Second, the target population for the webinar and the webinars objectives need to be mentioned in the promotions and invitation links. These findings demonstrate that short, informational training opportunities, like this webinar model, can serve as a catalyst for positive change in school wellness environments. The survey was open for a 4-week period with extension of one week. affiliated with a school). Obesity prevention in schools: Current role and future practice of school nurses, Lewallen TC, Hunt H, Potts-Datema W, et al. PMC legacy view HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help EDEN2020 [cited 2021 Aug 10]; Available from: https://www.eden-online.org/eden-webinar-series-education-in-time-of-a-pandemic-onlinetogether-covid19-summary/, Figueroa F, Figueroa D, Calvo-Mena R, Narvaez F, Medina N, Prieto J (2020) Orthopedic surgery residents perception of online education in their programs during the COVID-19 pandemic: Should it be maintained after the crisis? Apart from these, other possible demerits of webinars that were not assessed by this study include inadequate access to e-learning platform and technical problems related to web connectivity. 2020; Nahai and Kenkel 2020). If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. Data from the post-webinar evaluation survey indicate that this model of professional development is valuable for both increasing knowledge around school wellness topics and inciting motivation among participants, who may take action to improve wellness efforts in their respective school settings. The pandemic has challenged almost every sector of todays world. The response rate was 54% as 270 out of 500 participants responded to the questionnaire. However, the attendees perceptions regarding webinars may change over time, especially with the transition through the lockdown to the post-lockdown phase. Webinars were promoted to a Listserv comprising school professionals, community organisations, government agencies and private industry. [cited 2021 Aug 10]; Available from: https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/infection-prevention-and-control-for-the-safe-management-of-a-dead-body-in-the-context-of-covid-19-interim-guidance, Kumar S, More A, Harikar M (2020) The impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on plastic surgery training and practice in India. Cureus 12:e8966, PubMed https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1240-0, Power M, St-Jacques A (2014) The graduate virtual classroom webinar: a collaborative and constructivist online teaching strategy. will also be available for a limited time. Normality of data was analysed using Shapiro-Wilk test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. AS helped with concept, literature search and is a major contributor in manuscript preparation and editing. However, there is a need for improvisation in the volume of webinars, target-audience-based delivery, and participant interaction to add value to this new dimension of teaching-learning. Polls served a variety of purposes, including the opportunity for the webinar speakers to gain information about the audiences prior knowledge of the topic, specific demographic information and current practices or policies in the participants school. With these calls to action, however, come barriers to implementation.

A post-webinar survey, distributed to all webinar attendees, captured (1) self-reported participant satisfaction with the webinar, (2) knowledge gained from participation, (3) intention to share information gained with a colleague and (4) intention to make wellness environment changes (i.e. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the This dissatisfaction may probably be reflective of the poor quality of webinars or because the same information was being repeated in multiple webinars. The literature reporting on the industry standard for webinar attendance suggests that it ranges from 30% to 45% (Britton, 2014; ON24 Inc., 2016). Overall, school nurses represented the largest group of attendees (25%), with teachers and administrators representing the next two largest groups of school professionals (21% and 18%, respectively). Regarding the usefulness of webinars, most of the respondents agreed that the webinars had improved their theoretical knowledge regarding COVID-19, helping them to improve their clinical practice. J Online Learn Teach 10:681, Rajab MH, Gazal AM, Alkattan K (2020) Challenges to online medical education during the covid-19 pandemic. stream Correspondence to Attendees were invited to participate in a post-webinar questionnaire regarding satisfaction with the session and intent to act on knowledge gained from participation. substitutes, travel and registration) and competition for resources with other academic subjects (Agron et al., 2010; Anderson and Enge, 2012; Budd et al., 2009). 1.Available at med.psu.edu/PROwellness/webinars, National Library of Medicine Webinars are a useful model for meeting the education needs while overcoming many of the barriers that prohibit schools from meeting these recommendations. )X2 >BWrNXR0S6hacv|$:- R&E:%jmq{ ~2X}jCH>Jer&hs%C%6eP8WVabtFjAf.~Qu#3kdE Finally, webinars as a mechanism for professional development are largely informational and therefore require motivation on the part of the participant to make change as a result of the information they acquire. