Abstract
Background Unprotected sex increases adolescent risk of early and unwanted pregnancy and childbirth, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted diseases such as infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Sexuality education serves as one means of helping young people prevent these problems and improve their future reproductive health. Development and utilization of a computer-aided instruction (CAI) on sexuality education may facilitate learning and provide additional education channel to this group of people.Methods Contents of the CAI were organized into six key concepts including human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health and society and culture. Information and illustrations were employed and tailored to fit for Thai society and culture. Tutorial methodology was used and arranged into the following categories: introduction of the tutorial, questions and responses, judgment of responses, feedback about responses, remediation, organization and sequence of program segments and learner control in tutorials. Three phases of planning, design, and development were assigned and followed, The CAI was created in collaboration with a NECTEC staff and had been tried out in an early secondary school classroom within Roi-Et municipality. Macromedia Authorware 5.2 was used as authoring tool and the final material was written into a compact disc. Results A six-chapter interactive multimedia tutorial was developed, It occupied about 192 megabytes on a compact disc. While trying out in the classroom, there was some initial perplexity in using the CAI by the students, which made the beginning of the study cumbersome, In the second half of the study, however, the students could easily use the CAI. Each chapter of the tutorial took about 50 minutes to complete. A total of 8 sessions were needed to finish the CAI. In a focus group discussion at the end of the study, the students exhibited their preference to the CAI.Conclusions CAI seems to be one of potential methods for comprehensive sexuality education through facilitate learning and provide additional education channel. Problem underlay CAI usage is preparedness of student.
