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INVESTIGATOR: Williams-Wheeler, M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV
1601 EAST MARKET STREET
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 27411

USING TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER PARENT EDUCATION AND INFORMATION

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Effective delivery of parent education and information requires that the method of instruction engage the audience. Exciting technological advances and tools have created new opportunities for Extension to engage diverse audiences. The purpose of this project is to increase the instructional value and reach of a conventionally taught North Carolina Cooperative Extension parent education program, "Parenting Matters", by digitizing the curriculum and supplementing its presentation through the inclusion of web-based and other digital sourced content. A major goal is to translate Family and Consumer Sciences into practical skills and information individuals can use to enhance their quality of life and relationships. From this project we expect to: (1) develop an online version of "Parenting Matters", (2) a train-the-trainer guide with supplemental parenting curricula and resources, and (3) a virtual parenting tip-line for online users. As a result of this project, a more portable and accessible product is anticipated. The project also intends to reach more parents with programming using an engaging, dynamic and interactive instructional delivery system. The curriculum will be pilot tested in two North Carolina counties. The impact the program has on improving participants' knowledge, attitudes, aspirations, and parenting skills will be evaluated with the intention of having the curriculum available throughout North Carolina by the end of the project's third year.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of the project is to use technology to provide parent education and information that leads to positive changes in parenting knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations. Specific objectives of this project are to: 1. Redesign an existing face-to-face parent education program ("Parenting Matters") for digital delivery. 2. Pilot and refine the redesigned program, "Parenting Matters" Online. 3. Conduct statewide training, implementation, and evaluation of the "Parenting Matters" Online program. The following outcomes are expected: 1. A parent education program that can be delivered via technology. 2. Increased capacity for North Carolina Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Science field staff to deliver parent education using technology. 3. Improved parenting knowledge and skills of program participants. 4. Increased use of prosocial parenting practices by program participants. These short and intermediate outcomes are expected to promote positive child and youth development and family well being.

APPROACH: "Parenting Matters" will be redesigned for delivery via technology. A virtual tip-line will be included in the redesign to provide program participants with daily parenting tips on a variety of topics. Once redesigned, "Parenting Matters" Online will be piloted in two counties in North Carolina. Appropriate samples of parents will be recruited in each pilot county to participate in the program. Half of the parents in each pilot county will be assigned to participate in the "Parenting Matters" Online program. The other half of the parents will be placed on a waiting list and will participate in the program after the first group has completed it. County Family and Consumer Science (FCS)field staff will conduct introductory sessions with participants to orient them to the web interface and social media applications prior to giving them access to the "Parenting Matters" Online portal. After completing the orientation, staff will conduct "Parenting Matters" Online with their pilot groups and participants will gain access to the tip-line. During the pilot phase of the project, web applications, activities, games, and general processes of e-learning will be consistently monitored for usability and functionality. Pre- and post assessments and will be used to evaluate the impact of the program on pilot participants' knowledge, attitudes, skills, aspirations, and behavior. Additional survey instruments and interview protocols will be used to periodically evaluate program processes, trainings, curricula and resources, and implementation. The parenting tip-line will be evaluated based on the number of page views and unique visitors the site receives. Participants' perceptions of the usefulness of the parenting tip-line will also be assessed. Once the pilot programs have been completed and evaluated, the "Parenting Matters" Online program will be refined as necessary. Then, the principal investigator will conduct introductory meetings and "Parenting Matters" Online training with county FCS field staff across the state of North Carolina. Trained field staff will then implement the program within their respective counties. Program evaluation methods described above will continue into year 2 and 3 of the project.

PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2016/08
Target Audience:Target audience for this project will be court-mandated parents/guardians to attend parent education workshops. Changes/Problems:During fall 2015, the research team has added a parenting specialist to the team. This individual has been instrumental in assisting the PI with the content knowledge needed to progress on the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A phone conference was held with cooperative extension to gain feedback on the direction the newly revised curriculum would go. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The research team has found a software to use as a platform for the new parenting matters curriculum. This software is a great fit for the project and will be user friendly to our participants. During the next reporting period we will pilot test 1-2 of the modules and pilot test to 1-2 counting in NC. Afterwhich, we will take the feedback provided and apply to improving the curriculum.

IMPACT: 2012/09 TO 2016/08
What was accomplished under these goals? The major accomplishment of the above goals is the revision of the parenting concepts and curricula. This was a significantaccomplishment before implementing the content into digitized form. The research team has requested a no cost extension to finalize 1-2 modules and pilot test fall 2016.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2012/09 TO 2016/08
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
Target Audience:There was a shift in leadership of the current project this past year.Therefore, there wasa delay in the implementation of the projects' goals and objectives. A no-cost extension is request. Changes/Problems:As stated previously the originalproject directorleft the university. The current gained leadership of this project in the middle of the semester, thus, requiring several months to become acclimated to the goals, objectives and procedures of project activity. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An online/remote "training" for the cooperative agents was provided to gain a better of understanding and scope of the online version of the curriculum. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A draft of the parenting matters online guide was presented to the extension agents for feedback. However parents in the community have not received the training. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The research team will restructure the goals and objectives of the parenting online document to better fit the audience.

