Articles by author: Brock University

• Brock hosting webinar for sport organizations with legal questions amid COVID-19

  Monday, April 27, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 27 April 2020 – R0074

  Brock University’s Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) wants to help organizations looking for answers to legal questions during the unprecedented situation facing the world.

  Sport has not been immune from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on Thursday, April 30, Brock’s CSC will host a free 60-minute webinar for sport and recreation organizations, employees and students.

  Giving a presentation and answering questions will be Hilary Findlay, a recently retired Associate Professor of Sport Management at Brock who specializes in risk management, regulatory issues, contracts and other legal issues affecting sport and recreation organizations.

  Among other topics, the webinar will focus on:

  • Contracts entered into but which can no longer be fulfilled such as membership and registration fees, league activities, events, sponsorships and employment.
  • Risk management and the health and welfare of athletes, coaches, spectators, staff and others associated with the organization.
  • Governance and operational issues such as running a virtual AGM, dealing with employment matters, maintaining rental agreements and communicating with members.

  An RSVP is not required; however, attendees are encouraged to pre-register and submit questions here by Wednesday at noon.

  After the event, the webinar and Q&A will be posted on the Centre for Sport Capacity website.

   

  What: COVID-19 issues facing sport and recreation organizations webinar

  Who: Brock’s Centre for Sport Capacity with retired SPMA Associate Professor Hilary Findlay

  When: Thursday, April 30 at 2 p.m.

  Where: Live on Microsoft Teams using this link

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Using data can avoid confusion surrounding COVID-19, says Brock expert

  Thursday, April 23, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 23 April 2020 – R0073

  Without reliable data, many people struggle to make sense of the COVID-19 figures that are emerging.

  “There are common pitfalls in understanding the COVID-19 data in the news about how many people are infected, how fast the virus will spread and when the outbreak might end,” says Ejaz Ahmed, Dean of Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science and Professor in the Department of Statistics.

  Ahmed, a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, is an expert in predictive modelling.

  “A key issue in COVID-19 data is the difference between projections and predictions,” he says.

  Projections are made using available data but do not require a high degree of confidence in any one specific outcome. Weather forecasts, for example, are based on assumptions regarding the future state of climate conditions, such as temperature or rainfall.

  “They are a series of guesses and conjectures with varying levels of confidence in their accuracy and shouldn’t be relied upon heavily,” says Ahmed.

  Often, even an accurate projection will result in a range of outcomes where no single result is likely to occur. There may be a little rain, or a mix of clouds and sunshine.

  In the case of COVID-19, there are many projections surrounding the virus, and care should be used to understand the accuracy of the claims, says Ahmed.

  If the data says projection, it’s very likely to change.

  Predictions are a subset of projections with a higher degree of confidence in one result. If one has to choose between the two, predictions should be prioritized, but even then, they aren’t a guarantee.

  “Predictive models are mathematically involved and rigorous,” says Ahmed. “However, like projections, predictive models are built on certain assumptions. If the assumptions are stringent, then conclusions based on predictive models can be misleading, albeit mathematically correct.”

  When studying COVID-19, a data scientist may eventually be able to make predictions, such as when it’s safe to return to normal community behaviour, including returning to work and discontinuing physical distancing.

  Ahmed says data has become available using American health sources to implement the statistical models for prediction rather than projection, and the hope is to use those models to start formulating predictions for Canada.

  A savvy data enthusiast should look for the key terms of projection and prediction when assuming the model’s accuracy, he says.

  Understanding the difference will ensure a person can better rely on their knowledge and make informed decisions about the future of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Ejaz Ahmed, Dean of Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science and Professor in the Department of Statistics is available for interviews on the topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases