iLookOut for Child Abuse: Micro-learning to Improve Knowledge Retention

NCT ID: NCT04324619

Last Updated: 2025-08-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 6000 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-04-10
• Study Completion Date: 2027-08-31

Brief Summary

This proposed randomized controlled trial will examine whether gamified micro-learning is a feasible and effective way to promote long-term learning about child abuse and its reporting. After completing the interactive online learning program, iLookOut for Child Abuse, early childhood professionals will receive brief (5-10 minute) gamified learning exercises to complete on their smart-phones. By measuring knowledge (and other outcomes) over time, the investigators will determine how much knowledge decays over various time periods, how well micro-learning can remediate that decay, and whether such a 2-phase intervention is feasible for helping early childhood professionals be better prepared to identify and report suspected child abuse.

Detailed Description

The epidemic of child abuse in the U.S. (>670,000 confirmed annually) causes massive harm to children and the adults they become. Surprisingly, <1% of these substantiated cases of child abuse are identified and reported by early childhood professionals (ECPs) -though they take care of >10 million American children.

In the parent study, the online learning program, iLookOut for Child Abuse (iLookOut), has been shown to significantly improve ECPs' knowledge and attitudes about child abuse/reporting; and preliminary data from an NICHD-sponsored randomized controlled trial suggest that iLookOut also improves ECPs' actual reporting of suspected abuse -ie, a greater likelihood of reports being screened-in, and screened-in reports leading to findings of abuse and/or social services being recommended.

It is known that for gains in knowledge to be sustained, they must be reinforced …and reinforced again -because newly acquired knowledge decays over time unless it is put into use. To that end, the investigators have built and piloted a micro-learning platform that delivers gamified, interactive, micro-learning activities to 1) reinforce information taught in iLookOut's (3-hour) core learning program, 2) augment this learning with new material, and 3) provide opportunities to practice applying what has been learned. ECPs can complete micro-learning activities on their smartphones, and receive 3 additional hours of professional development credit (at no cost). Since deploying this platform, the majority of ECPs enrolling in the parent iLookOut study have engaged in >1 hour of micro-learning.

Because so many ECPs are willing to engage in iLookOut's micro-learning, and because spaced retrieval and spaced practice are known to improve learning, the investigators have reason to believe that this new intervention can help sustain ECPs' preparedness to appropriately identify and report suspected child abuse. What is not known is the rate of knowledge decay following iLookOut's core learning program; whether a multi-faceted implementation strategy (core + micro-learning) helps remediate decays in knowledge; and what is the best timing to introduce this reinforcement -immediately, or after a delay of some months.

iLookOut's micro-learning platform is fully integrated with the learning management system for iLookOut's core learning program, and a cognitive sequencing map helps ensure that micro-learning content is fully aligned with the core learning program. Upgrading the functionality of the current micro-learning activities will enable the investigators to capture the kind of granular, question-level data needed for rigorous research. Conducting a randomized controlled trial in Pennsylvania (where micro-learning has not yet been introduced) will allow the investigators to evaluate how well interactive, micro-learning activities improve learning, and more generally how a multi-faceted implementation strategy that utilizes mobile technology-based learning (ie, using smartphones) can better prepare ECPs to appropriately identify and report suspected child abuse.

Conditions

Child Abuse

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Immediate

After completing an online learning program about child abuse and its reporting, this group will receive follow-up micro-learning immediately.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Online interactive learning activities

Intervention Type: OTHER

1. 3-hour video-storyline-based interactive learning program

2. Micro-learning activities that can be completed on mobile devices (eg, smartphones)

3 month delay

After completing an online learning program about child abuse and its reporting, this group will receive follow-up micro-learning after a delay 3 months.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Online interactive learning activities

Intervention Type: OTHER

1. 3-hour video-storyline-based interactive learning program

2. Micro-learning activities that can be completed on mobile devices (eg, smartphones)

6 month delay

After completing an online learning program about child abuse and its reporting, this group will receive follow-up micro-learning after a delay 6 months.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Online interactive learning activities

Intervention Type: OTHER

1. 3-hour video-storyline-based interactive learning program

2. Micro-learning activities that can be completed on mobile devices (eg, smartphones)

12 month delay

After completing an online learning program about child abuse and its reporting, this group will receive follow-up micro-learning after a delay 12 months.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Online interactive learning activities

Intervention Type: OTHER

1. 3-hour video-storyline-based interactive learning program

2. Micro-learning activities that can be completed on mobile devices (eg, smartphones)

Interventions

Online interactive learning activities

1. 3-hour video-storyline-based interactive learning program

2. Micro-learning activities that can be completed on mobile devices (eg, smartphones)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• At least 18 years of age
• Works or volunteers at a childcare facility in Pennsylvania

Exclusion Criteria

• Younger than 18 years of age
• Does not work or volunteer at a childcare facility in Pennsylvania

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 100 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Benjamin H. Levi

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center / Penn State College of Medicine

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Nicole Verdiglione, MA

Role: CONTACT

NVerdiglione@PennStateHealth.psu.edu

717-531-4221

Benjamin H Levi, MD PhD

Role: CONTACT

BHLEVI@psu.edu

7175318778

Facility Contacts

Nicole Verdiglione, BA

Role: primary

nverdiglione@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

717-531-8521 ext. 283-765

Benjamin H Levi, MD PhD

Role: backup

BHLevi@psu.edu

717-531-8521

Other Identifiers

R01HD088448

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

iLO6000

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id