Preliminary Efficacy of Online Traumatic Brain Injury Professional Development for Educators: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the efficacy of an online traumatic brain injury (TBI) professional development intervention, In the Classroom After Concussion: Best Practices for Student Success.

Design: A randomized controlled trial with a sample of 100 general educators, who were randomly assigned to the In the Classroom Web site (treatment group) or the LEARNet Web site (control group). Participants completed the pretest, accessed the In the Classroom or LEARNet site and the posttest and completed follow-up assessments 60 days after posttest.

Measures: (1) Knowledge of effective strategies for working with students with TBI; (2) knowledge application; (3) self-efficacy in handling situations presented in text and video scenarios, and (4) a standardized self-efficacy measure.

Results: On the posttest assessment, In the Classroom educators showed significantly greater gains in knowledge (P < .0001, d = 1.36 [large effect]), TBI knowledge application (P = .0261, d = 0.46), and general self-efficacy (P = .0106, d = 0.39) than the LEARNet controls. In the Classroom educators maintained significant gains in knowledge (P = .001, d = 0.82) and general self-efficacy (P = .018, d = 0.38) but not in TBI knowledge application (P = .921, d = 0.02).

Conclusion: Given the prevalence of TBI, it is important to develop evidence-based, cost-effective approaches to knowledge transfer and exchange in TBI professional development. In the Classroom is one such approach.