HAGENS BERMAN, NATIONAL TRIAL ATTORNEYS, Alerts Ebix (EBIX) Investors to Securities Class Action and Application Deadline, Investors with Losses Should Contact the Firm

SAN FRANCISCO, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hagens Berman urges Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIX) investors with significant losses to submit your losses now. A securities fraud class action has been filed and certain investors may have valuable claims.

Class Period: Nov. 9, 2020 – Feb. 19, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 23, 2021
Visit:
www.hbsslaw.com/cases/EBIX
Contact An Attorney Now: [email protected]
  844-916-0895

Ebix, Inc. (EBIX) Securities Fraud Class Action:

The complaint alleges that Defendants concealed that: (1) there was insufficient audit evidence to determine the business purpose of certain significant unusual transactions in Ebix’s gift card business in India during 4Q 2020; (2) that there was a material weakness in Company’s internal controls over the gift or prepaid revenue transaction cycle; and (3) that the Company’s independent auditor, RSM, was reasonably likely to resign over disagreements with Ebix regarding $30 million that had been transferred into a commingled trust account of Ebix’s outside legal counsel.

Investors began to learn the truth on Feb. 19, 2021 when RSM abruptly resigned, stating that that “despite repeated inquiries” RSM was unable to obtain sufficient audit evidence to “evaluate the business purpose of significant unusual transactions that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2020, including whether such transactions have been properly accounted for and disclosed in the financial statements subject to the Audit.” These “unusual transactions” concerned the company’s gift card business in India.

In addition, RSM and Ebix reportedly disagreed over whether $30 million transferred to a comingled trust account of Ebix’s outside counsel should still be classified as cash on Ebix’s balance sheet, even though those funds were outside Ebix’s direct control.

On this news, the Company’s share price fell as much as $20.24, or 40%, in a single trading day.

On Mar. 8, 2021, Ebix announced it has retained KG Somani & Co. as its new auditor, that it would not file its annual report until Apr. 2021, and that Board-appointed consultants and outside legal counsel are continuing “to evaluate the payment solutions business.”

Most recently, on Mar. 11, 2021, the Company received a noncompliance letter from Nasdaq for failing to timely file its 10-K, demanding that EBIX submit a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s rules by Apr. 16.

“We’re focused on investors’ losses and proving Ebix insiders cooked the company’s books,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you invested in Ebix shares and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm’s investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Ebix should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].


About Hagens Berman


Hagens Berman is a national law firm with eight offices in eight cities around the country and over eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation.   More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw.

Contact:

Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895

 



Nobelpharma to Deploy StayinFront TouchRx® to Field Representatives

Fairfield, NJ, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StayinFront, a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for life sciences and consumer goods organizations, announced today a multi-year agreement with Nobelpharma America, LLC, a pharmaceutical company developing critical, but neglected, pharmaceuticals and medical devices for unmet needs, to deploy its Touch Platform suite of products.

StayinFront will provide its mobile solution, StayinFront TouchRx®, to Nobelpharma’s field representatives to access critical CRM information. The solution will allow Nobelpharma representatives to use advanced targeting tools to create schedules with key healthcare providers (HCPs), use integrated Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) presentations for product details, and show responsive follow up using StayinFront Briefcase®, delivering one-on-one approved messaging with interactive surveys, videos and digital brochures. StayinFront Mobile KPIs will provide field teams, managers, and home office with the ability to track performance against key metrics such as product usage and call activity.

“We are focused on a critical segment of the healthcare provider population. StayinFront’s suite of products is unique in that it seamlessly allows Nobelpharma to target the right message to the proper audience and track activity and the important interactions,” stated Douglas Loock, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nobelpharma. “As a company, StayinFront has a long history of providing cost-effective, relevant solutions to the Life Sciences industry.”

“Our StayinFront Touch platform is designed to deliver flexible, cost-effective and easy-to-maintain mobile cloud products and services. We envision rapid deployment to support their growing business,” commented Ken Arbadji, Vice President Sales, North America at StayinFront.

