All participants (intervention and control group)
Eligible participants will be asked to complete our online consent form and short survey about their attitudes, knowledge and training in equality and diversity issues, and provide some identity details (such as employer, length of service, demographic details etc.) at the start of the study. We will then randomly assign participants to one of two groups for comparison: one group receiving the e-learning training module (the intervention group), and the other receiving no training other than what is normally provided by their employer (control group). Both groups will be asked to complete another online survey for us at the end of their study involvement.
Intervention group
Participants in the intervention group will undertake the e-learning training module which takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Participants will be able to learn at their own pace at a time that suits them (i.e., pause and resume the e-module at later date). At the end of the e-module, participants will be asked to complete a short online survey before receiving their CPD certificate. Participants will receive email or text reminders to complete the e-module and survey before the study concludes in Dec 2022, after which point they will lose access to the e-module.
Control or comparison group
Participants in the control group will not receive the e-learning training module. However, they will continue to engage with training usually provided by their employer (e.g., general staff Equality & Diversity training). The research team will contact participants in this group at the end of the study in Nov/Dec 2022 to ask about the amount and types of equality and diversity training they received during the trial and to complete a short online survey for us.
Although the control group does not receive the e-module, they are essential to the study. Without a control group for comparison, it is difficult to know how effective the e-module is and whether a real change has arisen from undertaking it. Participants will receive email or text reminders to complete our online survey before the study concludes in Dec 2022. Details of how to access the e-module will be made available to participants in the control group once the study concludes.