Science during lockdown – from virtual seminars to sustainable online communities

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional modes of scientific communication. In-person conferences and seminars have been cancelled and most scientists around the world have been confined to their homes. Although challenging, this situation has presented an opportunity to adopt new ways to communicate science and build scientific relationships within a digital environment, thereby reducing the environmental impact and increasing the inclusivity of scientific events. As a group of researchers who have recently created online seminar series for our respective research communities, we have come together to share our experiences and insights. Only a few weeks into this process, and often learning ‘on the job’, we have collectively encountered different problems and solutions. Here, we share our advice on formats and tools, security concerns, spreading the word to your community and creating a diverse, inclusive and collegial space online. We hope our experience will help others launch their own online initiatives, helping to shape the future of scientific communication as we move past the current crisis.

Assessing the Impact of an Online Climate Science Community: The Early Career Climate Forum

“…The burgeoning of online science communities, mostly spearheaded by bottom-up initiatives, including the formation of the ECCF, suggests that extracurricular arenas for conversation, career-related development and social-psychological support are necessary and worthwhile endeavors (Batts et al 2008;Saunders et al 2017). More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns have further highlighted the opportunities online science communities may provide early career scientists to communicate and build both scientific and personal connections within a digital environment (Bottanelli et al 2020). Future studies could evaluate the continuity and longevity of these platforms after the pandemic has ended or, more generally, over the long term.…”

E-Learning in Times of COVID-19 Crisis

“…[2][3] With COVID-19 likely to stay for uncertain amounts of time and its negative effect on learning opportunities, the education systems have rapidly come up with online-learning as an alternative to in-person teaching. [4][5] 'Online learning' or 'e-learning' or 'web-based learning' may be defined as "learning in synchronous or asynchronous environments using different devices with internet access." [6][7] The students/ learners may be present anywhere and still participate in learning and interact with the teachers/ instructors.…”

Digital Slides as an Effective Tool for Programmed Death Ligand 1 Combined Positive Score Assessment and Training: Lessons Learned from the “Programmed Death Ligand 1 Key Learning Program in Head-and-Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma”

“…If leveraged properly, digital pathology can become the backbone of a training network where digital slides can be shared to improve training and accelerate knowledge transfer. [ 13 ] Online webinars for distance learning (as the name implies, seminars and learning events that take place on web platforms) can be easily hosted employing several user-friendly platforms,[ 14 ] and when coupled with virtual microscopy using whole slide imaging (WSI) can be shared globally with a large pathology audience. Further, this allows digital pathology to no longer just be confined to utilization at academic institutions but can help meet the need to train many general pathologists.…”