About Nobelpharma America, LLC
Nobelpharma America, LLC is the first global subsidiary of Nobelpharma Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Nobelpharma was founded in 2003 in Tokyo, Japan and received its first drug approval in Japan in 2008. Since then, Nobelpharma has received approvals for over 15 drugs and devices in Japan across a wide range of indications, bringing life-changing treatments to patients, caregivers, and health care providers. Nobelpharma is committed to meeting essential patient needs by developing treatments for diseases that often go overlooked because of the small number of patients affected. Nobelpharma has a societal obligation to develop therapies and devices that help improve the lives of people living with diseases with little or no other treatment options.

About StayinFront
StayinFront is a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based field force effectiveness and customer relationship management solutions for life sciences and consumer goods organizations. Companies of all sizes, in over 50 countries use StayinFront software to streamline sales operations and reduce the complexity, time and expense associated with field efforts. StayinFront products are seamlessly integrated to provide companies with timely, accurate field data and actionable insights, enabling field reps and management to Know More, Do More and Sell More. Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, StayinFront has offices in Chicago, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, India, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. For more details about StayinFront products and solutions, visit www.stayinfront.com.

StayinFront Contact
Ken Arbadji
Vice President of Sales, North America
+1 (973) 461-4800 x3247
[email protected]

StayinFront Media Contact
Crystal Ozsoy
Senior Marketing Manager
+1 (973) 461-4800 x3390
[email protected]



Thinking about trading options or stock in ChargePoint, General Electric, Apple, Pacific Biosciences of California, or Blink Charging?

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for CHPT, GE, AAPL, PACB, and BLNK.

Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.

Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.

Stock Report – Measures a stock’s suitability for investment with a proprietary scoring system combining short and long-term technical factors with Wall Street’s opinion including a 12-month price forecast.

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

 

Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-in-chargepoint-general-electric-apple-pacific-biosciences-of-california-or-blink-charging-301262020.html

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

Thinking about trading options or stock in Invitae Corp, Tesla, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Mohawk Group, or WW International?

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for NVTA, TSLA, SUPN, MWK, and WW.

Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.

Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.

Stock Report – Measures a stock’s suitability for investment with a proprietary scoring system combining short and long-term technical factors with Wall Street’s opinion including a 12-month price forecast.

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

 

Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-in-invitae-corp-tesla-supernus-pharmaceuticals-mohawk-group-or-ww-international-301262029.html

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

Thinking about buying stock in Gogo Inc, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Curiositystream, Jiayin Group, or Sesen Bio?

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for GOGO, ASO, CURI, JFIN, and SESN.

To see how InvestorsObserver’s proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock’s overall suitability for investment.

 

Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thinking-about-buying-stock-in-gogo-inc-academy-sports–outdoors-curiositystream-jiayin-group-or-sesen-bio-301262023.html

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

KDMN BREAKING NEWS: ROSEN, A TOP RANKED LAW FIRM, Encourages Kadmon Holdings, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline – KDMN

KDMN BREAKING NEWS: ROSEN, A TOP RANKED LAW FIRM, Encourages Kadmon Holdings, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline – KDMN

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Kadmon Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: KDMN) between October 1, 2020 and March 10, 2021, inclusive (the “Class Period”). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 2, 2021.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Kadmon securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Kadmon class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2073.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 2, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience or resources. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020 founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the New Drug Application for belumosudil for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) (the “Belumosudil NDA”) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) was incomplete and/or deficient; (2) the additional new data that the Company submitted in support of the Belumosudil NDA in response to an information request from the FDA materially altered the NDA submission; (3) accordingly, the initial Belumosudil NDA submission lacked the degree of support that the Company had led investors to believe; (4) accordingly, the FDA was likely to extend the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date to review the Belumosudil NDA; and (5) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Kadmon class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2073.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

KEYWORDS: New York United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Legal Professional Services

MEDIA:

Shopoff Realty Investments Secures $105 Million Construction Loan for 1.8 Million-Square-Foot Logistics Center in Riverside County

PR Newswire

IRVINE, Calif., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shopoff Realty Investments (“Shopoff”), a national manager of opportunistic and value-add real estate investments, announced today that the company has secured a $105 million construction loan from Bank OZK for its I-10 Logistics Center project, located near the  I-10 freeway and Cherry Valley Boulevard interchange. The project is a joint venture partnership between Shopoff Realty Investments and Artemis Real Estate Partners.

