The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48381

Carolyn E. Crump, PhD¹, Robert J. Letourneau, MPH², Shelley Golden, MPH¹, and Diana Kuklinski, MS, RS³. (1) Dept. of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, CB# 7505, 248 Chase Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505, (919) 966-5598, carolyn_crump@unc.edu, (2) UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, CB#7505, Chase Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505, (3) Environmental Health/Injury Prevention, Bemidji Area Indian Health Service, 522 Minnesota Avenue, NW, Bemidji, MN 56601

An external evaluation of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Injury Prevention Short-Course Training Program identified a need to augment teaching methods by incorporating adult learning principles into injury prevention courses. University of North Carolina staff worked with a 12-member IHS Short-Course Revision Committee to increase the capacity of IHS staff to design, implement, and evaluate innovative and interactive teaching methods in their Short-Course Training program. Six steps guided this process: 1) Understand the philosophy of adult learning principles; 2) Practice using multiple adult learning methods; 3) Incorporate adult learning methods into session planning; 4) Implement adult learning methods in revised course; 5) Gather feedback about teaching methods and instructor style; and 6) Improve course methods based on evaluation of Short-Course implementation. The Committee was facilitated through these steps by UNC staff who provided adult learning resources, skills-building activities, materials to guide planning, and critical feedback. Committee members improved their ability to develop group exercises and interactive discussions for most course sessions. In addition, a course-long case study, consisting of six activities and a mock Tribal Council meeting, was created to integrate the injury prevention skills presented in the course and reinforce concepts of injury data, theory, program planning, evaluation, and advocacy. Although several improvements were identified for continued revision, participant evaluations, instructor comments, and UNC observations reveal successful implementation of adult learning methods throughout the course. The process implemented to incorporate adult learning principles into an agency-based injury prevention training course is both feasible and effective at improving training opportunities.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the steps taken to incorporate adult-learning principles in an Indian Health Service injury prevention training course.
• Identify multiple teaching methods that are effective in teaching adult learners knowledge and skills related to community-based injury prevention.
• Describe elements of case study exercises developed for use in an introductory injury prevention course.
• Apply educational design concepts to the development, implementation and evaluation of short courses focused on injury prevention.

Keywords: Training, Injury Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.