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY., USA, 2017) with RStudio 1.4.1103, for data visualization where needed. Healthier students are better learners: A missing link in school reforms to close the achievement gap, Bennett AE, Cunningham C and Johnston Molloy C (2016), An evaluation of factors which can affect the implementation of a health promotion programme under the schools for health in Europe framework, Brener ND, McManus T, Wechsler H, et al. In addition, 59 (76%) post-webinar survey respondents indicated that creating wellness environment change (i.e. In addition, the CDC cites the need for continuing education across school professionals in a variety of health-related topics in the School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity and their Bridging the Gap research briefs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011, 2014a, 2014b, 2014c). The reasons for the relatively low response rate in this study may include overlap in the participants in different social media groups, lack of interest to participate in the survey, lack of incentive, and short duration of survey. parents, non-profit representatives) during the 20142015 and 20152016 school years. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. VG is a major contributor for concept, literature search, and manuscript editing. Aesthet Surg J 40(9):10401041. 2017). (Carvalho-Silva et al. Both intent to share the information gained with a colleague and intent to make wellness environment changes were indicated using yes, no or not applicable. Normally distributed data from the post-webinar survey were presented using the mean and standard deviation. [cited 2021 Aug 10]; Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov, Hoke AM, Francis EB, EA H (2018) Investigating the effectiveness of webinars in the adoption of proven school wellness strategies. Webinars were also rated on their ability to increase knowledge in their respective topic area, with an average score of 4.3 out of 5.0 (Table 2). Attendees remained attentive 59% of the time (highest 68%; lowest 46% - data only available for seven of eight webinars). Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. In the future, we plan to facilitate the collection of more post-programme surveys by only offering the certificate of completion to individuals who complete the survey. The outbreak of highly contagious COVID-19 caused by SARS-Cov2 has caused massive disruption globally. 2022 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2020.05.032, Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh, 160012, India, Rekha Gupta,B. Naveen Naik,Ajay Singh,Shiv Lal Soni&G. D. Puri, Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India, You can also search for this author in Cookies policy. Research emphasises the link between health and academic achievement, suggesting that school-based initiatives which support physical health (i.e. Evaluation of utility and usefulness of webinars on COVID-19 management: a questionnaire-based survey. Each webinar began at 3:30 p.m. EST (after the school day) and was 3060 minutes in length. 2018). Individuals affiliated with a school made up the majority of webinar attendees (79%). Promotion for each event began several weeks prior to the delivery date. As compared to one-way passive learning from lectures, webinars can promote interactive learning for the audience. Online learning has been the best way to reach large number of health care workers (HCWs) and update knowledge. Careers, Health communication, health policy, instructional programmes, professional development, web-based learning, Agron P, Berends V, Ellis K, et al. Being a cross-sectional survey, the data were collected at a single point in time. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjaa123, ODoherty D, Dromey M, Lougheed J, Hannigan A, Last J, McGrath D (2018) Barriers and solutions to online learning in medical education An integrative review. (NO./INT/IEC/2020/SPL-1402 Dated 05/11/2020). The new PMC design is here! Adobe Connect Blog, Budd EL, Schwarz C, Yount BW, et al. C Stacked bar chart showing proportion of the different responses to the different questions in our survey, A Donut chart showing proportion of respondents from different health care settings. On average, survey respondents agreed that the webinars were effective at increasing participant knowledge of the webinar topic area (4.3 out of 5.0), suggesting that webinars are a useful tool for increasing awareness of these important school health topics and strategies. 1Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA, 2Departments of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.

2020). A questionnaire-based observational study was conducted after obtaining clearance from the institutions research review board and ethics committee (NO./INT/IEC/2020/SPL-1402). It is clear that a major segment of them is from Anaesthesiology and Intensive care and most had attended 2 webinars per week. Webinars featured content experts for the selected topics and were promoted to school professionals and wellness organisations. This aligns with the body of literature that supports a coordinated approach to school wellness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011; Lewallen et al., 2015). %PDF-1.7 2020). Children in the USA spend more than half of their waking hours in school, creating an appropriate environment for addressing student health and wellness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014d; Institute of Medicine, 2012).

