one is: Don’t crash the company.” That means, first and foremost, don’t run out of money. Because a recession usually brings lower sales and therefore less cash to fund operations, surviving a downturn requires deft financial management. If Amazon hadn’t raised all that money prior to the dot-com bust, its options would have been much more limited. Instead, it was able to absorb losses in its investments in other start-ups and also launch Amazon Marketplace, its platform for third-party sellers, later that year. It further expanded during and after the recession into new segments (kitchens, travel, and apparel) and markets (Canada).

Companies with high levels of debt are especially vulnerable during a recession, studies show. In a 2017 study, Xavier Giroud (of MIT’s Sloan School of Management) and Holger Mueller (of NYU’s Stern School of Business) looked at the relationship between business closures and associated unemployment and falling housing prices in various U.S. counties. Overall, the more housing prices declined, the more consumer demand fell, driving increased business closures and higher unemployment. But the researchers found that this effect was most pronounced among companies with the highest levels of debt. They divided up companies on the basis of whether they became more or less leveraged in the run-up to the recession, as measured by the change in their debt-to-assets ratio. The vast majority of businesses that shuttered because of falling demand were highly leveraged.

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“The more debt you have, the more cash you need to make your interest and principal payment,” Mueller explains. When a recession hits and less cash is coming in the door, “it puts you at risk of defaulting.” To keep up with payments, companies with more debt are forced to cut costs more aggressively, often through layoffs. These deep cuts can impair their productivity and ability to fund new investments. Leverage effectively limits companies’ options, forcing their hand and leaving them little room to act opportunistically.

The extent to which high levels of debt pose a risk during a recession depends on various factors. Shai Bernstein (of the Stanford Graduate School of Business), Josh Lerner (of Harvard Business School), and Filippo Mezzanotti (of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management) have found that companies owned by private equity firms—which often require the companies they finance to take on debt—fared better during the Great Recession than similarly leveraged non-PE-owned firms. Companies with lots of debt struggle in part because access to capital slows to a trickle during a downturn. PE-backed firms emerged in better shape, the study suggests because their owners were able to help them raise capital when they needed it. Issuing equity is another way companies can avoid the burden of debt obligations. “If you issue equity in the run-up to a recession,” Mueller says, “the problem of defaulting will be less pronounced.”

The reality, of course, is that many companies have some level of debt going into a recession. Mueller’s study found that the average debt-to-asset ratio among firms that had increased debt levels in the run-up to the Great Recession was 38.3%. Among the group that had deleveraged, it was 19.5%. Although there’s no magic number, modest levels of debt aren’t necessarily a problem, research shows. Nonetheless, Mueller suggests that if a company thinks a recession is coming, it should consider deleveraging. McKinsey’s recent recession research supports this: Firms that emerged in better shape from the Great Recession had reduced their leverage more dramatically from 2007 to 2011 than had less successful ones.

When it comes to deleveraging, it helps to start early, says McKinsey’s Mihir Mysore. That means reducing debt levels before it’s clear the economy is in recession. “You need to take a hard look at your portfolio,” Mysore advises because shedding assets can be a way to reduce leverage without necessarily cutting core aspects of operations.

Focus on Decision Making

A company’s performance during and after a recession depends not just on the decisions it makes but also one who makes them. In a 2017 study, Raffaella Sadun (of Harvard Business School), Philippe Aghion (of Collège de France), Nicholas Bloom and Brian Lucking (of Stanford), and John Van Reenen (of MIT) examined how organizational structure affects a company’s ability to navigate downturns. On the one hand, “the need to make tough decisions may favor centralized firms,” the researchers write, because they have a better picture of the organization as a whole, and their incentives are typically more closely aligned with company performance. On the other hand, decentralized firms may be better positioned to weather macro shocks “because the value of local information increases.”

The researchers relied on data from the World Management Survey of manufacturers, which includes questions on how much autonomy a plant manager has to make investments, introduce new products, make sales and marketing decisions, and hire employees. Companies in which plant managers had little discretion were considered highly centralized; those in which they had a lot of discretion were scored as less so. The researchers also examined results from a similar survey run by the U.S. Census and matched them with company reports of sales, employment levels, profits, and other performance measures. And they gathered data on which industries were hardest hit by the Great Recession. “Decentralization was associated with relatively better performance for firms or establishments facing the toughest environment during the crisis,” the researchers report. They also found that the benefits of decentralization faded as economic conditions improved—a sign that delegation has particular value during uncertain times.

Why did decentralization help? “The recession introduced a lot of uncertainty and turbulence,” says Sadun. Because decentralized firms delegated decision-making further down the hierarchy, they were better able to adapt to changing conditions. For example, they were more aggressive in adjusting their product offerings in response to changes in demand. “One [piece of] advice would be [to] really think carefully about your organizational structure because that’s one way you cope with uncertainty,” says Sadun.

Of course, an organizational structure isn’t easy to adjust quickly in preparation for a recession, but that doesn’t mean companies can’t learn from these findings. “What decentralization does,” says Sadun, “is match decisions with expertise.” She says companies can fall into the trap of hoarding decision rights during a downturn. But the uncertainty of a recession necessitates experimentation, which requires that decisions be made throughout the organization. Even if companies decide not to decentralize, they can try to do a better job of gathering input from employees at all levels when making key decisions. “Recessions offer opportunities for change,” notes Sadun.

Look Beyond Layoffs

Some layoffs are inevitable in a downturn; during the Great Recession, 2.1 million Americans were laid off in 2009 alone. However, the companies that emerged from the crisis in the strongest shape relied less on layoffs to cut costs and leaned more on operational improvements, Ranjay Gulati and his colleagues found in their study of public companies.

That’s because layoffs aren’t just harmful to workers; they’re costly for companies, too. Hiring and training are expensive, so companies prefer not to have to rehire when the economy picks back up, particularly if they think the downturn will be brief. Layoffs can also hurt morale, dampening productivity at a time when companies can ill afford it.

Fortunately, layoffs aren’t the only way to cut labor costs. Companies should consider hour reductions, furloughs, and performance pay. After the stock market crash in 2000, Honeywell laid off nearly 20% of its workforce and then struggled to recover in the downturn that followed. So when the Great Recession hit, in 2008, the company took a different approach, as Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta describe in their 2018 HBR article, “Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company.” “Honeywell furloughed employees for one to five weeks, providing unpaid or partially compensated leaves, depending on local labor regulations,” Sucher and Gupta wrote. That saved an estimated 20,000 jobs. Honeywell emerged from the Great Recession in better shape than it did during the 2000 recession in terms of sales, net income, and cash flow, despite the fact that the 2008 downturn was much more severe.

Firms invest in IT during recessions because their opportunity cost is lower.

In some parts of the world, policymakers encourage shorter hours as an alternative to layoffs. Many countries and more than half the states in the U.S. have some sort of “short-time” compensation program, whereby workers whose hours are reduced receive partial unemployment compensation. In France, 4% of workers and 1% of firms took advantage of short-time work programs in 2009, and the program paid off for both workers and companies. In a 2018 discussion paper for the European think tank Centre for Economic Policy Research, Pierre Cahuc, Francis Kramarz, and Sandra Nevoux found that companies that took advantage of the short-time work program laid off fewer workers and were more likely to survive during the Great Recession. The effect was most significant among the companies most severely hit by the recession and those with the highest levels of debt. According to the researchers, the short-time work approach allowed vulnerable companies to hold on to more of their workforce. Absent the subsidies, they most likely would have had to lay off more employees, making it more difficult to recover after the recession or causing them to go out of business altogether. The researchers estimate that for every five workers on short-time work, one job was saved. And they estimate that the cost per job saved was less than that of comparable programs; since the alternative was paying unemployment, the program actually saved the French government money.

One appealing thing about both furloughs and short-time work is that, as with layoffs, companies have discretion over which workers are affected. By contrast, across-the-board pay cuts or hiring freezes that fail to consider employee productivity can backfire, damaging morale and driving away the most productive employees. Similarly, hiring freezes affect every department indiscriminately, without weighing the value of various potential hires.