“This project represents one of the few opportunities to develop much-needed logistics product in Southern California,” explained Shopoff Realty Investments President and Chief Executive Officer William Shopoff. “We believe this state-of-the-art logistics center with I-10 freeway access will be in high demand as users continue to require large buildings to meet demand.”

Mark Strauss and Rob Quarton from Walker Dunlap represented Shopoff and Artemis in securing the $105 million construction loan with Bank OZK.

“Bank OZK is delighted to provide senior-secured construction financing for the I-10 Logistics Center, a project with strong market fundamentals and top-tier sponsorship,” added Jason Choulochas, regional director of originations at Bank OZK’s real estate specialties group. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with Shopoff and Artemis on this project and look forward to a very successful execution.”

Set on 155 acres, the I-10 Logistics Center project includes two high cube logistics/warehouses buildings that have been designed to be eligible for LEED Silver Certification. Building one will cover approximately 814,822 square feet of space and building two will cover approximately 1,017,845 square feet of space, for a total of 1,832,667 square feet of floor area. The project will feature 40-foot clear-height ceilings, 665 employee parking spots, 585 trailer parking spots and 296 dock high doors.

CBRE will represent the property. Darla J. Longo, CBRE Vice Chairman and Managing Director added, “Upon completion this will be the highest quality product of its kind in the market, and we are thrilled to be able to represent Shopoff and Artemis, bringing this stellar new offering to the market.”

With construction financing now secured, site development will commence in April 2021 with construction anticipated to be completed in summer 2022.

About Shopoff Realty Investments
Shopoff Realty Investments is an Irvine, California-based real estate firm with a 29-year history of value-add and opportunistic investing across the United States. The company primarily focuses on proactively generating appreciation through the repositioning of commercial income-producing properties and the entitlement of land assets. The 29-year history includes operating as Asset Recovery Fund, Eastbridge Partners and Shopoff Realty Investments (formerly known as The Shopoff Group). Performance has varied in this time frame, with certain offerings generating losses. For additional information, please visit www.shopoff.com or call (844) 4-SHOPOFF.

About Artemis Real Estate
Artemis Real Estate Partners is an investment manager based in metropolitan Washington, D.C., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Artemis has raised $5.6bn of institutional capital across core, core plus, value-add and opportunistic strategies. The firm makes equity and debt investments in real estate across the United States, with a focus on industrial, multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, senior housing and medical office. Artemis invests both directly and via joint ventures with established, emerging and diverse operating partners. More information can be found at www.artemisrep.com.

About Bank OZK
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK), through its Real Estate Specialties Group (RESG), provides senior-secured financing on marquee commercial real estate construction projects throughout the nation. RESG is considered a preeminent, market-leading construction lender changing skylines across the United States. For more information visit www.ozk.com.

Disclosures
This is not an offering to buy or sell any securities. Such offer may only be made through the offerings memorandum to qualified purchasers. Any investment in Shopoff Realty Investments programs involves substantial risks and is suitable only for investors who have no need for liquidity and who can bear the loss of their entire investment. There is no assurance that any strategy will succeed to meet its investment objectives. The performance of this asset is not indicative of future results of other assets. Securities offered through Shopoff Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC, 2 Park Plaza, Suite 770, Irvine, CA  92614, (844) 4-SHOPOFF.

Contact:

Julie Leber

Spotlight Marketing Communications
949.427.1391
[email protected]

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SOURCE Shopoff Realty Investments

U.S. Gold Corp. Announces April Investor Webinar Schedule

PR Newswire

ELKO, Nev., April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. Gold Corp. (NASDAQ: USAU) (the “Company”), a gold exploration and development company, is pleased to announce that it will hold electronic investor update webinars throughout April hosted by CEORoadshow.  Mr. Edward Karr will update attendees and USAU shareholders on the Company and will be available for questions after an initial presentation.

Mr. Karr states, “In this ongoing period of tremendous volatility and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for U.S. Gold Corp. to keep in touch with our shareholders.  Using modern technology allows us to hold interactive presentations and reach interested parties from the safety and security of their own homes while maintaining recommended social distancing practices.  On behalf of the whole Company and Board, we wish for everyone to stay safe and healthy as we continue to emerge from this pandemic.”

Please refer to the link below for a full schedule of the April webinars:

https://www.usgoldcorp.gold/april-webinars

About U.S. Gold Corp.

