Web-Based Training Center for Foster & Adoptive Parents

描述(由申请者提供)：该项目的目标是开发、生产和评估一个通过DVD或网络提供的寄养和领养父母电子培训中心。该网站将为儿童保育系统中的父母提供高质量和全面的继续教育。这些家长经常无法安排参加培训活动，这严重限制了他们可获得的材料的数量、质量和相关性。最初的课程将包括三个教学领域的总共19个课程：处理儿童严重的情感问题，处理学校问题，以及亲情关怀。在第一阶段，我们完成了一门关于愤怒爆发的课程的开发。交付格式反映了最先进的多媒体演示文稿，其特点是：对问题的重点介绍，父母关于问题的故事叙述，与临床专家的问答会议，信息的综合，以及父母后续行动的建议步骤。在使用DVD格式的评估研究中，我们发现与对照组的父母相比，治疗组的父母在知识以及对愤怒爆发的信心和看法方面都有了非常显著的进步。家长们还报告说，用户对这些材料的满意度很高。在L阶段，我们将开发和制作18门额外的课程。评估研究将评估家长在知识和自我认知方面的收获，包括三个教学领域中每个领域的课程子集。该网站将在州和县机构建立的全国网络中进行推广。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this project is to develop, produce, and evaluate an electronic training center for foster and adoptive parents delivered via DVD or the Web. The site will provide high quality and comprehensive continuing education for parents in the child care system. These parents are frequently unable to make arrangements to attend training activities, which severely limits the quantity, quality, and relevance of materials available to them. Initial course offerings will include a total of 19 courses in three instructional areas: Dealing with Children's Serious Emotional Problems, Coping with School Issues, and Kinship Care. In Phase I, we completed development for one course on Anger Outbursts. The delivery format reflects a state-of-the-art multimedia presentation that features: a focused introduction to the problem, story narratives from parents about the problem, a question-and-response session with a clinical expert, a synthesis of information, and suggested steps for parent follow-up. In the evaluation study, utilizing a DVD format, we found that parents in the treatment group made highly significant improvements in knowledge as well as changes in parent confidence and perspective regarding Anger Outbursts, compared with parents in the control group. Parents also reported a high degree of user satisfaction with the materials. In Phase l we will develop and produce 18 additional courses. The evaluation study will assess parent gains in knowledge and self-perceptions with a subset of courses from each of the three instructional areas. The site will be promoted throughout an established national network of state and county agencies.