IMPACT: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? The project team has begun to redesign the program content and framework to match the level of understanding and integrity of the audience.

PUBLICATIONS: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: A focus groupprotocol, consent forms, and recruitment materials were added to the project. As a result, additional Institutional Review Board procedures/processes were warranted. This added time and effort to the project timeline. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate assistants had the opportunity to participate in The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Student Orientation Program. They participated in several professional development activities during the orientation. The Principal Investigator and graduate assistants also completed Human Subject Institutional Review Board and Using Focus Groups for Program Development and Evaluation training to increase knowledge and awareness of working with human subjects and to enhance methodological skills related to conducting focus group interviews. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the next reporting period we plan to conducta community forum that will consist of stakeholders who are involved in providing parenting education andprogramming in the identified pilot counties. Information gained during the forum will be used to revise the “Parenting Matters” Online program as needed. The first draft of "Parenting Matters" Online will be modified based on feedback from pilot county staff and this project’s collaborators. The final drafts of the “Parenting Matters” Online (instructor-led) content/modules will be completed. The Principal Investigators and collaborators will develop content for parenting tip-line and tips during the next reporting period. A webpage will be developed. Pilot county staff will be trained to deliver "Parenting Matters Online”. The program will be piloted in at least 2 counties in North Carolina and we will begin toevaluate "Parenting Matters Online" during the next reporting period.

IMPACT: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Major activities completed: Objective 1: Redesign an existing face-to-face parent education program ("Parenting Matters") for digital delivery The Principal Investigator completed severalproject milestones and tasks for Year 1 as outlined by the proposed timeline. Year 1 Milestones that have been completed include: Hire Program Staff: Principal Investigator hired an Instructional Designer and three graduate administrative and research assistants. Several tasks were involved in reaching this milestoneto include:developing job descriptions, interviewing applicants, selecting personnel and meeting with personnel to discuss the project. Web Design: The Principal Investigator consulted with Agricultural Technology and Communications staff on programmatic uses related to technology. Develop “Parenting Matters” Online Train-the-Trainer Guide: The Principal Investigator in collaboration with key personnel and collaborators conducted focus groups with 29 parents in four different counties in North Carolina to assess parents’ needs and interests in using technology to recieve parenting education and information. Focus group activities included: Developing focus group instruments Submitting an Institutional Review Board amendment with revised focus group instruments and supporting documents Completing Focus Group Training Recruiting participants Moderating focus groups Transcribing and entering focus group data into a qualitative database Analyzing focus group data Summarizing key findings Using the focus group data as guidance, the Principal Investigator in collaboration with the Instructional Design Consultant drafted an8 session curriculum redesign of “Parenting Matters” and a train-the-trainer manual. The final drafts of the “Parenting Matters” Online (instructor-led) content/modules are still in progress. Development of the parenting tip-line and tips have not been initiated this reporting period due to time needed to collect data to inform this process. Pilot county staff have not been trained to deliver Parenting Matters Online” as of yet. Objective 2: Pilot and refine the redesigned program, "Parenting Matters" Online Nothing to report Objective 3: Conduct statewide training, implementation, and evaluation of the "Parenting Matters" Online program. Nothing to report 2. Specific objectives met: Nothing to report 3. Significant results achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative--remember that key outcomes/accomplishments are defined as changes in knowledge, action, or condition): Major findings from the focus group interviews increased our knowledge of parenting topics thata diverse groups of parents would like to go online to learn more about. We learned that parents’, across the four counties, would like to have access to information about parenting children with disabilities (Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorders). We also learned that parents learning styles are diverse but, many are visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners who enjoy demonstration and opportunities to practice what they learn by "doing". We learned that parents value parenting information and education that blends expert knowledge and practical advice from experienced parents and are willing and often do, use technology to access it. These data provided keen insight into parents’ perceptions of what makes a good online program or resource as well. We learned that "Parenting Matters" Online should be: easy to navigate, useful, fun, “attention grabbing” advertisement free, vetted by professionals, interactive, transferrable to multiple devices, and the list goes on. This knowledge can be applied to common educational practices for years to come. 4. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized (remember that key outcomes/accomplishments are defined as changes in knowledge, action, or condition): Nothing to report

PUBLICATIONS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
No publications reported this period.