Matching E-Learning Experience to Substance Abuse Prevention Practitioners' Need: A Tale of Two Courses

Background: U.S. substance abuse prevention (SAP) practitioners regularly express a need for affordable and accessible professional development opportunities. Less experienced practitioners often need “just in time” resources to build their prevention knowledge, while more experienced practitioners look for opportunities to practice and apply more nuanced prevention principles. To meet these differing needs, a national SAP training and technical assistance center designed two distinct e-learning experiences: the brief, self-paced “What is the Strategic Prevention Framework?” and the more comprehensive, moderated “Ethics in Prevention: A Guide for SAP Practitioners.” Purpose:  Using two exemplary courses and 15 years’ experience developing SA-specific e-learning, explore key considerations (e.g., interaction type, online discussion, and case-based scenarios) for developing knowledge-based vs. skill-building courses for SA professionals. Significance: High practitioner turnover, constricting travel budgets, and a dearth of SAP-specific e-learning opportunities underscore the importance of developing effective online training. Methodology: Needs of SAP practitioners were assessed; a resource review was conducted; course developers and participants were interviewed; and the courses were evaluated. Findings: Endorsement by an external credentialing entity and evaluation results indicated high learner assessments of course quality, relevance, utility, and impact, suggesting that content and delivery methods were successful. The grounding of course content in prevention practice was key to learner satisfaction. Interviews revealed lessons learned in training design and best practices for public health education. Conclusions/ Recommendations: E-learning approaches for SAP professionals (e.g., knowledge-based vs. skill-building) should be informed by analysis of audience need, experience, and knowledge level.