Online Educator Support for Teaching Reducing the Risk

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Evidence-based HIV prevention curricula, like Reducing the Risk (RTR), can reduce student sexual risk-taking behavior, and therefore HIV transmission, when implemented with completeness and fidelity. Teachers need post-training implementation support to overcome day-to-day challenges of implementing new curricula. This is seldom provided because of cost and time barriers. Online technologies, such as websites and online discourse, enable innovative strategies to provide cost effective, high quality, and highly accessible opportunities for implementation support. This innovation can be applied to teachers implementing a variety of evidence-based programs. Monarch Media and ETR Associates will establish the technical merit and feasibility of creating and using the Online Training Support System (OTSS). The OTSS will include two main teacher implementation support strategies: 1) a website providing information, discussion groups, peer-mentoring and TA; and 2) an online, real-time booster session. Research design objectives include: 1) Evaluate the capability and level of interest of schools to use the OTSS; 2) Produce OTSS prototypes with input from consultant teachers to enhance teacher implementation of prevention curricula, such as RTR, with completeness and fidelity; and 3) Evaluate teachers' satisfaction with and acceptance of the prototypes. Twenty-five teachers from local schools and across the country via online connections will pilot the OTSS. Results of their experiences will be collected through written or online surveys. A small sample of teachers will be interviewed for more in-depth feedback on the OTSS.