Performance pay—compensation based on some measure of productivity or business outcome—is another way to control labor costs without hurting productivity. There is a long-running debate about performance pay, for executives and frontline workers, and plenty of evidence for and against the management tool on both sides. But a recent study by Christos Makridis (of the White House Council of Economic Advisers) and Maury Gittleman (of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) documents an important fact. Using responses to the National Compensation Survey from 2004 to 2014, the study shows that U.S. companies rely on performance pay more frequently during economic downturns. Although they can’t say whether this strategy works out for companies, they show that a given job is more likely to come with performance pay when times are tough. They hypothesize that this is because performance pay makes companies more flexible by aligning workers’ incentives with changing conditions.

Invest in Technology

It’s tempting to think of a recession as a time to batten down the hatches and play it safe. However, downturns actually appear to encourage the adoption of new technologies. In a 2018 paper, Brad Hershbein (of the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research) and Lisa B. Kahn (of the University of Rochester) compared more than 100 million online job listings posted from 2007 to 2015 with economic data to see how the Great Recession affected the types of skills employers were looking for. They found that the U.S. cities hardest hit by the recession saw a greater demand for higher-order skills—including computer-related skills. The boost in demand was partly due to employers’ taking advantage of high unemployment to be choosier, as suggested by Alicia Sasser Modestino (of Northeastern), Daniel Shoag (of Harvard Kennedy School and Case Western Reserve), and Joshua Ballance (of the New England Public Policy Center). Their study found that the demand for tech skills returns to more normal levels once the labor market improves.

But companies weren’t only being choosier, Hershbein and Kahn found; they were becoming more digital, too. In those hard-hit areas of the United States, companies also increased their investment in information technology, driving the surge in IT skill requirements in their job postings.

Why do companies invest in technology during a recession when money is tight? Economists theorize that it’s because their opportunity cost is lower than it would be in good times. When the economy is in great shape, a company has every incentive to produce as much as it can; if it diverts resources to invest in new technologies, it may be leaving money on the table. But when fewer people are willing to buy what you’re selling, operations need not be kept humming at maximum capacity, which frees up the operating budget to fund IT initiatives without dampening sales. For that reason, adopting technology costs less, in a sense, during a recession.

That’s fine in theory, but other reasons may make more practical sense to managers. Technology can make your business more transparent, more flexible, and more efficient. According to Katy George, a senior partner at McKinsey, the first reason to prioritize digital transformation ahead of or during a downturn is that improved analytics can help management better understand the business, how the recession is affecting it, and where there’s potential for operational improvements.

The second reason is that digital technology can help cut costs. Companies should prioritize “self-funding” transformation projects that pay off quickly, George says, such as automating tasks or adopting data-driven decision-making. The third reason is that IT investments make companies more agile and therefore better able to handle the uncertainty and rapid change that come with a recession. In manufacturing, “we are finally seeing uptake now in the adoption of digital and advanced analytics,” she says. It used to be that a manufacturer could be the cheapest in the market or could stay nimble—but not both. Flexibility came with serious costs. However, digital technologies “create much more flexibility around product changes, volume changes, etc., as well as around movement of your supply chain around the world.”

That, in George’s view, is one way the next recession might be different from past ones. Companies that have already made an investment in digital technology, analytics, and agile business practices may be better able to understand the threat they face and respond more quickly. As we’ve seen, recessions can create wide and long-standing performance gaps between companies. Research has found that digital technology can do the same. Companies that have neglected digital transformation may find that the next recession makes those gaps insurmountable.

A version of this article appeared in the May–June 2019 issue (pp.98–105) of Harvard Business Review.


Source: https://hbr.org/2019/05/how-to-survive-a-recession-and-thrive-afterward

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Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak by WHO

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:37:05 PM »

Proper nutrition and hydration are vital. People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger immune systems and a lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat and salt to significantly lower your risk of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Eat fresh and unprocessed foods every day

Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

Daily, eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 servings), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings), 180 g of grains, and 160 g of meat and beans (red meat can be eaten 1−2 times per week, and poultry 2−3 times per week).

