Digitally Blending HIV Prevention for Heightened Impact

描述(由申请人提供)：年轻人仍然受到艾滋病毒的不成比例的影响。以学校为基础的预防计划，如降低风险(RTR)，已经证明在减少与艾滋病毒传播相关的性行为风险方面是有效的。学校环境是向全国青少年提供有效预防教育的重要场所，大多数州的政策要求在学校开展性教育和/或艾滋病毒教育。RTR是一项广泛使用的艾滋病毒预防计划-可能是美国学校中使用最广泛的-多项复制研究发现，青少年的结果发生了积极的变化。然而，RTR的长度(17小时的上课时间)挑战了复制它的教育者，它没有使用现代(更不用说创新的)数字技术的使用，也没有解决基于数字的性压力的当前趋势。需要一种现代化的教学模式，利用最近的趋势，例如翻转课堂混合学习模式和技术进步(例如，Web 2.0工具)，可能会增强学生的动机和感知的相关性，产生更强和更持久的影响。拟议的研究旨在通过确定为14-18岁的青少年制作和使用“混合”学习版本的RTR的技术优点和可行性来解决这些挑战/需求。混合RTR(BRTR)原型将使用翻转课堂混合学习方法，并包括传统的RTR课堂活动和新的转置在线活动(eRTR活动)，由年轻人在课堂外按要求完成作业。第一阶段项目将为最初的8个RTR课程开发BRTR原型，并为教师和学生提供界面。原型的可用性和可接受性将进行试点，并与大约5-8名教师和100-150名学生进行评估。试点测试教师和学生的一般可行性指标为：1) 教师按照设计实施BRTR，认为它易于使用，可扩展到其他学校，并会向其他学校推荐BRTR；2)学生认为BRTR活动易于使用、引人入胜，内容相关和易于理解，大多数人会(或曾经)向朋友推荐BRTR；3)学生从测试前到测试后，他们对性行为的知识、态度和意图显示出积极的变化；以及4)大多数青少年完成了分配的大部分ERTR活动。该项目的结果将成为未来第二阶段提案的依据，该提案旨在产生和评估完整的BRTR课程的有效性(通过随机对照试验)，以使青年参与循证干预并减少他们的性行为冒险行为。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Young people remain disproportionately affected by HIV. School-based prevention programs, such as Reducing the Risk (RTR), have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the sexual risk-taking behaviors associated with HIV transmission. School settings are an important venue for reaching adolescents nationwide with effective prevention education, and most states have policies requiring sexuality and/or HIV education in schools. RTR is a widely used HIV prevention program - potentially the most widely used in US schools - with multiple replication studies finding positive changes in youth outcomes. However, RTR's length (17 hours of class time) challenges educators who replicate it, it does not employ modern (let alone innovative) use of digital technology, nor does it address current trends in digitally-based sexual pressure. A modernized delivery model is needed that capitalizes on recent trends, such as the flipped classroom blended learning model and technological advances (e.g., Web 2.0 tools) that may enhance students' motivation and perceived relevancy, yielding stronger and more lasting impact. The proposed study aims to address these challenges/needs by establishing the technical merit and feasibility of producing and using a "blended" learning version of RTR for 14-18 year olds. The Blended RTR (BRTR) prototype will use a flipped classroom blended learning approach and include traditional RTR classroom-based activities and new transposed online activities (eRTR activities) to be completed by youth as required homework, outside of the classroom. The Phase I project will develop the BRTR prototype for the first 8 RTR sessions with interfaces for teachers and students. The prototype's usability and acceptability will be piloted and assessed with approximately 5-8 teachers and 100-150 students. The general feasibility indicators for pilot testing teachers and students are:1) Teachers implement BRTR as designed, find it easy to use and scalable for other schools and would recommend BRTR to others; 2) students find eRTR activities easy to use, engaging, and the content relevant and understandable and a majority would (or did) recommend BRTR to friends; 3) students show positive changes in their levels of knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding sexual activity from pretest to posttest; and 4) a majority of youth complete the majority of eRTR activities as assigned. The results of this project will inform a future Phase II proposal that will aim to produce and evaluate the effectiveness (with a randomized controlled trial) of the full BRTR curriculum to engage youth in an evidence-based intervention and reduce their sexual risk-taking behavior.