Give Your Peer Educators Some Credit!

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Give Your Peer Educators Some Credit!

• Susie Bruce
• Center for Alcohol and Substance Education (CASE)
• [phone]
• sbruce_at_virginia.edu
• www.virginia.edu/case

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Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT)

• Founded in spring 1999
• 12 members (varies from 10 to 18)
• Falls under the Office of the Dean of Students -
  Center for Alcohol Substance Education (CASE)
• Advised by CASE Director and 20 hour/week
  Graduate Assistant
• One ADAPT student works 10 hours/week in the CASE
  office

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ADAPT Mission

• ADAPT is dedicated to addressing the issues of
  alcohol and other drug abuse in the U.Va.
  community. 
• As peer educators, we promote awareness, provide
  educational outreach, and serve as accessible
  resources for our fellow students. 
• Our primary purpose is to minimize the abuse of
  alcohol and other drugs in an effort to promote a
  healthier environment at our University.

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ADAPT Projects

• Educational Outreach Programs
• Substance Abuse Awareness Week
• Coordinate all University events for the week
  before the last home football game
• Spring Foxfield Races
• Coordinate student educational efforts
• Safe Spring Break
• HOOS Sober weekly listserv
• 21st Birthday Cards

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ADAPT Member Selection

• Completely student-run
• Potential members complete written application
  and interview process
• Group selects 5-8 members each fall in time for
  students to register for spring training class

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ADAPT Training

• Previously student-led
• 4-5 hours total training
• Some follow-up training for all members (TIPS,
  CPE, etc.)
• Discussed idea of pursing academic credit at
  ADAPT retreat in fall 2001
• Contacted School of Education in summer 2002
• Chair of the Human Service Department
• 2-credit course began in spring 2003
• Increased to 3-credit course in 2007

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Course Requirements from the Education School

• Need to submit detailed syllabus, reading list,
  description of course expectations and learning
  outcomes
• To offer a class in the spring, materials are
  needed by the previous September
• Need a teaching faculty sponsor within the
  department (even if instructors are general
  faculty)
• A course can be approved on an experimental
  basis for two semesters, then will need full
  academic affairs review
• Submit current syllabus and course evaluations
• One credit class 15 contact hours

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Integrated Course Design (Fink)

• Four components of this instructional design
  model
• analyze situational factors
• formulate learning goals
• design feedback and assessment procedures and
• select teaching/learning activities

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Integrated Course Design

• In order to teach well, one must be competent
  in both course design and teacher-student
  interactions. - Fink
• Resources
• L. Dee Fink, A Self-Directed Guide to Designing
  Courses for Significant Learning San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass, 2003
• Jeanne Martino-McAllister James Madison
  University, Office of Substance Abuse Research

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Course Description

• Peer Alcohol Education (EDHS 289) is a
  specialized training course for students selected
  to become ADAPT Peer Educators.
• This class focuses on knowledge, skills
  application of college alcohol issues including
  health promotion theory and alcohol other drug
  information.
• Skills include decision-making, communication,
  facilitation and presentation.
• Application includes small group presentations,
  awareness events, community building and social
  action.
• Students must complete all course requirements
  with a grade of B or better to become a member of
  ADAPT.

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Course Objectives

• At the end of this course, students will
• Understand the transtheoretical and social norms
  health promotion theories
• Understand the principles of program evaluation
• Know how to appropriately assist and refer
  students with alcohol and/or other drug concerns
• Understand the principles of ethical practice and
  cultural competency for peer educators
• Be able to describe the health risks and
  potential benefits of different quantities and
  frequency of alcohol and other drug use
• Have developed and facilitated an effective
  alcohol and/or other drug presentation to their
  peers

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ADAPT Course Content

• Class meets for 1 hour, 15 minutes twice weekly
• Health promotion theory 3 sessions
• Alcohol, tobacco other drug info 11 sessions
• ACOA and Recovery speakers 2 sessions
• Facilitation/presentation programming skills
  3 sessions
• Listening, communication, confrontation
  referral skills 4 sessions
• Cultural competence 2 sessions
• U.Va. policy and resources 1 session
• Peer educator ethics/reflection 2 sessions

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ADAPT Course Requirements

• Attendance/participation (28 of total grade)
• 2 Reaction papers (10)
• Midterm exam (15)
• In-class presentation (12)
• Develop and present an educational program to a
  peer group (20)
• Final reflection paper (15)

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Student Reactions

• I have found this course to be incredibly
  enlightening and pertinent to my life as a U.Va.
  student and young adult in our society.
• This course has taught me much more than how to
  become a peer educator I have learned to look at
  myself in a new light and to understand those
  around me better.
• This course helped me think about who I really
  am as a person what defines me.

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Student Perceptions of Course Significance

• Learning new information about alcohol, tobacco
  and other drugs
• Learning how to educate
• Becoming an effective presenter

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EDHS 289 Evaluation 2008significant findings
plt.05scale 1strongly disagree to 5strongly
agree

• Knowledge of diversity issues
• Pretest mean 2.75
• Posttest mean 3.88
• Knowledge about general alcohol
• issues
• Pretest mean 2.75
• Posttest mean 4.75
• Knowledge of UVA alcohol
• drug related resources
• Pretest mean 2.38
• Posttest mean 4.25
• Knowledge of UVA alcohol
• drug related policies
• Pretest mean 3.13
• Posttest mean 4.25

• Knowledge of UVA alcohol
• drug related policies
• Pretest mean 3.13
• Posttest mean 4.25
• Knowledge of UVA norms for
• alcohol drug use
• Pretest mean 2.63
• Posttest mean 4.88
• Ability to share the warning signs
• of high risk drinking
• Pretest mean 3.25
• Posttest mean 4.63
• Intervening in high risk situation
• Pretest mean 3.25
• Posttest mean 4.13

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EDHS 289 Evaluation 2008significant findings
plt.05scale 1strongly disagree to 5strongly
agree
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Lessons Learned

• Provide detailed guidelines
• Provide enough time for role-play activities and
  discussion
• Check with department to confirm that course will
  be graded and not pass/fail
• Remind students to fill out departmental
  evaluation forms, not just your class evaluation
• BE FLEXIBLE!!!

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Selling the Class

• To a department
• No cost
• Facilities utilization
• Trial run
• To students
• Academic credit
• Organizational standing
• Career preparation

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New Directions

• Enhance students presentation skills
• Role modeling more techniques in class
• Add another session on presentation skills (one
  before in-class presentation one after)
• Invite U.Va. Police to talk about policies and
  enforcement/dispel myths
• Add session on motivational interviewing
• Ongoing training for the group

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New Directions

• Practicum class (EDHS 289-B)
• An independent study course that applies ATOD
  knowledge skills
• Students can earn 1, 2 or 3 credits
• Projects vary from Outreach coordinator to
  Foxfield Education Chair to ACOA program
  development

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Practicum Requirements

• Internship proposal (5)
• Monthly progress reports (15)
• Attendance/effort (20)
• Final report (30)
• Intern manual (30)

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• Questions?
• Discussion