For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.

Do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins.

When using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.
Drink enough water every day

Water is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in blood, regulates your body temperature, gets rid of waste, and lubricates and cushions joints.

Drink 8–10 cups of water every day.

Water is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water, for example, lemon juice (diluted in water and unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be careful not to consume too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, and fizzy and still drinks as they all contain sugar.

Eat moderate amounts of fat and oil

Consume unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola, sunflower and corn oils) rather than saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oils, cream, cheese, ghee and lard).

Choose white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fat, rather than red meat.

Avoid processed meats because they are high in fat and salt.

Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.

Avoid industrially produced trans fats. These are often found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarine and spreads.

Eat less salt and sugar

When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).

Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.

Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.

Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured kinds of milk and yoghurt drinks).

Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Avoid eating out

Eat at home to reduce your rate of contact with other people and lower your chance of being exposed to COVID-19. We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 metre between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. That is not always possible in crowded social settings like restaurants and cafes. Droplets from infected people may land on surfaces and people’s hands (e.g. customers and staff), and with lots of people coming and going, you cannot tell if hands are being washed regularly enough, and surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected fast enough.

Counselling and psychosocial support

While proper nutrition and hydration improve health and immunity, they are not magic bullets. People living with chronic illnesses who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 may need support with their mental health and diet to ensure they keep in good health. Seek counselling and psychosocial support from appropriately trained health care professionals and also community-based lay and peer counsellors.

Source: http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/nutrition-infocus/nutrition-advice-for-adults-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.html

37

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: COVID-19: How to use diet and supplements to maintain immunity... and sanity

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:35:24 PM »

The Best Natural Cough Remedies

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Generally speaking, coughing is perfectly normal. A cough can help to keep your throat clear from phlegm and other irritants. However, sustained coughing can also be symptomatic of a number of conditions, such as an allergy, a viral infection, or a bacterial infection.

Sometimes a cough isn’t due to anything related to your lungs. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can also cause a cough.

You can treat coughs due to colds, allergies, and sinus infections with a number of over-the-counter medicines. Bacterial infections will require antibiotics. However, for those who prefer to avoid chemicals, we’ve listed a few home remedies that can help.

Honey is a time-honored remedy for a sore throat. According to one study trusted Source, it can also relieve coughs more effectively than over-the-counter medicines that contain dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant.

You can create your own remedy at home by mixing up to 2 teaspoons of honey with herbal tea or warm water and lemon. The honey does the soothing, while the lemon juice can help with congestion. You can also simply eat the honey by the spoonful or spread it on bread for a snack.

Shop for honey.

Probiotics are microorganisms that can provide a host of health benefits. While they don’t relieve a cough directly, they do help to balance your gastrointestinal flora. Gastrointestinal flora are the bacteria that live in your intestines.

This balance can support immune system function throughout the body. EvidenceTrusted Source also suggests that Lactobacillus, a bacterium in dairy, can reduce the likelihood of a cold or flu and sensitivity to certain allergens, such as pollen.

Fortified milk is a great source of Lactobacillus. You should be cautious, however, as dairy may make phlegm thicker. You can also purchase probiotic supplements at most health food stores and drug stores. Each supplement manufacturer may have different daily recommended intakes. Probiotics are also added to some yogurt types and are present in miso soup and sourdough bread.

Find probiotics online.

You don’t usually think of pineapple as a cough remedy, but that’s probably because you’ve never heard of bromelain. There’s evidence to suggest that bromelain — an enzyme found only in the stem and fruit of pineapples — can help suppress coughs as well as loosen the mucus in your throat. To enjoy the most benefits of pineapple and bromelain, eat a slice of pineapple or drink 3.5 ounces of fresh pineapple juice three times a day.

There are also claims that it can help relieve sinusitis and allergy-based sinus issues, which can contribute to coughs and mucus. However, there is insufficient evidenceTrusted Source to support this. It’s also sometimes used to treat inflammation and swelling.

