AlcoholEdu @ Stanford 2009

AlcoholEdu is a research-based, student friendly, online alcohol education program designed to assist students in making healthy decisions regarding alcohol use in college. The program takes about 2 hours to complete and includes information on:

How expectations influence behavior
Information of the legal consequence related to alcohol in California
Alcohol’s effect on learning and memory
Recognizing and responding to an alcohol-related emergency
Blood alcohol concentration and low-risk drinking strategies

Part 1 of the course takes approximately 3 hours to complete, and we recommend that you take it in multiple sittings. This part ends after the Exam and Survey 2. You must earn a grade of 80% or higher to pass and receive credit for the course. The deadline for finishing Part 1 of the course is September 12, 2009.

About 2-3 weeks into the Fall quarter at Stanford, you will receive an email asking you to complete Part 2, which includes Module 5 and Survey 3. Part 2 will take about 15 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete Part 2 is December 1, 2009.

Based on students’ responses to a confidential questionnaire at the beginning of the program, AlcoholEdu provides personalized information based on gender and drinking behavior. Stanford students who tested the AlcoholEdu program last year found it helpful and stated that they would recommend it to others. AlcoholEdu is relevant to students who drink and those who abstain from alcohol as well.

Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about AlcoholEdu


Q.	Why is Stanford implementing AlcoholEdu? Is there a drinking problem here?
A.	Stanford is pretty typical of most college campuses when it comes to alcohol use. Most people here drink moderately or do not drink at all. The info on AlcoholEdu is really about helping people think through decisions related to alcohol use. On-line alcohol education is a new strategy available for addressing the University’s ongoing goal of reducing high-risk drinking and related harm. The Stanford Alcohol Advisory Board recommended that all incoming students complete AlcoholEdu, which is an approach employed by several peer institutions, including Cornell, Colombia, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton

Q.	How do students access the course?
A.	Students can access AlcoholEdu using any computer with internet and audio capabilities. You should receive an email with detailed access instructions the week of August 10, 2009. If you have not received instructions, please e-mail rjcastro@stanford.edu for instructions. - Go to http://college.alcoholedu.com - In the "New User" box, enter: 9C243744FIRSTYEAR - Next, fill in all of the demographic information that is required. Make sure to use your Stanford email address (SUNet ID with @stanford.edu) when asked for an email address. This will serve as your "Returning User" Login for the program. Technical support is available toll-free , 24-hours a day at (866) 384-9062.

Q.	What about students who do not have easy access to computers at home or in their community?
A.	We ask that you consider all possibilities for accessing a computer. A friend or family member may be willing to let you use their computer for this purpose. Also, many local libraries have computers available with internet access. If it is truly impossible to access a computer with the necessary technical capabilities, you may receive an extension to complete AlcoholEdu early in the fall quarter in order to take the course on a Stanford computer. Please call Ralph Castro at 650-723-3429 to discuss such an extension.

Q.	What if a student’s home computer freezes or crashes while trying to run the program?
A.	First, contact AlcoholEdu’s 24 hour technical support at 866-384-9062 to see if something can be done to optimize the performance of your computer. If that does not solve the problem, please e-mail call Ralph Castro at 650-723-3429 for an extension in order to take the course on a Stanford computer early in the fall quarter.

Q.	Are my responses confidential?
A.	Yes. No one will see your individual responses. The only information that is available to Stanford is where you are in the program and what grade you received on the final exam.

Q.	What does research say about AlcoholEdu?
A.	Data suggest that AlcoholEdu significantly improves knowledge and increases protective behaviors among students who drink alcohol. A recent study on AlcoholEdu showed that students who completed it experienced a 50% reduction in negative academic and personal consequences (Wall, 2007). Wall, A. F. (2007). Evaluating a Health Education Website: The Case of AlcoholEdu. NASPA Journal, 44(4), Art. 4. Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://publications.naspa.org/naspajournal/vol44/iss4/art4.