We received a positive attitude towards webinars as a method of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire-based survey was developed in the English language using Google forms after a brief introduction and informed consent. The authors also thank the Pennsylvania Department of Health for their support of Penn State PRO Wellness in the development and delivery of professional development opportunities for school-based personnel. In todays education system, we have twenty-first century-born people, with unlimited access to information, who use digital technologies on daily basis, and no longer want to passively listen and memorize information served. By using this website, you agree to our Gupta, R., Naik, B.N., Ganesh, V. et al. The questionnaire was validated by a local committee of experts in the field. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2010.12.129, Carvalho-Silva D, Garcia L, Morgan SL, Brooksbank C, Dunham I (2018) Ten simple rules for delivering live distance training in bioinformatics across the globe using webinars. Following webinar delivery, the webinar software generated registration-to-attendance conversion rates and attendee interest ratings, calculated by the average time a participant had the webinar application open as the primary window on their computer or device. xD-t]wp:48*, 08'P#E.}BOjb87LUhCP?N@hkP^u6WO:pN%7f! These data suggest that everyone in the school setting should be considered for the role of wellness leader and call for school wellness resources that speak to the differing perspectives of teachers, school nurses and administrators, among others. Data on registrants and attendees were collected at several points. The proposed model of developing and delivering webinars is a feasible option for increasing knowledge around school wellness improvement strategies and for motivating school professionals to initiate positive change in wellness environments by overcoming many of the barriers normally faced with professional development. JUA: Joint Use Agreements; PE: Physical Education; PA: Physical Activity. A systematic review and meta-analysis, Smith EM, Capogrossi KL and Estabrooks PA (2012), School wellness policies: Effects of using standard templates, American Journal of Preventative Medicine, United States Department of Agriculture (2016), School meals: Healthy hunger-free kids act, Vought-OSullivan V, Meehan NK, Havice PA, et al. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. This begs the question Do webinars on COVID-19 really help in the improvement of knowledge base or management skills?. Eight webinars, 3060 minutes in length, were delivered on topics designed to enhance school wellness environments. Webinars were delivered using an online meeting software platform to school professionals, who participated from their respective school buildings remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequent social distancing has fueled the use of social media platforms for educational purposes. Third, webinars need to be more interactive. All webinars were offered free of charge to participants, eliminating the barrier of cost, both in terms of event registration and travel. This is the first survey, in our knowledge, to try and evaluate the utility of webinars occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes an approach to webinar delivery to improve school wellness efforts. Factors included in the model were gender, professional background, and healthcare setting of the attendees while the covariates included age in years, number of COVID-related webinars attended per week and years of experience in the field. government site. 2018; Rajab et al. Of those 73 respondents, 95% (n = 69) indicated that they planned to do so. In addition, this format of professional development can be accessed at low or even no cost to the participant and their school employer. Voluntary response sampling, a type of non-probability sampling, was used in this study. In support of this concept, our method of web-based professional development utilises a live, concise (3060 minutes) and participant-engaging delivery, along with offering a publicly accessible archived version of the webinar on our organisations website1. The lower rating amongst the district hospital respondents could be attributed to the webinars not being tailored to the resources and knowledge base available to them and the poorer rating with increasing number of webinars may be due to repetition of the same information across webinars in the same week. Each webinar consists of brief presentation addressing topic, further complimented by question-and-answer sessions, where everybody is encouraged to participate and share their experiences. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 73(8):15751592. These data suggest that school nurses may be an audience that could serve as leaders within schools in the area of wellness assessment and may benefit from additional training opportunities in this respect (Kubik et al., 2007; Maughan et al., 2015; Schroeder et al., 2016). Further investigation is necessary to determine the best strategies for promoting webinar engagement. A poll at the end to rate the webinar and to review the knowledge gained by attendees, their interests, suggestions, and challenges faced may help organizers in improving webinars in the future. Overall, 52% of those who registered for a webinar attended the live event (highest 63%; lowest 34%) (Table 1). Responses were rated using a 5-point Likert scale from poor (1) to excellent (5). In addition, participation in live webinar polls ranged from 57% to 80% (data only available for seven of eight webinars). 2020). Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The school health assessment webinar, which described the importance of school wellness assessment along with how to conduct the assessment and use the resulting information, attracted a large proportion of school nurses. Adding questions and answer sessions to the webinar, dispersed strategically throughout the webinar, rather than only at the end, is one sure way to increase the audience-presenter interaction . The response rate was 54% as 270 out of 500 participants responded to the questionnaire. Lack of face-to-face educational functions and restrictions on academic gatherings has moved us to adopt e-learning using remote working sites. The study has limitations inherent to most surveys like coverage bias, sampling bias, non-response bias, short duration of the survey, reliability of the questionnaire, and recall bias of the respondents. Through this mechanism, we reached a variety of school professionals, suggesting that many different members within a school can be interested and motivated to learn and take initiative with strategies to improve the wellness environment, including areas such as wellness councils, assessing the school wellness environment and creating a healthier school and community culture through improving opportunities for nutrition, physical education and physical activity. Education and information for practicing school nurses: Which technology-supported resources meet their needs? The literature suggests that schools face many barriers to ensuring school professionals receive the training and education needed, including available time, cost of participation (i.e. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Post-webinar evaluation: respondents intention to act on information gained. Respondents reported an average satisfaction of 3.9 out of 5.0 with the webinars. (2009), Factors influencing the implementation of school wellness policies in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, U.S, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014a) Local school wellness policies: Where do they stand and what can you do?