Bromelain supplements should not be taken by children or adults who take blood thinners. Also, be careful using bromelain if you’re also on antibiotics such as amoxicillin, as it can increase the absorption of the antibiotic. Always speak to your doctor before taking new or unfamiliar supplements.

Get bromelain supplements.

Peppermint leaves are well known for their healing properties. Menthol in peppermint soothes the throat and acts as a decongestant, helping to break down mucus. You can benefit by drinking peppermint tea or by inhaling peppermint vapors from a steam bath. To make a steam bath, add 3 or 4 drops of peppermint oil for every 150 milliliters of hot water. Drape a towel over your head, and take deep breaths directly above the water.

Shop for peppermint oil.

Marshmallow is made from Althaea officinalis, a perennial that flowers in summer. The leaves and roots of the herb have been used since ancient times to treat sore throats and suppress coughs. There are no well-controlled studies to support these claims, but the herb is generally considered safe.

The marshmallow herb contains mucilage, which coats the throat and soothes irritation.

Today, you can get marshmallow root as tea or in capsule form. The warm tea can be soothing to a cough that’s accompanied by a sore throat. Marshmallow root is not recommended for children.

Get marshmallow root tea or capsules here.

Thyme is used by some for respiratory illnesses. One studyTrusted Source suggests that the essence extracted from thyme leaves mixed with ivy can help relieve coughing as well as short-term bronchitis. The leaves contain compounds called flavonoids that relax the throat muscles involved in coughing and lessen inflammation.

You can make thyme tea at home using 2 teaspoons of crushed thyme leaves and 1 cup of boiling water. Cover the cup, steep for 10 minutes, and strain.

While the remedy may seem relatively simple, a salt and water gargle can help soothe a scratchy throat that causes you to cough. Mixing 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 8 ounces of warm water can help to relieve irritation.

Note that children under age 6 aren’t especially good at gargling. It’s best to try other remedies for this age group.

In addition to learning how to treat a cough, you might want to learn how to prevent them in the first place. To protect against flu, make sure you get your annual flu shot, usually starting in October. Other steps you can take include:

    Avoid coming in contact with others who are sick. If you know you are sick, avoid going to work or school so you will not infect others.
    Cover your nose and mouth whenever your cough or sneeze.
    Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
    Clean the common areas of your home, work, or school frequently. This is especially true for countertops, toys, or mobile phones.
    Wash your hands frequently, especially after coughing, eating, going to the bathroom, or caring for someone who is sick.

With allergies, you can reduce flare-ups by identifying the allergens that affect you and avoiding exposure to them. Common allergens include trees, pollen, dust mites, animal fur, mold, and insects. Allergy shots are helpful as well and can reduce your sensitivity to allergens. Talk to your doctor about what plan is right for you.

Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/best-natural-cough-remedies

38

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / COVID-19: How to use diet and supplements to maintain immunity... and sanity

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:33:30 PM »

Kara Landau, founder of Uplift Food​ and author of the Good Mood Food Guide and Prebiotic Manual, says that whilst this global health crisis brings uncertainty to many aspects of our lives, there’s one things that remains certain – our diets can help get us through this.

“One thing I know for certain is that what we eat does play a role in both how we feel and in our immune health.​

“Given the connection between dietary factors, inflammation, and mood, it makes sense to try and minimize any potential nutritional deficiencies that could lead to an increase in inflammation within the body.”​

The gut health specialist who attended NutraIngredients’ Probiota conference earlier this year says that as the founder of a small startup company she understands the anxiety this situation can bring.

“It can lead anyone to experience feelings anywhere between deep concern to paralysing anxiety.”​

She points out there are foods rich in specific nutrients that are known to help alleviate and prevent anxiety and depression, reduce inflammation in the body, and ultimately help to build the immune system.

Prebiotics​

As the nutrition adviser and media representative for the Global Prebiotic Association, it’s not surprising that Landau points to prebiotics as a key dietary component for improving mental health.

