Digitally Blending HIV Prevention for Heightened Impact

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 RTRandapos s length 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 tools that may enhance studentsandapos 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 andquot blendedandquot learning version of RTR for 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 RTR sessions with interfaces for teachers and students The prototypeandapos s usability and acceptability will be piloted and assessed with approximately teachers and students The general feasibility indicators for pilot testing teachers and students are Teachers implement BRTR as designed find it easy to use and scalable for other schools and would recommend BRTR to others students find eRTR activities easy to use engaging and the content relevant and understandable and a majority would or did recommend BRTR to friends students show positive changes in their levels of knowledge attitudes and intentions regarding sexual activity from pretest to posttest and 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 PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE School settings are an important venue for reaching adolescents nationwide with effective prevention education and most states have policies requiring sexuality education and or HIV education in schools Reducing the Risk 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 RTRandapos s length 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 The proposed study aims to address these challenges needs by establishing the technical merit and feasibility of producing and using a andquot blendedandquot learning version RTR for year olds The Blended RTR BRTR prototype will use a flipped classroom 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 new delivery model promotes a shift in the field of HIV prevention education to capitalize on recent trends such as blended learning and technological advances e g Web tools that may enhance studentsandapos motivation and perceived relevancy yielding stronger and more lasting impact The instructional shift is expected to heighten RTRandapos s impact implementation student engagement and outcomes and scalability