U.S. Gold Corp. is a publicly traded, U.S. focused gold exploration and development company. U.S. Gold Corp. has a portfolio of exploration properties. Copper King, now the CK Gold Project, is located in Southeast Wyoming and has a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) technical report, which was completed by Mine Development Associates. Keystone and Maggie Creek are exploration properties on the Cortez and Carlin Trends in Nevada.  The Challis Gold Project is located in Idaho.  For more information about U.S. Gold Corp., please visit www.usgoldcorp.gold

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimated,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on U.S. Gold Corp.’s current expectations, and actual results could differ materially from such statements. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to
, risks arising from: the prevailing market conditions for metal prices and mining industry cost inputs, environmental and regulatory risks, risks faced by junior companies generally engaged in exploration activities, whether U.S. Gold Corp. will be able to raise sufficient capital to implement future exploration programs, COVID-19 uncertainties, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be reviewed at 
www.sec.gov
. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and assumptions about future events. While management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory, and other risks, contingencies, and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. The Company makes no representation or warranty that the information contained herein is complete and accurate and we have no duty to correct or update any information contained herein.

For additional information, please contact:

U.S. Gold Corp. Investor Relations:
+1-800-557-4550
[email protected]
www.usgoldcorp.gold

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SOURCE U.S. Gold Corp.

Travelers Announces 2021 Personal Insurance Agent of the Year Award Honorees

Travelers Announces 2021 Personal Insurance Agent of the Year Award Honorees

HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced the 2021 recipients of its Personal Insurance Agent of the Year Award. The honorees were recognized for their strong commitment to Travelers, outstanding customer service and long-term profitable growth. The awards were presented at Travelers’ leadership conference for top independent agents and brokers, which was hosted virtually this year.

“This exceptional group of agents reached a high standard of success this year, and we are proud to call them our partners,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President and President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. “We applaud each of them for having the tools, talent and resourcefulness to go above and beyond for their customers during this uniquely challenging time.”

The following are the 2021 Agent of the Year Award recipients:

  • Rob Clark, Insurance Market Solutions Group
  • Francis X. Doyle, AAA Northeast
  • Travis Fitzgerald, DealerPolicy Insurance Agency
  • Holly Herron, Assure Alliance, Inc.
  • David J. Louie, David J. Louie, Inc.
  • Tammy Magliola, AmWINS Access – Admitted Placement Services
  • Darryl May, KTX Insurance Brokers Ltd.
  • Rod Mayhill, Firefly Agency
  • Drew Monroe, Prosper Insurance Group
  • Tom Schwarz, Veterans United Insurance
  • Dawnyel Smink, CLI Select Agencies

Travelers works with more than 13,000 independent agents countrywide. To find an agent in your area, visit Travelers.com/findagent.

About Travelers

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $32 billion in 2020. For more information, visit Travelers.com.

Media:

Chesleigh Fowler, 860.277.5102

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Connecticut

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Insurance Professional Services

MEDIA:

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One in Three High School Students Favor Keeping an Online Component to their Education Post-Pandemic, Survey Shows

U.S. and U.K. students surveyed say time savings, getting more sleep and having a more flexible schedule are key benefits

Philadelphia, PA, April 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtual classes may have posed difficulty for many amid COVID-19, but a recent survey of 16- to 18-year-olds in the U.S. and U.K. shows that one in three students say their ideal post-pandemic learning environment includes some kind of online component.

The survey, conducted by Philadelphia-based Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) in March, gathered responses from 1,060 11th and 12th grade students from across the U.S. and sixth form students in England and Wales to determine their views regarding virtual learning. The students queried are participants in this year’s MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge, an annual internet-based, intensive math modeling contest organized by SIAM.

“While the majority of students said they prefer 100 percent in-class learning, surprisingly, one third said they would choose either full-time or part-time online education when things return to normal after the pandemic,” said Michelle Montgomery, M3 Challenge program director at SIAM.

According to the survey, 67 percent of students – the vast majority whose education transitioned online to some degree amid the pandemic – prefer learning completely in-person, while 29 percent favor a hybrid arrangement with up to half of their time in a virtual learning environment. Four percent say they would be happy learning virtually full time or for a majority of their time.