She says: “With the gut-brain connection having a wealth of research to support its important role in our mental health, including our understanding that poor gut health can lead to the release of inflammatory molecules in the body, and depression and anxiety being known to be conditions not only from a chemical imbalance but also of inflammation within the body.​

“Together with the knowledge that the immune system is predominantly found within the gut - It is with reasonable understanding that the key fuel source for the diverse bacteria within the gut, also known as prebiotics, would play a vital piece in the story for both positive mental wellbeing together with strengthening your immune system.”​

She points out that the specific bacteria type that are typically targeted by prebiotics are Lactobacilli​ and bifidobacteria​, with positive changes in bifidobacteria ​the most commonly seen. What's more, the prebiotics that are fermented by the bacteria in the colon lead to the production of beneficial short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that have direct, and indirect, health benefits.

She outlines some of the key sources of gut health boosting prebiotic fibres.

“Although many of the densest sources of prebiotics are often found in less commonly consumed foods such as chicory root and dandelion greens, there are more easily incorporated foods that you can weave into your diets in situations such as we find ourselves in now, including roasting and then cooling potatoes or pasta, overnight oats or raw oats used in energy balls, incorporating onion and garlic into dishes, consuming legume based pastas, as well as blending in green banana flour or a prebiotic supplement into a smoothie.”​

Antioxidants and polyphenols​

Antioxidants and polyphenols are the ‘powerhouses’ that not only reduce inflammation in the body but also play a supportive role in many of the body's 'wellbeing systems', and more recently some have even been shown to support gut health via their own prebiotic activity, says Landau.

“If you are house-bound and do not feel it is possible to continue to purchase fresh deep coloured fruits and vegetables for any reason, additional options to attain these nutrients include Vitamin E and selenium rich nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, as well as other healthy fat rich foods such as avocado and extra virgin olive oil. ​

“I would advise to continue consuming deep coloured fruits and vegetables - and just because there are no frozen fruits or vegetable options left at the grocery store does not mean you can not purchase fresh berries or vegetables, place them in the freezer, and add into a smoothie or dish when you are ready to use them.” ​

Magnesium

“Often referred to as the calming mineral, Magnesium assists with the conversion of 5 hydroxytryptophan into serotonin, one of the forms you find tryptophan in within the body whilst serotonin is being produced.​

“Many people these days are unknowingly deficient in magnesium which has the potential to negatively affect your ability to boost your mood naturally through increased serotonin production.​

“For this reason, ensuring that you consume adequate dietary sources of magnesium is essential to promoting a positive mood.”​

 Landau points out that some key food sources of magnesium include: whole-grains such as oats and wheat-bran, broccoli, raspberries, nuts and seeds, natural nut or seed butters are dense sources that are often easy to incorporate into the diet, beans, bananas, and cocoa / dark chocolate.

Vitamin D

It’s unsurprising that vitamin D – the happy vitamin absorbed from sunshine - would appear on the list of mental health stabilising nutrients.

“Research has continually been uncovering how important a role Vitamin D plays in the maintenance of optimal physical and mental health.​

“Although the exact mechanisms of action are still being uncovered, what can be understood is that Vitamin D deficiency appears to be associated with a number of inflammatory conditions, including Type II Diabetes, Arthritis and even Cardiovascular Disease.” ​

She adds that in a study of almost 12600​ people over a four year period, it was found that higher blood levels of Vitamin D were associated with significantly decreased risk of depression, and in particular, this association was found to be strongest in those people whom had had a previous history of depression.

“Although sunlight is often our best option for Vitamin D, for those that are not in areas that permit this at this time, some easily accessible food options include: canned fish and eggs, and although offering the not quite as well absorbed Vitamin D2 plant based version of Vitamin D, high vitamin D mushrooms are an option for those who follow a vegan diet.”​
Omega-3’s

Omega 3 is well understood as playing a beneficial role in reducing inflammation within the body and there are three different types of omega 3’s that are commonly focused on: DHA, EPA and ALA.

