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The Department of Defense is committed to fostering a culture free of sexual harassment and

violence, evident by the ongoing commitment to prevention and response training programs.

The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) is responsible for developing and

implementing innovative training programs which provide scenario-based, real life situations to

demonstrate the entire cycle of prevention, reporting, response and accountability procedures.

Standardized SAPR training programs grounded in adult learning theory and data collection

regarding the effectiveness of the training are strategic priorities.

The use of Turning Technologies’ student response systems, referred to as “clickers” in the

“Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies,” have

been incorporated in SAPR training as an innovative technology for sensitive group discussions,

pre- and post-course evaluations and for implementing adult learning theories. Turning

Technologies’ newest solution, Triton Data Collection System, offers the added capabilities of

administration of certification examinations, which can assist with the DoD-wide certification

program in order to ensure all sexual assault victims are offered

assistance of a certified SARC or SAPR VA.

Clickers serve as a real-time data collection device that can

efficiently gather group response data. The use of anonymous

mode, available in TurningPoint and Triton software, creates a

safe environment of group responses not possible with

traditional techniques such as hand raising. Imagine a group of

military personnel in a SAPR training course being asked the question, “Have

you witnessed or heard about sexual assault in your unit?” The use of a clicker

to respond to this and similar questions provides participants the protection of

anonymity, proven to significantly increase both the number and accuracy of

responses.

In the most recent DoD survey on sexual abuse, data showed 2,949 reports of abuse against a service member

last year compared with 1,275 in 2004. The vast majority of victims (88 percent) were female - a statistic that

informs the Pentagon that male victims (12 percent) do not come forward at the same rate. The statistical data

also suggests that male participants in SAPR training programs may be prone to not outwardly responding to

group questions unless their anonymity can be protected. The ability of clickers to protect the confidentiality of

participants makes it an ideal technology for gathering relevant, real-time data that can be used for trend

analysis.

Student response technology is straightforward and simple, enabling an instructor to digitalize student data

both in the teaching moment and in a standardized self-paced certification model. TurningPoint software allows

instructors to pose a question to the students, students press the button on the clicker keypad that matches

their answer choice and results of the entire group are displayed in a graph. Real-time engagement can occur in

either an anonymous mode or can be used to correlate and store response data instantaneously in order to

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create numerous, detailed reports including attendance, item analysis, whole group evaluation and

individualized student performance.

Turning Technologies’ Triton Data Collection System provides trainers a highly secure, low to no bandwidth data

collection system that eliminates the need for standard bubble sheets. Triton combines the front-end ease of

paper testing with the back-end ease, security, reliability and automation of computer-based testing. The

patented, simple, secure and reliable high-stakes testing solution consists of a Triton Receiver with proctoring

software, a central administration Triton Web portal and a ResponseCard NXT clicker. The software was

designed for use by test proctors and requires minimum training. Triton provides the ability to control the test

environment, delivering test security, standardization of test administration and near-immediate results that is

ideal for the certification process.

Clicker technology has been used in education for over 15 years and has been researched heavily. The body of

research consistently validates the ability of such technology to positively influence teaching, student learning

and outcomes. Student response systems provide the following benefits:

Active Learning: Involvement of learners directly and actively in the learning process itself. Instead of

simply receiving information verbally and visually, students are actively engaged and can do so

anonymously, creating a safe environment for responding to sensitive topics.

Feedback and Understanding: Active involvement in the discovery process in addition to immediate

feedback promotes retention and the correction of initially inaccurate response strategies. Student

response technology supports the rapid questioning model and the positive reinforcement of correct

responses. Response systems also allow instructors to closely monitor learners’ responses and

expectation of learning mastery.

Anonymous Engagement: Depict students' psychological investment in learning, also increasingly used

to describe meaningful anonymous student involvement throughout the training environment.

Accountability: Digital collection of data enabled by clickers provides an effective mechanism for

tracking pre- and post-program learning outcomes.

Assessment: The use of clickers as a bubble sheet replacement is the most cost effective method to

collect assessment response data and deliver results in real time.

USAFA SAPR implemented electronic clickers in classes for standardized pre- and post-questions to capture

data/measures regarding cadet knowledge and behavior regarding bystander intervention. Collected data was

used for both program evaluation and for a social-norming/marketing campaign to promote sexual assault

awareness and bystander intervention. The USAFA also implemented pre- and post-event data collection

efforts to evaluate and exercise oversight of SAPR training and educational programs. Turning Technologies has

shipped over 5,000 devices to 32 locations for use in SAPR programs.

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Southern Oregon University worked closely with the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force and the

Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team to raise awareness of sexual assault and available sexual assault

services provided to victims on the SOU campus. During the two-year campaign, the university designed a

workshop entitled “University Seminar Wellness Workshop: Consent and Bystander Intervention” designed for

incoming students to provide fundamental understanding of issues and a set of basic prevention skills.

TurningPoint response technology served as a key component during presentations that also incorporated

YouTube segments to generate campus-wide baseline understanding and to actively engage students for the

promotion of a safer campus environment.

Department of Defense. (2012). Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military: Fiscal Year 2012. Retrieved from

http://www.sapr.mil/media/pdf/reports/FY12_DoD_SAPRO_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault-VOLUME_ONE.pdf

Office of the Secretary of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. (2010). Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and

Violence at the Military Service Academies: Academic Program Year 2009-2010. Retrieved from

http://www.sapr.mil/media/pdf/reports/FINAL_APY_09-10_MSA_Report.pdf

Scarborough, R. (2012, May 20). Victims of sex assaults in military are mostly men. The Washington Times. Retrieved from

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/20/victims-of-sex-assaults-in-military-are-mostly-

sil/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

Southern Oregon University. (2012). Campus Report on Sexual Misconduct. Retrieved from

http://www.sou.edu/studentaffairs/sexualmisconductreporttohancellor2012.pdf