Effects of an asynchronous online course on promoting positive attitudes towards safer sex practices for university-age young adults

Abstract

The world is struggling everyday to find a way to deal with Sexually Transmitted Infections. The goal of this qualitative, build-and-evaluate research is to address one small aspect of this challenge--using online learning to promote positive attitudes towards safer sex behaviors among young adults, in this case Concordia university students between the ages of 18 and 24. This is a major challenge because (1) attitudes usually form in a social environment, and changing them through a stand-alone online learning module requires appropriate instructional strategies; (2) the target population of this research is at a critical juncture in its cognitive development. Conflicts might arise when adjusting to the new environment in university and societal and peer pressure. To examine the effectiveness of suggested instructional strategies, a needs assessment was performed on 16 sexually active participants with strong sexual knowledge and skills, who seemed to lack positive attitudes towards practicing safer sex. A 30-minute asynchronous online learning program was designed and developed to promote positive attitudes towards safer sex practices, and a formative evaluation of the module was conducted with 12 participants. The module was designed on the basis of discovery learning, self-assessment, peer education, social marketing, and practice. One unique feature of the course was the use of an electronic scrap paper, which allowed learners to reflect on their ideas while learning from peers' opinions. The formative evaluation indicated that online education is favored and could be effective for promoting positive attitudes in sensitive healthcare subjects if appropriate learning strategies are used.