The Teach-ABI Professional Development Module for Educators About Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury: Mixed Method Usability Study

Abstract

Background Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a leading cause of death and disability in children and can lead to lasting cognitive, physical, and psychosocial outcomes that affect school performance. Students with an ABI experience challenges returning to school due in part to lack of educator support and ABI awareness. A lack of knowledge and training contribute to educators feeling unprepared to support students with ABI. Teach-ABI, an online professional development module, was created to enhance educators’ ABI knowledge and awareness to best support students. Using a case-based approach, Teach-ABI explains what an ABI is, identifies challenges for students with ABI in the classroom, discusses the importance of an individualized approach to supporting students with ABI, and describes how to support a student with an ABI in the classroom. Objective This study aims to assess the usability of and satisfaction with Teach-ABI by elementary school educators. The following questions were explored: (1) Can elementary school teachers use and navigate Teach-ABI?, (2) Are the content and features of Teach-ABI satisfactory?, and (3) What modifications are needed to improve Teach-ABI? Methods Elementary school educators currently employed or in training to be employed in Ontario elementary schools were recruited. Using Zoom, individual online meetings with a research team member were held, where educators actively reviewed Teach-ABI. Module usability was evaluated through qualitative analysis of think-aloud data and semistructured interviews, direct observation, user success rate during task completion, and the System Usability Scale (SUS) scores. The usability benchmark selected was 70% of participants performing more than half of module tasks independently. Results A total of 8 female educators participated in the study. Educators were classroom (n=7) and preservice (n=1) teachers from public (n=7) and private (n=1) school boards. In terms of task performance, more than 85% of participants (ie, 7/8) independently completed 10 out of 11 tasks and 100% of participants independently completed 7 out of 11 tasks, demonstrating achievement of the module usability goal. The average overall SUS score was 86.25, suggesting a high satisfaction level with the perceived usability of Teach-ABI. Overall, participants found Teach-ABI content valuable, useful, and aligned with the realities of their profession. Participants appreciated the visual design, organization, and varying use of education strategies within Teach-ABI. Opportunities for enhancement included broadening content case examples of students with ABI and enhancing the accessibility of the content. Conclusions Validated usability measures combined with qualitative methodology revealed educators’ high level of satisfaction with the design, content, and navigation of Teach-ABI. Educators engaged with the module as active participants in knowledge construction, as they reflected, questioned, and connected content to their experiences and knowledge. This study established strong usability and satisfaction with Teach-ABI and demonstrated the importance of usability testing in building online professional development modules.

Exploring the adaptability of TeachABI as an online professional development module for high school educators

“…TeachABI is a usability tested, self-directed, online training module that provides knowledge about causes and outcomes of ABI, and strategies for educators to support elementary students with ABI in the classroom [ 21 ]. The module uses a unique case study design, sharing the narrative of a Grade 4 student who sustained an ABI at age five, and her teacher, who learns how to support her over time.…”

“…TeachABI uses a case-based learning approach to discuss topics such as ABI symptoms and educational impact, and includes videos, downloadable tip sheets, and links to additional resources. A usability study by Saly et al of TeachABI reported satisfaction with the use and navigation of the module [ 21 ]. In examining task performance, >85% of participants completed 10 out of 11 module tasks independently [ 21 ].…”

“…A usability study by Saly et al of TeachABI reported satisfaction with the use and navigation of the module [ 21 ]. In examining task performance, >85% of participants completed 10 out of 11 module tasks independently [ 21 ]. Satisfaction with the perceived usability of TeachABI was high, supported by an average overall system usability score (SUS) [ 22 ] of 86.25 [ 21 ].…”

“…In examining task performance, >85% of participants completed 10 out of 11 module tasks independently [ 21 ]. Satisfaction with the perceived usability of TeachABI was high, supported by an average overall system usability score (SUS) [ 22 ] of 86.25 [ 21 ]. Importantly, results showed that teachers found the module valuable, relevant, user-friendly, and informative to support students with ABI [ 21 ].…”

“…Satisfaction with the perceived usability of TeachABI was high, supported by an average overall system usability score (SUS) [ 22 ] of 86.25 [ 21 ]. Importantly, results showed that teachers found the module valuable, relevant, user-friendly, and informative to support students with ABI [ 21 ]. These findings demonstrate that TeachABI is a usable and meaningful module for professional development in an elementary school context.…”