iLookOut for Child Abuse: Microlearning to Improve Knowledge Retention

美国虐待儿童的流行病（每年确认超过670，000例）对儿童造成了巨大的伤害， 他们成为成年人。令人惊讶的是，在这些经证实的虐待儿童案件中， 幼儿专业人员（ECP）-尽管事实上ECP照顾> 1000万美国儿童， 婴儿和幼儿占与虐待儿童有关的所有死亡人数的75%以上。 我们的父母随机对照试验结果表明，在线iLookOut儿童虐待（iLookOut） 核心培训显著改善了ECP对虐待儿童/报告的知识和态度（效应量=1.09 0.66）。这项试验的初步数据还表明，（与标准训练相比） iLookOut改善了ECP对可疑虐待的实际报告：i）报告更有可能被筛选， 儿童保护服务机构的调查（86%对70%，p<.001），以及ii）这些筛选报告更有可能 (56%对34%，p= 0.001）是“高收益”（即，确定虐待儿童和/或建议社会服务）。 但我们知道，要想保持成果，就必须加强这些成果.。这是因为， 获得的知识和习惯如果不加以利用，就会随着时间的推移而衰退。在我们父母的设计中 这项研究是一项探索性努力，目的是提供基本的、临时的后续信息，以保持认识和促进 完成iLookOut的核心培训后的知识保留。但这超出了父母研究的范围 充分发展这种后续干预，研究其影响，或确定其最佳时机。 通过几笔小额赠款，我们建立了一个研究质量的平台，提供简短的（5-10分钟）游戏化的微型， 强化和扩充iLookOut核心培训内容的学习活动，并提供实践 有机会应用所学的知识。我们在家长研究中试用了这种微学习， ECP将在他们的智能手机上完成这些活动，以换取3个小时的（免费）专业培训。 发展信贷。这一点，沿着iLookOut的核心培训的有效性的有力证据，现在的立场 我们系统地研究互动，游戏化的微学习如何促进知识的保留和培养 行为改变（关于虐待儿童及其报告），并确定其实施是可行的。 正如需要进行严格的研究来确定给予加强剂量疫苗的最佳时机， 为了提高儿童的免疫力，了解使用iLookOut微型疫苗的最佳时机同样至关重要 学习，以提高幼儿保育员保护儿童免受虐待的知识/准备。使用经验证的 措施，自我报告和国家儿童保护服务的数据，这项研究将1）衡量 iLookOut核心培训后的知识衰减，2）检查微学习活动（在 不同的时间点）促进关于虐待儿童及其报告的知识保留和行为改变， 以及3）确定iLookOut的微型学习（作为核心培训的后续活动）是否提供了实施 可行的战略（即，广为接受，适合任务，可持续）。

The epidemic of child abuse in the U.S. (>670,000 confirmed annually) causes massive harm to children and the adults they become. Surprisingly, <1% of these substantiated cases of child abuse are identified and reported by early childhood professionals (ECPs) –despite the fact that ECPs take care of >10 million American children, and that infants and toddlers account for >75% of all deaths related to child abuse. Results from our parent randomized controlled trial show that the online iLookOut for Child Abuse (iLookOut) Core training significantly improves ECPs' knowledge and attitudes about child abuse/reporting (effect size=1.09 and 0.66, respectively). Preliminary data from this trial also suggest that (compared to standard training) iLookOut improves ECPs' actual reporting of suspected abuse: i) reports are more likely to be screened-in for investigation by child protection services (86% vs 70%, p<.001), and ii) these screened-in reports are more likely (56% vs 34%, p=.001) to be “high yield” (ie, child abuse is identified and/or social services are recommended). But we know that for gains to be sustained, they must be reinforced …and reinforced again. This is because newly acquired knowledge and habits decay over time unless they are kept in use. Built into the design of our parent study was an exploratory effort to deliver basic, ad hoc follow-up messaging to maintain awareness and promote knowledge retention after completing iLookOut's Core training. But it was beyond the scope of the parent study to fully develop this follow-up intervention, study its impact, or establish its optimal timing. Through several small grants, we built a research-quality platform to deliver brief (5-10 minute) gamified micro- learning activities that reinforce and augment what is taught in iLookOut's Core training, and provide practice opportunities to apply what has been learned. We have piloted this micro-learning in the parent study and shown that ECPs will complete these activities on their smart phones in return for 3 hours of (no cost) professional development credit. This, along with strong evidence for the efficacy of iLookOut's Core training, now positions us to systematically examine how interactive, gamified micro-learning promotes knowledge retention and fosters behavior change (regarding child abuse and its reporting), and to establish that its implementation is feasible. Just as rigorous research is needed to determine the optimal timing to give booster doses of vaccines to bolster a child's immunity, it is likewise essential to understand the optimal timing for administering iLookOut's micro- learning so as to boost ECPs' waning knowledge/preparedness to protect children from abuse. Using validated measures, self-report, and data from state child protection services, this study will 1) measure the rate of knowledge decay following iLookOut's Core training, 2) examine how well micro-learning activities (delivered at variable time points) promote knowledge retention and behavior change regarding child abuse and its reporting, and 3) establish whether iLookOut's micro-learning (as a follow-up to Core training) offers an implementation strategy that is feasible (ie, well-accepted, appropriate to the task, and sustainable).