Landau explains: “DHA - docosahexaenoic acids - are long chain fatty acids that make up part of the cell membranes of our brains cells, and play a role in the transmission of chemical signals from cell to cell therefore is usually promoted for heart health. ​

“EPA- Eicosapentaenoic acid - is also a long chain fatty acid which helps to reduce inflammation and therefore is associated with improving your mood.​

“DHA and EPA can be found in fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, mackerel and halibut. They are also found in vegan micro-algae sources from which are thought to be where they actually originate in the food system, to begin with. ​

“ALA is found in hemp seeds, sacha inchi seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and some dark green leafy vegetables, including kale and spinach. Only a very small percentage of ALA is converted into EPA (around 6%), which can then be converted into DHA (around 3.8%). Therefore ALA is not as potent for mood elevation or heart health as EPA and DHA coming from the alternative sources.” ​

Source: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2020/03/19/COVID-19-How-to-use-diet-and-supplements-to-maintain-immunity-and-sanity

39

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / করোনামুক্তির কথা জানালেন জে কে রাওলিং

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:31:49 PM »

করোনার লক্ষণ নিয়ে দুই সপ্তাহ ভোগার পর অবশেষে সেরে ওঠার কথা জানিয়েছেন জনপ্রিয় ব্রিটিশ লেখিকা জে কে রাওলিং।

গতকাল টুইটারে তিনি জানান, গত দু’সপ্তাহ আগে কোভিড-১৯ এর লক্ষণ তার শরীরে দেখা দিয়েছিল (যদিও তিনি কোনো পরীক্ষা করাননি)। এখন তিনি সম্পূর্ণ সুস্থ।

৫৪ বছর বয়সী এই লেখিকা আরও জানান, কুইন্স হাসপাতালের একজন চিকিৎসকের পোস্ট করা ভিডিও দেখে শ্বাসকষ্ট থেকে মুক্তি পেয়েছেন। সবাইকে সেই ভিডিও দেখার অনুরোধ জানিয়েছেন।

ওই চিকিৎসককে ধন্যবাদ জানিয়ে তিনি লিখেছেন, ‘আপনার ভিডিওগুলো দেখে আমি সম্পূর্ণ সুস্থ হয়ে উঠেছি। আপনাকে অসংখ্য ধন্যবাদ এ ধরনের পোস্ট করার জন্য। আপনারাও দেখুন এই পোস্ট। দেখান পরিবারের সব সদস্য, চেনা পরিচিতদের। নিরাপদে থাকুন সবাই। সুস্থ থাকুন।’

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/bangla/anandadhara/%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%a8%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%ae%e0%a7%81%e0%a6%95%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%a5%e0%a6%be-%e0%a6%9c%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a8%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%a8-%e0%a6%9c%e0%a7%87-%e0%a6%95%e0%a7%87-%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%93%e0%a6%b2%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%82-142972

40

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / COVID-19 : 10 Recommendations to plan distance learning solutions

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:30:28 PM »

    Examine the readiness and choose the most relevant tools.

Decide on the use high-technology and low-technology solutions based on the reliability of local power supplies, internet connectivity, and digital skills of teachers and students. This could range through integrated digital learning platforms, video lessons, MOOCs, to broadcasting through radios and TVs.

    Ensure inclusion of the distance learning programmes.

Implement measures to ensure that students including those with disabilities or from low-income backgrounds have access to distance learning programmes, if only a limited number of them have access to digital devices. Consider temporarily decentralizing such devices from computer labs to families and support them with internet connectivity.

    Protect data privacy and data security.

Assess data security when uploading data or educational resources to web spaces, as well as when sharing them with other organizations or individuals. Ensure that the use of applications and platforms does not violate students’ data privacy.

    Prioritize solutions to address psychosocial challenges before teaching.

Mobilize available tools to connect schools, parents, teachers and students with each other. Create communities to ensure regular human interactions, enable social caring measures, and address possible psychosocial challenges that students may face when they are isolated.

    Plan the study schedule of the distance learning programmes.

Organize discussions with stakeholders to examine the possible duration of school closures and decide whether the distance learning programme should focus on teaching new knowledge or enhance students’ knowledge of prior lessons. Plan the schedule depending on the situation of the affected zones, level of studies, needs of students needs, and availability of parents. Choose the appropriate learning methodologies based on the status of school closures and home-based quarantines. Avoid learning methodologies that require face-to-face communication.

