COVID19 and its effect on Degree Processes

The world today is facing a new way of seeing things. COVID 19 has come to reorder in an untimely way, the economic, social and emotional aspects of all people. This is how we face something unprecedented, never experienced in our generation. In this regard, the degree processes have not been left out of this reality of COVID19.

In the face of this pandemic, all organizations are looking for ways to stay afloat. They have tried to reinvent business online, with e-commerce websites and digital services of different types. Of course, they have taken a lot of boom, the studies in the modality of distance education, in the different universities worldwide.

In addition, the dramatic growth of technology and online meetings has permeated almost every meeting and event. Without implementing a secure live stream for your next event, you may miss countless opportunities. The acquisition of live streaming event applications is inevitable, and it is time for degree processes to take advantage of this new era.

But what is COVID19?

First of all, we must clarify that Coronaviruses, as this pandemic has also been called, is part of an extensive family of viruses. These can cause disease in both animals and humans. They can range from the common cold, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or Severe Acute Syndrome (SARS).

Thus, according to Hui, D., Azhar, E. et al. (2020), COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), also known as coronavirus disease, is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2.9 virus. It was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan (Hubei province) in December 2019. Having reached more than 100 territories, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic.

COVID19 was unknown before the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in China, in December 2019, where infected people presented symptoms such as fever, tiredness, dry cough, nasal congestion and diarrhea among others. The most serious thing about this coronavirus is that it is highly contagious and can be life-threatening.

The Degree Processes

The Thesis Defense, the main step in the Degree Processes, is one of the most anticipated moments for any student. It is the moment in which, the challenge is presented to the student, to convince the teaching board that the proposal presented in the degree work is feasible, solid and relevant.

It is the moment where the thesis student has the opportunity to apply all the knowledge acquired throughout his university career. The tutor of the thesis in this case, also plays a fundamental role in the process, since it is the guide so that all the aspects raised in the thesis come to fruition, thus presenting a clear proposal, which can be applied in the real world and that can also be useful for the community.

How quarantine as a result of COVID19 influences Degree Processes

The Quarantine, as a preventive measure to avoid contagion by the Coronavirus, has taken everyone by surprise. In this regard, the governments of all countries in the world have imposed this protocol of social distancing, in order to reduce as much as possible, the number of infected.

The word quarantine, according to Barifouse (2020), comes from Quaranta giorni in Italian, which in turn comes from the word quadraginta in Latin and translates as four times ten. It has religious origin and began to be used with the medical sense with the isolation of 40 days that was made to people and goods suspected of carrying the bubonic plague during the black death pandemic in Venice, in the fourteenth century.

By having to rethink all the business models in the different sectors, the thesis defenses do not escape this reality. Thus, it is time to establish a new vision of this process, based on the available digital tools, so that there are no delays in obtaining undergraduate degrees.

Platforms such as Zoom and even Skype, can be part of a strategy that allows the defense of online foma theses, not only in this type of situation, but also in those where the student or one of the members of the jury, due to various circumstances, can not be present on the day of the defense.

Although it is possible that the student feels that the defense of the thesis, through the suo of digital media, can subtract emotion from the process, it is ultimately an excellent solution for this type of event.

Live Event Streaming Services

We have come a long way since the times when broadcasting lectures was a difficult and expensive endeavor. Currently, you can make your lecture look like a live-streamed event professionally, even if you’re not a professional producer. This is what is known as Streaming.

According to Trex (2011), the history of streaming dates back to the 1920s with the Muzak system. This was a system of transmitting and distributing signals over power lines- His first intention was to use it to broadcast music, but with the invention of commercial radio, the inventor was dissuaded from continuing with it.

If you want to achieve the best results you will need specific tools and services. In this regard, in Online-Tesis.com we can advise you if you present a similar situation. If your degree process has been affected as a result of COVID19, this is a good opportunity to learn something new and consider those tools that you may not have considered using before.

What should we take into account when choosing a Service for the Transmission of Degree Processes in the context of COVID19?

