Internet on the Outstation provides a new take on the digital divide. Why do whole communities choose to go without the internet when the infrastructure for access is in place? Through an in-depth exploration of the digital practices occurring in Aboriginal households in remote central Australia, the authors address both the dynamics of internet adoption and the benefits that flow from its use. The book challenges us to think beyond the standard explanations for the digital divide, arguing that digital exclusion is not just another symptom of social exclusion. At its heart, Internet on the Outstation is a compelling examination of equality and difference in the digital age, asking: Can internet access help resolve the disadvantages associated with remote living?Internet on the Outstation is the result of a multi-year research collaboration, which included a trial of internet infrastructure, training and maintenance in three small Aboriginal communities (known as outstations). During the research phase, Ellie Rennie, Eleanor Hogan and Julian Thomas were based at the Swinburne Institute for Social Research in Melbourne. Robin Gregory and Andrew Crouch worked at the Centre for Appropriate Technology, an Indigenous-owned research and training organization in Alice Springs. Alyson Wright worked for the Central Land Council, the representative body for traditional owners of the central Australia region.
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Covid-19 made us realize that educational practices in higher education must change AND can change. A possible solution for practicing lab work is working in a remote lab: a real lab in which students and the equipment/instruments are physically apart. The concept of printed touchless electronics was taken as the leading principle for students in the Department of Electrical Engineering of a university of applied sciences. They got the assignment to write a programming code, with which they could control a robot. This robot was supposed to draw, with conductive ink, a pattern, that could function as a printed (light) sensor. The robot was situated in the lab, the students uploaded their code from home. Via a live stream, the students could follow the movements of the robot and the pen. From a didactical perspective, the goal was to find out if the selected didactical methods: teamwork and feedback via an internet platform and working with consultation hours, had the estimated effect. An interdisciplinary team of three lecturers was composed to guide the students. Students thought that the consultation hours were very helpful. The online teamwork between the students did not work so well. In the future, students would like to have more opportunities for testing and working with the remote lab.
Background: Remote coaching might be suited for providing information and support to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the vulnerable phase between hospital discharge and the start of cardiac rehabilitation (CR).Objective: The goal of the research was to explore and summarize information and support needs of patients with CAD and develop an early remote coaching program providing tailored information and support.Methods: We used the intervention mapping approach to develop a remote coaching program. Three steps were completed in this study: (1) identification of information and support needs in patients with CAD, using an exploratory literature study and semistructured interviews, (2) definition of program objectives, and (3) selection of theory-based methods and practical intervention strategies.Results: Our exploratory literature study (n=38) and semistructured interviews (n=17) identified that after hospital discharge, patients with CAD report a need for tailored information and support about CAD itself and the specific treatment procedures, medication and side effects, physical activity, and psychological distress. Based on the preceding steps, we defined the following program objectives: (1) patients gain knowledge on how CAD and revascularization affect their bodies and health, (2) patients gain knowledge about medication and side effects and adhere to their treatment plan, (3) patients know which daily physical activities they can and can’t do safely after hospital discharge and are physically active, and (4) patients know the psychosocial consequences of CAD and know how to discriminate between harmful and harmless body signals. Based on the preceding steps, a remote coaching program was developed with the theory of health behavior change as a theoretical framework with behavioral counseling and video modeling as practical strategies for the program.Conclusions: This study shows that after (acute) cardiac hospitalization, patients are in need of information and support about CAD and revascularization, medication and side effects, physical activity, and psychological distress. In this study, we present the design of an early remote coaching program based on the needs of patients with CAD. The development of this program constitutes a step in the process of bridging the gap from hospital discharge to start of CR.