    Provide support to teachers and parents on the use of digital tools.

Organize brief training or orientation sessions for teachers and parents as well, if monitoring and facilitation are needed. Help teachers to prepare the basic settings such as solutions to the use of internet data if they are required to provide live streaming of lessons.

    Blend appropriate approaches and limit the number of applications and platforms.

Blend tools or media that are available for most students, both for synchronous communication and lessons, and for asynchronous learning. Avoid overloading students and parents by asking them to download and test too many applications or platforms.

    Develop distance learning rules and monitor students’ learning process.

Define the rules with parents and students on distance learning. Design formative questions, tests, or exercises to monitor closely students’ learning process. Try to use tools to support submission of students’ feedback and avoid overloading parents by requesting them to scan and send students’ feedback.

    Define the duration of distance learning units based on students’ self-regulation skills.

Keep a coherent timing according to the level of the students’ self-regulation and metacognitive abilities especially for livestreaming classes. Preferably, the unit for primary school students should not be more than 20 minutes, and no longer than 40 minutes for secondary school students.

    Create communities and enhance connection.

Create communities of teachers, parents and school managers to address sense of loneliness or helplessness, facilitate sharing of experience and discussion on coping strategies when facing learning difficulties.[/size]

Source: https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-10-recommendations-plan-distance-learning-solutions

41

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:25:40 PM »

3 ways the coronavirus pandemic could reshape education

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay/

42

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:11:56 PM »

BCG Report

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Yny7aCTTLAADRXlwnYERM-6eyaRtIoVq

43

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:08:38 PM »

Public post but some of  are people not realize - A COVID-19 trend analysis written by Rafiuddin Ahmed Sir |

ইতিমধ্যে আমেরিকায় ৬০ লাখ বেকার। ইউকে, অস্ট্রেলিয়ায় কস্ট কাটিং প্লান আসছে সামনে। আমরাও সবার মত যে সব জায়গায় ঝামেলায় পড়বো একটা লিস্ট করি :

▪বেকার হবেন সকল পেশার মানুষ। যেহেতু অনেকে চাকরি হারাবেন উনাদের বাচ্চা কাচ্চারা ও স্কুল ফিস দিতে না পেলে ড্রপ আউট হবে। আজকে দেখলাম নেক্সট সেমিস্টারের ভর্তি বন্ধ (ইউজিসি) কাজেই ছাত্র না পেলে অনেক শিক্ষক ও চাকরি হারাবেন।

▪অনেক অফিস ভারচুয়াল হয়ে গেছে। তারাও ইতিমধ্যে কম পারফর্ম করা কর্মীদের লিস্ট বানাচ্ছে আমার মনে হয়। হয়ত অনেককে হাফ বেতনে রাখবে এবং বলবে হোম অফিস করবেন।

▪ব্যাঙ্ক গুলা বেশির ভাগ পিবি (পারসোনাল ব্যাঙ্কিং) করাবে এপের মাধ্যমে এবং ছাঁটাই ও করবে বেশির ভাগ ফ্রন্ট লাইন কর্মী আমি মনে করি। এপ বেশি করে ব্যাবহার করার জন্য ইতিমধ্যে আমাদের কে বলছে তারা।

▪টেল্কো (TELCO) গুলাতে বেশি হারে ছাটায় হবে জাস্ট দেখে নিয়েন।

44

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:07:09 PM »

COVID-19 lockdown - Experiences of American International University Bangladesh (AIUB)

Please find the attachment

45

Coronavirus - করোনা ভাইরাস / Re: Useful Research, Reports and Handbook on COVID 19

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:04:39 PM »

Public Leadership Through Crisis 15: The COVID-19 Crisis in Bahrain

Read the Full Article Here

https://buildingstatecapability.com/2020/04/09/public-leadership-through-crisis-15-the-covid-19-crisis-in-bahrain/amp/