D.C. The CD-ROM, Parenting Wisely, offers nine video dramasdepicting common family problems, such as poor schoolperformance and sibling rivalry. The program offers a choice ofpossible resolutions and potential outcomes for each. Designed forpeople of varying computer skills, the software requires userparticipation, which may be one reason for its apparent success. The key seems to be the interactive process.
People have to take an active role in the learning process.
Theyspend more time with it because it's so interesting. Gordon presented research on the program's effectivenessJuly 11 at the annual meeting of the Coalition for Marriage, Familyand Couples Education. For one study, researchers recruited 72 parents whosechildren had been involved with the juvenile courts or childrenservices agencies in Athens, Hocking and Washington counties inOhio. Parents received either the parenting CD-ROM or wereassigned to a control group. Prior to their participation, parents completed severalquestionnaires, including the Eyeberg Child Behavior Inventory, atool widely used by researchers to measure behavioral disorders inchildren.