E-learning content | 2023/2024
Bavarian Center for Prevention and Health Promotion (ZPG)
As a department of the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL), the Center for Prevention and Health Promotion (ZPG) pursues the goal of strengthening the structures and effectiveness of health promotion and prevention in Bavaria. With a holistic approach that combines prevention practice, science, politics and civic engagement, the ZPG develops materials, concepts and measures to provide information on various health-related topics and to train and network local stakeholders. The focus here is on general health issues, the prevention of HIV/AIDS and addiction and the promotion of equal health opportunities.
The initial situation
Need for action due to the new cannabis law
With the passing of the Consumer Cannabis Act in Germany on April 1, 2024, which allows the possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults under certain conditions, teachers and educational staff at schools as well as community prevention specialists are facing a new, complex challenge. The exchange with representatives of these professional groups shows that there are many questions and uncertainties about how to deal with young people in relation to cannabis in everyday working life. The ZPG wanted to meet this need for information in as low-threshold and timely a manner as possible and provide the target groups concerned with background information on cannabis as well as methodological skills for preventive handling in the professional environment. The aim is to enable them to effectively protect young people from the risks of cannabis use and to be able to react appropriately to the changing social perception of cannabis.
The solution
The solution was to be a comprehensive, asynchronous and flexible online course with corresponding accompanying materials. After a tendering process, youknow was chosen to design and create the course.
In collaboration, the course "Cannabis and school: knowing, understanding, acting" was developed, which offers an intensive examination of the topic of cannabis in a professional context. Participants have a total of 14 interactive modules at their disposal, each with a learning time of 5 to 30 minutes, which can be selected individually depending on previous knowledge and requirements.
The modules were designed by youknow in such a way that they can be worked on both individually and in groups, which enables exchange between professionals. The narrative structure of the course, in which characters from a fictitious school guide participants through the content, makes learning visual and practical. Participants can thus act out real-life scenarios that convey a deeper understanding of prevention and dealing with cannabis use, and receive valuable tips for everyday working life.
An extensive collection of additional materials has been created to accompany the online course. These visualize what has been learned, provide deeper insights through further information and make it easier for educational professionals to transfer this knowledge into their everyday work.
The course is provided free of charge on the learning platform of the Bayerische Akademie für Sucht- und Gesundheitsfragen (BAS). Upon completion of the online course, a certificate confirms successful participation.
The flexibility of the course, which allows learners to save their progress and continue at any time, contributes to a sustainable integration of what has been learned into everyday working life. The course has been designed to meet the specific needs of professionals and take into account current challenges.
The result
Successful pilot phase and positive feedback
The feedback so far shows that the course has already been very well received by the target group in the Bavaria-wide pilot phase. As of the end of April 2024, over 570 participants have already successfully completed the course and received their certificate. Around half of the graduates were teachers at a secondary school.
A particular highlight is the high commitment of the participants: The dropout rate between the first course module and course completion was just 18%. This figure demonstrates how attractive and motivating the course is.
The growth in knowledge and skills of the participants as a result of the course is also impressive: compared to before (22%), significantly more people (67%) stated after the course that they rated their knowledge of cannabis as high or very high. The majority were (rather) satisfied with both their own increase in knowledge (95%) and their acquisition of new practical skills (90%).
An overwhelming majority (95%) would (tend to) recommend the course, which underlines the suitability and success of the course. 86% of participants rated the course as very good or good overall. The varied and interactive presentation, the easy comprehensibility and the practical case studies were particularly praised.
Conclusion
A valuable tool for cannabis prevention in Bavarian schools
The ZPG's online course "Cannabis and school: know, understand, act" has proven to be a valuable training opportunity for teachers and educational professionals to gain confidence in dealing with cannabis use among young people in everyday working life. The high participation rate and the positive feedback from course graduates show that the course meets a real need. The course helps to effectively protect young people from the risks of cannabis use and to anchor a prevention-oriented approach in everyday school life.
Hannah Strauch
Project manager for addiction prevention
ZPG
„The online course \'Cannabis and school: know, understand, act\' has quickly established itself as a helpful and valued training opportunity in addiction prevention work. The overwhelming response shows that the topic of the course meets the immense need for education in the field of cannabis prevention. The approach of imparting knowledge in an interactive and practical way has been particularly well received. It is inspiring to see how committed teachers and educational professionals are to taking up the offer so that they can have a positive influence on the lives of young people in their day-to-day work. We are proud to have worked with youknow to develop such a needs-based course that is highly valued by practitioners and thus to be able to make a contribution to strengthening addiction prevention work in Bavarian schools.“
Outlook
What's next?
Following the successful pilot of the online course "Cannabis and school: knowing, understanding, acting", a revised version will be available nationwide from fall 2024. Based on the positive evaluation results and the needs reported by practitioners, the course content will also be further developed in a next step. The aim is to enable other target groups, e.g. parents or youth work professionals, to participate in the course and to train them in dealing with adolescents and young adults regarding cannabis.
Die Entwicklung des Kurses fand im Rahmen einer Förderung durch das Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit (BIÖG, vormals BZgA) und das Bayerische Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention (StMGP) statt.
Maximilian Winnen
Business Development Manager
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