“Interestingly, while 73 percent of the students queried said they don’t learn as well virtually, nine percent said they learn better online and 19 percent say they find no difference in their ability to learn either way,” Montgomery said.

Now in its 16th year, M3 Challenge involves high school juniors and seniors, and sixth form students, working in small teams and committing 14 consecutive hours on a designated weekend in February/March to devise a solution to a real-world problem using mathematical modeling. Of the hundreds of participating teams, ten finalist teams were selected from across the U.S., England and Wales, after having their submissions judged by an international panel of Ph.D.-level mathematicians. The competition’s final judging event — traditionally held in New York City — will be done virtually on April 26 this year.

Sponsored by MathWorks, the leading developer of mathematical computing software, M3 Challenge spotlights applied mathematics and technical computing as powerful problem-solving tools and viable, exciting professions. This year’s competition — which marks the first time M3 Challenge is open to students from England and Wales, awarding more than US$125,000 (£90,000) in scholarship prizes — asked students to use math modeling to provide solutions to combat the “digital divide” (the gap between those who benefit from adequate access to the internet and those who do not), a reality magnified by the pandemic. It drew the participation of nearly 2,400 students across 535 teams.

Survey highlights

According to the survey, the No. 1 benefit of virtual learning cited by three quarters of all respondents is the time savings (traveling to and from school, changing classrooms, etc.), leaving extra hours for studying and other activities. Being able to get more sleep and occasionally having a more flexible schedule were each cited by 73 percent of students as other benefits. Almost one third said they see the advantage of having one’s own private learning environment at home, saving money (on transportation, clothing, etc.) and, in some cases, being able to review recorded classes later if needed.

The main drawbacks of online learning? According to the majority of students, it’s hard to stay focused (76 percent) and it can feel lonely or isolating due to the lack of in-person social interaction and connection to other students (66 percent). Almost half of the students said a main disadvantage is the lack of face-to-face interaction with teachers, 42 percent think teachers tend to assign more projects so the workload can be heavier, and 40 percent said the explanation of assignments seems less thorough.

The majority of those who said they perform better virtually versus in-person credit the fact that they get more sleep at night and feel more rested since they don’t have to commute to school (72 percent), and they can relax more during breaks, so they tend to concentrate better in online class (61 percent). More than one third said they’re better prepared for class since they’re forced to be more responsible due to the independent nature of online learning, they have less social pressure so can focus better in class, and they can more easily focus on what the teacher is saying since they’re less distracted by others in the class.

Students who perform better in person said that it’s harder to get motivated to learn virtually (83 percent) and they prefer live, face-to-face interaction (72 percent). They also said there are more distractions at home so it’s harder to focus (70 percent), and they’re less likely to make a connection with the teacher and ask questions in a virtual class (61 percent).


Student tips for virtual learning

When it comes to core subjects that lend themselves best to virtual learning, the majority of students cited English and History. Science and Math are seen by respondents as being the most challenging courses to learn online.

How can teachers make virtual learning of math courses more effective? Just over half (55 percent) of the students suggest using visual tools and videos to explain math concepts, while 53 percent recommend that teachers record classes for students to review later, as needed. About half of the students would like to see teachers better use technology and digital programs to explain math concepts. Thirty-seven percent think it would be helpful for teachers to provide one-on-one sessions with students to answer questions and ensure they understand concepts, and 31 percent suggest explaining concepts using real-world examples.

In providing advice for other students, respondents said the key to online learning success is to establish a daily schedule and stick to it (70 percent), attend all virtual classes and keep up with schoolwork (63 percent), connect socially with friends, even if virtually (46 percent), exercise frequently and eat well (45 percent), have a designated place to “attend” virtual classes (39 percent), and take frequent breaks (36 percent).

“We know that all students learn differently, and the results of this survey show that there is a role online learning can play for many students,” Montgomery said.

More information about M3 Challenge and the 2021 challenge problem can be found at https://m3challenge.siam.org.

To see the full list of schools with winning teams, visit https://m3challenge.siam.org/node/531.



About Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics




Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an international society of more than 14,000 individual, academic and corporate members from 90+ countries. SIAM helps build cooperation between mathematics and the worlds of science and technology to solve real-world problems through publications, conferences, and communities like chapters, sections and activity groups. Learn more at siam.org.

Attachment



Becky Kerner
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
267-992-8681
[email protected]