Define your streaming platform

There are many platforms you can use to reach large audiences and some are better at reaching more specific audiences.

• Universal: Great for reaching any audience, whether broad or niche. The most popular are Facebook, YouTube, Periscope and Twitter.
• Educational: they allow you to develop content. These platforms include DaCast and Panopto.
• Business: If you want to reach a business audience, for the defense of a PhD thesis for example, or if you want to boost branded live streaming events, LinkedIn and Instagram are good options.
• Visual arts: For the visual arts niche, the platform recommended by experts is Picarto.

What equipment do you need?

Streaming an event usually requires cameras and audio sources. Consequently, you will need capture cards that can handle both devices. Below we make a list of the commons:

• Video and audio sources: These are the cameras and microphones you’ll need. You’ll need one of each for easy streaming.
• Capture cards: the devices that capture the video and audio signal coming from the sources.
• An encoder: It can be a dedicated hardware device, which can also function as a capture card, or a software solution that you install on your personal computer.
• Output channel: a platform to which it will be transmitted. You’ll also need a stable internet connection.

Use multi-streaming to reach a wide audience

When a multicast is performed, a cloud service is usually used to distribute it live to multiple platforms.

The benefits of multiple transmission include:

• Time efficiency. You only need to stream once to get your stream on multiple websites or streaming platforms.
• It allows you to play with the strengths of different platforms. Each platform offers something special. If there are several platforms with attractive specialties, broadcast to all of them.
• There are no additional bandwidth requirements. If you’re using a multi-stream cloud service, you don’t have to invest in additional bandwidth. If it can be transmitted to one website, it can be transmitted to all of them.
• Multiple broadcast has the potential to help the conference reach a wide audience. That’s why multiple streaming has a place in the manual for successful live conference streaming, but only if you choose a good tool.

Use a reliable (multiple) streaming tool

If your goal is to reach as many people as possible with your live video conference, the tool should pass a couple of tests. In this regard, it should be relatively inexpensive, easy to use and provide a stable service. In addition, it must have at least the following characteristics:

• Facilitate streams to any of the 30+ supported websites: popular websites like YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Live, and all the custom websites you want to add manually.
• Be extremely reliable and fast, with testimonials from people using it to stream their content on multiple channels.
• Do not need any additional hardware for it.
• Affordable to use: With unlimited streaming time at an unlimited bitrate.
• That has the ability to set up alerts and allows you to stream pre-recorded content live.
• Be available on the device you want: take into account if any of the guests only use a mobile device, Mac, among others.

Recommended Platforms for the Transmission of Grade Processes as a result of COVID19

Facebook Live: It has been the king of live streaming promotion and for good reason. Ease of use is out of this world. Guaranteed social audience within reach of any person.

Periscope: The renowned pioneer in the world of live streaming event applications, he remains a major force to consider when promoting a live event. Periscope is the mobile option for thousands of event planners every day.

Ustream: It provides an interactive live streaming platform for each and every user. With over 2 million live video events streamed each month, Ustream’s platform is home to a number of highly respected customers. If editing images is your thing, you will be surprised by the options offered after the event.

In this way, we have several options to consider in case our degree process has been affected as a result of COVID19. This will mean that even from our homes, we can defend the thesis and even graduate, as some universities around the world have already done.

Conclusion

Definitely, this pandemic has made organizations understand the importance of the digitalization of processes. It’s a good time to feel motivated to create a new way of doing things. In this way, we can make a positive evolution in the way of seeing things. And although some students may see their degree processes affected as a result of COVID19, this situation will make them learn new tools that will be useful in their lives as professionals.

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Bibliographic References

Barifouse, Rafael (2020). Coronavirus: the reason for the Quarantine in Brazil and how it can happen. In: BBC Mundo. Retrieved April 13, 2020.

Hui, D., Azhar, E. et al. (2020). The continued threat of the novel coronavirus epidemic to global health. In: International Journal of Infectious Diseases 91: 264-266.

Trex, Ethan (2011). The Muzak: The Story Behind Music. In: Mental Floss. Mentalfloss.com.

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